The Republican journal., 1869-12-23
TRAINING THE MORAL FACULTIES.

in previous numbers we have spoken of the hll-
man as Il three-lold being; a material, mental and
2 moral; and there showed the intimate and insep-
trahle relation of each of these 10 the other.
We there also likcnei he Young human being TO
The oak slambering in the acorn, which grows hy
ind IN likeness to that it feeds on; the puny house
7lA when cramped in narrow boxes and wanting
proper food, sunlight and the free brcezcs of heay-
tu; the worthless scraggy dwarf when poor soil
and bad treatment are its only helps; and rising to
he the king of trees under favorable conditions
Now this, we think. is the exact condition of The
Young moral Faculties and whose proper training
therefore, is furnishing them the right food il,
quaullIa ami hnd and a the external conditions
lcr their development.
rhe mischief has bcen that the world has been
cursed for thousands of years with dognas and
reed parties and sccr~, each trying 10 ou-lo the
other-most Of them-in the absurCity and mon.
orousnr>> OF their ideas on this subject And it is
painful and sad to look aong the line OF history to
see the countless efforts made how often With fire
ahd f'ggot and crueltes of all sorts, to twist and
torture these faculties into nature and shape they
arr not, cannot be made to be, ana for which the
all-kind and wise Creator never intended them.
Thus large seets tor centuries to the present hour.
tepraved-n0 good il hinl--not from any Act or
rhine Of his own, but because tar back at the cra-
die Of the race somebody did something; and The
cruelest hing Of the whole H. or yould be if true.
that the human being cannot hy any possibility
lhnk a good thought or do anything to get into
The right way, without some miraculous interpo-
.iton in!hie behalf
And immense evil result from such doctrines.
til-. 1 ,t,J N
aud ten him cternaIly what a vile thing he is that
his whole relations, before and after him. are al
leeuraed OF God; that he is totally vile and never
viii nor can be any things what is the effect of all
thi> hooting and Encouragement: Certainly not
~ lift up and strengthen; to help Inn be and do
g7odi but to east down; to destroy all aspirations
for hettfr things; 10 make him and his race vile
lhd miserable indeed forever. Fortunately Young
mnds-most of thenl--are too elastic and hopeful,
10" much illuminated by the inner light to he cast
down and ruined by any such unreasonable tollies
Another mistake scarcely less gricYous we think
IN the moral education of the young, is expecting
fhese Young and ardent minds to have the same
tastes, the same spiritual wants As their sraud-pa-
fents Thus he old Puritan ideas->ill too preya-
lent in the land--th.h All nmusemens and pleasures
II All sort are wicked and the sure road to perdi-
lion; and that such noble and interesting reading
rs Johnsons death Of Altamont Edwards Oh the
VIII; Bayter- Call to the l'nconvrrted &c. are
JlSt the very thing for chldren'S mora, culture In
Hur Young days. just IN the midst Of - button.' or
WAlF the cover, IN c;tIAu a great siN-iooI clergy
man, of the Puritan stripe, who, after a lengthy
harrangue on the exceeding SiniunrsS of sin in
general and OF amuScments in particular, wound
up by lengthy prayer; and The only moral or re-
iigous effect we could ever discover from this mix
ng the sublime with the ridiculous was certain
missionary work greatly increased, not to
Greenand'S icy mountains, hut to the frryd
tips 0t beauty to make ul for io~l time.
We tel yoU, parents, there i a terrible mistake
here, in the moral training OF children, tending in
mvriad cases 80 the saddc,t results. It is not an
lle saying merely thai Dtaron,' aud Minister'S
SONS the worst oues in the world.' While
thcrc arc many nobv eXael tons, too lany, ;tl;t~,
aaye progcd it true. The reason is obvious.
Reared in those pure hut cold and hc;.tce~ homes
where never one sIy, one thought. one 4el accord
lnt W th The nature and wants OF thu v0uIg heart
N,rr e,rr known, what could they do but to launch
nuI Into the vicious world to forage by stealth for
hi, spuI-iaod tne,l them At homc> Just Il, the
oN Starving in barren pa>ture- leaps the best
'eirc~ aud destroyS the corn. And if you give the
Y tar food stones, >tumps trees. or even fish and
he+h it is All asain,l his nature; he loath~ it and
bursts ont the same; ami give Il child the moral
food which an uscetie and Doctor Of Divinity
contrve somehow to exist it is tll against his ma
lure too loathrs and breaks through the enclos-
ures also, Thus precisely " hat makes . breechy
cittle' for life makes hrcechy children for life
starry alton! Let Us see if any better way can De
advised
In early life, in both sexes, the mind and soul
forces are every day putting out little buds which,
10y and by. if you rightly encourage them, viii
lower out into the great ayocatlons of these future
men and women. Hence there is u vast moral
power in iack-knife that will cut; and if you add
saws, gimlet and hammer, You multiply their pow
er for good by "A thousand. A ball Of twine paper
sad paste are worth many hymn books and vol
umcS Of sermons as means Of moral culture. Balls
sled~ and skates, are far better than many fine
spun homilieS on the duty of doing good. &" But
tneSe cost something; the windows and looking
slasses get broken; the house gets dirty and things
turned t0pSyturVy." But is not the fact of getting
broken backs broken heads and your own broken
h6lrt4 by sending Them out INTO the hel, evils OF
the world to iii h, Immortal yearning of the soul
18th the husks of the swine, Il fir more terrible
evil?
A. 10 the little girls, they as naturally take to
!riug mothers and hou7c-krcper> themselves Il, at
womanhood, This /, their great moral want; TO
sIpply which i'll dolls and all the countless things
OF mimic house keeping is as much the duty of pa-
rents as t. provide their food and raiment This to
them is moral food.
But children will out-groW their amusement, as
They du their garments, and must have others
adapted to their growth and nature. When the
kites are exchanged for dckeys and barler-shops
though on the face of things You can't tell why !;
hut matter; the mau is fast grow ing beneath the
surface and when the dolls give place to sigls
AMI tender poetry, what then are the means for
moral developments There are the thousand in
norcnt games; checkers, chess, squalls, croquet,
ards, dice, the social dance-had by turuS around
at different homes rather than public assemblies;
ia which parents >hould join; to make the Young
tpk> ieel at home and 10 dihuse through parental
bones and marrow new life and ygor.
when these tire there is good reading at home
aud in public clubs around at different homes
Debating societies and lyceums are also GREAT mol-
al helps
What then? Nothing more will be needed; for
I the child and the youth periods of life have been
rghtIy managed and directed, the man and the wo-
man age will come right Of itself; for with right