Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-12-29
Lecture in Park Street Church.

A VISIT TO THE OLD WORLD.-On
Monday evening Rev. w. G. Van Me-
ter. superintendent of the New York
Home for Little Wanderers, deliver
ed, by special invitation, lecture en-
titled The Old World as found it,
at the Park Street Church. A com
pany Of children from the Home were
present, and sang some songs very
beautifully during the evening.
The lecturer described his visit to
Ireland, England, Scotland, France,
Italy aud Switzerland, and expressed
his views of various Peformatory III
stitutions which he visited in those
countries. He ascribed the poverty
and degradation of the Irish in their
native country not TO any oppression
of the British government, but to the
influence of Roman Catholicism, and
to the ignorance, bigotry and laziness
engendered by priestcraft, and which
was occasionally apparent among the
Irish in this country. He spoke IN
glowing terms of the natural beauties
of Ireland, and stated that the Irish
character was one of extremes
Among them were to be found people
in the lowest state of degradation and
ignorance, and also many others who
were possessed of the highest and
most exalted qualities-men of bril-
liant intellect, sparkling wit, and gen
erous, sympathetic natures.
The lecturer spoke with much en-
thusiasm of the cordial reception
which he met with in England from
Lord Salisbury, Dean Stanley and
other eminent reformers and philan-
thropists in that country. He narrat-
ed a visit to Muller's celebrated or
phan school in Bristol. After prais-
ing it for its excellent object, he spoke
in severe terms Of the system of com
) polling the children to wear a certain
/ uniform of check. 1t was bad enough
: for child to be poor without COM
polling it to wear the badge of power
1ty. In the school room, too, the chill
: dren all had fixed look and never
wore natural smile. He commended,
however, that the children ought to
be almost as happy in the school room
as in the playground, The girls re
! manned in the establishment till they
| were IS or 10 years old, and then
( went into service. Mr. Muller would
r not allow any Of them to be adopted
2 by families before that age, in conse-
4 quence of VOW made when they en-
r tered that institution. In Mr.. Null
: ler's opinion, training the girls for
t service was the most likely way for
E them to inherit eternal life. The lee
), turer spoke of refuge in Paris for
5 boys who had been convicted of petty
: crimes. The system was rigid soil
: tary confinement, aud even the win
t dows of the room We're painted, so
z mat the children oou.d u0t sc The
/ SKY. Iu coming out OF that institution
/, the officer ASKED aim now ne liked It.
; He replied ua1 a child could not com,
{ init a crime t4at would Justify such
: unnatural treatment aud that if ht
L mad his way lie would sink the place
e TO the devil. The officer astonisheC
Ii him by replying that they had copieC
d the system from Massachusetts. IL
' the lecturer) replied that if children
d were treated in that way in Massachr
J. sets, or in any other part of the Unit
1t ed States, the people would tear th
v building down. The lecturer the
lie described what he regarded an exec
t. lent feature in an almshouSe in Pari,
1t which permitted an old man and b
r wife to live together to the end of the
IL days, and did not separate them, a
r in many other countries. In anothe
W almshouse in Genoa, those OF the boy
s. who had natural talent were taugf
re to be architects and engineers, an
I'd thus made men OF, and not paupers {
in tramps, as in England and sometime
d. in America.