The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-08-16

1
-------- A 49,
There is some virtue in the scienc'
of statistics. Lord SALISBURY was en-
abled to declare 1t at public meeting
as an ascertained fact, that forty-nin,
out of fifty of all criminals in England
convicted in after life, commenced
thier career of crime between the ages
of eight and sixteen, so that he who
has passed through his sixteenth year
without having commenced life O
crime against the laws of the country
in some particular or other is almost OF
quite certain never to do so.
This probably shows to what an ex
tent crime is the result of bad paterna
government and training. When we
see youth under sixteen committing
not only faults and indulging in vices
but already so far gone as to become a
violater of the laws of the country, we
instinctively blame his parents, more
than himself, for it, and in nine cases
out often we are justified in so doing.
His crime may not have been the di-
rectresult Of any counsel and training
of his parents leading him into evil
courses by thier intention; but it is
some principle which the youth has
seen sanctioned at home, or by those he
has been taught to respect, pushed out
practically to the legitimate conse-
quence of such principles.
Where this is not the case, there has
in almost all instances, been an absence
of that sort of restraint which might ca
silly have kept clear of criminal associ-
ates. The Asiatic laws, which hold a
mans family guilty in part for hil
crimes, are therefore not so far out of
the way. Certainly it would seem as
if the parents of criminals are at the be-
ginning more culpable than the crimi-
nails themselves.
1t is not merely in regard to crime,
but to every species of moral delinquen-
cy, including all the vices which sap
industry integrity, truth, honor and
positive virtue of every sort, that the
same principle may be applied.
1t is probable that between eight
and sixteen the characters of most
youths for good or for evil are suffi.
ciently developed to afford an almost
infalliable prospectus to their future
course. fla lad is going to prove a
smoker or a drinker, gambler, swear
er, or cheat, he will generally have
begun before he is sixteen.
No doubt many who have begun in
a thousand evil ways, or ways that
might have portended evil in youth of
no ordinary degree, have sold thier
wild oats, have reformed and become
the most exemplary of mankind, but
those who between eight and sixteen
are exemplary, are almost certain to
become honorable, and distinguished
men.
Many parents on this account, fall
into the sad mistake oftrying to keep
their children as childish as possible,
hoping thus by retarding the natural
course of trial and temptation with
them, to preserve them innocent, and
render them virtuous through life.
Yet this course more often fails than
succeeds, because it is essentially arti-
fetal, untrue, and unnatural. 1t is a
less evil usually to push plants forward
artifoially than to keep them back, and
so it is with men.
Those thus retarded too often never
ripen into men mt all, but are always
immature, even where they do not
reach into the worst vices. An inno-
cent man is nothing but an overgrown
baby. No one admires peach blossoms
in December: To keep back a youth
artifcially in ignorance that he may be
innocent, will never prepare him to be
strong in virtue and overcome the
world.
DIR. Arnold one Of the best educators
of youth the world has yet seen, has
several admirable remarks OH the sub
ject. While he complains that many a
merry innocent boy is often ruined by
life in a public school, he says that
where lad has had principles of posi-
tive virtue, lnstilled into him in early
life-where the love of right, justice,
honor and integrity he's been distinctly
fostered, the trials of school life make
youth stronger and more manly and
vigorous in all good ways.
Let parents only occupy the years
fror1 eight to sixteen in seeking to push
home to thier children's hearts princi-
piles of earnest, moral self culture, and
it will save them not only from crimi-
nal, but al those evil courses that are
the draw backs from the youths sur
them. To do this there must
be much more confidence and frankness
between parents and children than
there usually is-a letting down of the
will that hides the hearts and knowl-
edge of parents and children from each
other. Philadelphia Ledger.