The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-04-09

present, Omnlsclcnt. L never knew Dut
one boy who was not afraid Of him; yet
he seldom or never used corporal punish
ment. He was king Of terrors, and
from his awful seat Of perfect goodness
he delivered himself to terrified urchins
Of such sentences MS these:
Drown you are the scum of the
Five Points -
"Jones in ten yers' time only State
Prison convicts will endure your pres
ence -
"Robinson the fearful life you have
deliberately chosen has cost me many
sleepess nights"
Remember these were not Reform.
School boys, but orderly members Of
some of our most respected Christian fam.
lilies, to whom these sentences were sol.
emnly addressed.
Did not the man know that he was
was speaking untruths? ? And was it
right ?
remember son of one of the Pro.
fessors (now resident under the palmetto
leaves Of Florida) who had no fear of
Uncle. Anecdotes Of his prowess and
daring were banded round, and gloated
over as Virginians spoke once of the
guerilla exploits of Mosby, or urchins
comment upon the career Of Claude Du-
val.
Once Uncle found Fred with nauti-
cal plug of tobacco. 1t was confscated
Immediately.
"What else have you in your pocket
he demanded
"Only pistol"
SIS it loaded ?"
"Yes."
Well, 60 out doors, fire it of, ond thei
bring it to me- was the final command
Fred pulled the trigger at once, am
history hath it that the great man wa
really frightened. Our Imagination
could scarce conceive of it. remembe
we we're also much delighted becau'
Fred's father, in sermon, took the grounC
that false accusations, even in school
rooms, and with good intent, were equal
ly as sinful as any other kind of ling
Yet, by Uncle Sans system >Uch pre-
suming upon truth was an actual necessi
ty. His spies, from fragment ofconver
sation and an imperfect knowledge o
actual fact, could, at best gam but tn
suspicion of the existence Of any Irvitr.
or law.breaking to report to him iii
experience and knowledge of boy-naur
must supply the missing links in tn
chain.
We are not of those who believe ,ha
the government Of juvenile is ncces>aril
a despotism. We believe that any bo,
in his teens has rights which his elder
are bound to respect. llis character i
forming the veal or woe Of his Owl
life, perhaps the welfare or bane Of count
less numbers of his fellows, may be ir
rcvocably influenced by a single act o
injustice.
What shall we say, then, to an earl,
training which reversed the sound prin
ciple of law that considers every man in
nocent until proven guilty?
If Uncle Sam, the teacher, was right
the whole principle Of Uncle Sam rcsid
ing at Washington, d. c.. is thorough
wrong DR.. Arnold's life was a mistake
and tom Browns School Days at Rug
by" had better never been written Ar
the admirers of the third Greek schola
in America willing to admit these propo
sitions?
No-whie we glory in his scholarship
let us deprecate his system of govern
nent, as we may admire religious teach
er, and yet regret the headings of h
theology. Only by mutual con6denC
between old and young can the latter |
properly fitted to assume the duties {
life. Only by encouraging elt.respe'
can respect for superiors be assured. Or
ly by nurturing and stimulating every c
} ement Of manliness in the human hea
whatever its age) can noble manhoc
/ be ultimately attained