The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1866-10-04
for M Glass;.
Thoughts for ,rhinking Men.


fortunate. and moulded into heantitni strue-
turrs which add 20 the happiness, wealth.
prosperity etc, Of individuals or cOmmuni-
ties Then, consider ME not ORGANIZATIONS
la offering 10 the thinking men Of our
country a few Original thoughts upon a sub.
/ iect Of vital Importance b. our situation .
and n but elicit thought and discussion 4
viii, ~ a very great extent, have accoml,.
lished my purpose
Bnt to the point All thinking men feel
that something must be done "a elevate the
moral and intellectual capacities Of the
freedman, OF be viii retr0grade 10 his pTis-
tine state Of barbarian and become worse
than curse 10 the country he inhabits
Man is progressive being God has
given him capacities for Improvement, on
for assimilating himself t0rards the charac-
ter Of his CREATOR and he who does not
move ny, morally and intellectually, IL sure
20 move dorm. The brain, muscle, and az
iectiOns of the denizens of country belong
(for good to that country; and that country
which fails TO devel0pe these, not only fails
10 protect aud support the happiness and
prosperity Of its people, but grossly neglects
its duty Ia God; and eau, IN thus violating
the laws of God, bat expect TO reap the legi-
innate fruits of Ignorance, sin aud laziness,
III misery, crime aud poverty. Then look Mt
our country. More than one-third of its in
habitants are unable to read Gods word,
and our knowledge of them cOnyinees us
that not only they but their descendants
ever will he, unless some llnOTal or physical
incentive can be brought 10 bear upon them,
which will have better effect in arOnsing
THEN dormant energies than any yet known
to ns Can we find the incentive think
we can. They love their offspring; but
manifest it according to their dispositions,
on rather according to their moral and
mental capacities, ia desiring TO have them
with themselves whether to their advan-
tage or otherwise aud free from any manner
of restraint or control, except peradventure
when their anger becomes aroused against
them, when they beat them numerically. |
have often, this year. seen parents fail their
children more than twice rs severely as
ever saw it done by even the most unreasOn-
able master in the days of slavery.
Then let our Legislature soon 10 convene,
begin the work of reform boldly and energet-
ieally Let them begin it upon the basis
that ere,y child (Iaving the capacity and
| can see no good reason for making a dis
tinctiOn in color, must be taught to read
Gods word, to do sums in simple business
calculation and to write; or in other words
mnst be given simple elementary education.
And how, you ask, is this TO be done
Tax MS (! The resources of the country have
vandalism, that those among us who are best
off are dependent upon their energies and
not their estates for means to educate their
own children, and hence are unable to pay
taxes There is but little difference or rath-
or inequality among us now 80 far as our
ESTATES are concerned. Our wealth consists
in our energies and industry, and not in our
means or money. But ! hold that, that man
who brings into existence a human intellect
is responsible not only to God but to the
country for the proper training of that in
tellect or for the education Of its head, its
hands aneAits heart. and that parent who
can not or will not discharge these duties is
not proper custodian for his offspring and
ought not to he allowed to cumber il with
his own msiortuues or sins.
The State, the country, society, is benefit
ed or injured when child is born. / care
not h0w high or low lowly its origin, every
mtellect,eXeTts an influence upon these sew
orally and collectively; and these are the
moral guardians of every child that is born
into them and if tho teachings of the nat |
urnl guardian are prejudieial to the welfare
of these, they ought to seize upon it and
transfer its custody to some one who will |
50 train il that it will become blessing and |
not a curse to them. And pray who is in
jured by this rule not the parent, for if he |
is unable but willingt to rear his child Alright |
he would be grateful to some one to take it |
and perform that duty for hint but if able |
and not willing to make the necessary sacri- |
flee and effort, then is he not worthy to be |
respected and his feelings ought not to be |
consulted Not the child, for instead of lie
ing raised in ignOrence and vicionsness to |
become the companion of the degraded and
unhappy, he is prepared for usefulness and
Then you ask what do Ipropose would
take erery child who has arrived at the age
of seven years, and whose parent or guar
dian does not give evidence of sufficient
energy and ability to give it an elementary
education and train il for usefulness and
bind il ont to some one who could give suifi-
cient guarantees for the performance of
these duties. BY this means many, very
many parents who have now herded them
selves together around the towns and viii
lagos and are depending upon predatory
Or at least uncertain eristeAoe, would he inn
PEELED to seek honorable and profitable EN-
others who have gone to work on
plantations would cease to be both jew and
Gentle, having two holidays and no Holy
Day i'm each seven. In IA few words, those
who ought to he trusted with the custody of
their own offspring, would be stimulated to
notion seeing the necessity for providing for
the future. II is notorious to all that the
greatest difficulty in the development Of the
present labor system is, that the laboring
Glass take no thought for the future;n
sufficient for the day is the evil thereof"
We cannot inspire in them that greatest
Yankee incentive to energy, viz: love of
filthy lucre." Could we get them to lore
money for itself, they would labor energeti-
,ally and faithfully but loving their ease
more, only providing for their immediate
wants and above all, feeling no moral slim
ilus to be "diligent in business they must
N the very nature of things ever while
ihus, he a worse than curse TO the country
hat has to bear their presence, much more
ICED, clothe, and perform the other kind
ifliccs required by human nature. Such is
he "our own interest," view OF the case; but
{ will we'll become us To look TO our re-
possibilities before High Heaven in dealing {
With this subject, aud To cease to give the ,
ullcn answer to every effort toward elevate
ng the moral and intellectual nature of the
the PHritans have placed
hem in their present unhappy situation,
nd they, aud not we, are responsible before
iod; when the quarter of whole race I
ave sunk TO the tomb in the space of four
ears. That they, and not we, are RESPONSE
lie, when our prisons are filled to overflow {
ng-when rape and arson and all the other |
rimes Of the ignorant and degraded stalk ,
nadly through our country even in the
-ery light of n0on-lay, let God, who viii /;
,e ours, be their Judge But let rs remem- '
,er that we are a. much responsible before I
Tim for the good that we might and fail 70 ,
In. for the evil that we might nreveut Int /