The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-06-10

IuO obiCCNo wei ullcN win ihOiOA-
tudes of those wretches. Released
that day from employment, they
spent their time in noise and riot,
cursing and swearing in a manner
TO convey to a serious person more
the idea Of hell than any other
place. He asked himsel: the ques-
ton, "Can nothing be done?" The
response came like the still small
voice of conscience saying, Try,
and he then and there resolved to
try. What a pregnant moment!
What a triumph! The Rubicon was
then passed and the battle more
than half fought The result proved
the truth of the old adage "that
where there is a will there is a
way" He inquired of the woman
if there were any decent, well-dis-
posed women in the ueighbOrhood
who kept schools for teaching to
read, and was directed TO four. To
them he applied and engaged them
II teach as many children as he
could send them on Sundays 5, agree
ing to pay them a shilling a day.
They were to instruct the children
in reading and the church cate
chism. The children were to at
tend at 10 o'clock in the morning,
go home at II, return at one, and
after reading a lesson they were to
be conducted to church. After
church they were to return to the
school room and be instructed until
5, and then dismissed with the in
junction that they were to go home
and not make noise or play on the
streets.
He communicated his plan to
Rev. Thomas Stork, Mr.. King and
others, and similar schools were
soon established by them and 9th
ers In the city and county, the Rev.
Mr.. Stork agreeing to visit the
schools Sunday evenings. Al
though these schools were estab-
lished in 1850, Raikes did not ven
ture to announce them or advocate
them through his Journal until
1888. I he reason he assigned for
this delay was, his father was a
non -conformist, and was a member
of Mr.. Whitfield's church, and al
though Robert Raikes himself was
a churchman the Journal had re
ceived its great reputation from his
father, and he feared if the sunday
school system was first advocated
through his Journal 1t would be re-
garded by the established church as
a measure of the non-conformists,
and might through the prejudice of
the day refuse to take it up. He
therefore desired that the system
should originate, or have the credit
of originating with the established
church, knowing that its capabilities
for good would soon recommend it
to the non-conformists Having
secured the cooperation of the
clergy in the schools in the town
and county and the approval of
some of the Bishops, and identified
the established church with them,
in November, 1888, he announced
the scheme in his paper as follows:
"Some of the clergy in different
parts of this county, bent on at
tempting reform among the chill
dren of the lower class, are estab-
fishing sunday schools for render
ing the Lords day subservient to
the ends of instruction, which has
hitherto been prostituted to bad
purposes. Farmers and other in
habItants of the towns and villages
complain that they receive more
injury to their property on the sab
bath than all the week besides.
This, in great measure, proceeds
from the lawless state of the young
er class, who are allowed to run
wild on that day free from restraint.
In those parishes where
the plan has been adopted we are
assured that the behavior of the
children is greatly civilized" etc.
He does not mention any agency he
had in starting the schools. To
fully appreciate the delay and eau
ton of Raikes in advocating his
sunday school system through his
Journal, 1t should be borne in mind
that Gloucester was the home of
Mr.. Whitfield-that there he com
menced his labors. and his first
contributions to tle public were
through the columns of the Jour
nal, and that Raikes' father was
one of his followers. Nothing in
Raikes' career shows so conclusive
ly his consummate skill as a jour
nalist, in controlling public senti-
menJ, as the method he pursued to
inaugurate his system under the
auspices of the established church.
After the church was fully COM
mitted to the system he commenced
a vigorous advocacy of the schools.
His articles were copied into other
papers, and letters came pouring in
upon ''the printer of the Gloucester
Journal from all parts, asking for
further information. These letters
were answered giving an account OF
the schools, ETC., which were pub
llshed in other papers, and in an
luCl ohOL1 bAnO SOnOOAo Wei
established all over England.
No sooner had Raikes called at
tention to his scheme than good
men and women far and near began
to adopt it
Adam Smith said, mo plan has
promised to effeUt so great change
of manners with equal ease and sim
plicisy since the days of the Apos-
ties" The poet Cowper declared
she knew of no nobler means by
which q reformation of the lower
classes could be effected" John
Wesley wrote his first notice oil
sunday schools in July, 1884, say
ing, 81 find these schools springing
up wherever 1 GO. Perhaps God
may have a deeper end therein than
men are aware of. Who knows but
some of these schools may become
nurseries of christians" In Use
DIR. Glasse wrote, cit is now four
years since this institution was first
set on foot, and this grain of mus.
tard seed is now grown to such in
credible extent that 100000 schol
airs attend the schools. In 1857
Her Majesty Queen Charlotte sem
D., \