THE 



MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



VOL. XXIII. JUNE, 1837. No. 138. 



EDUCATION A NATIONAL CONCERN.* 



" Whatever may stimulate the powers of the understanding or may regale the appe- 

 tite for speculation by even that glimmering and imperfect light which is made to 

 play in a mechanic school among the mysteries of nature, or may unveil though but 

 partially the great characteristics of wisdom and goodness that lie so profusely scat- 

 tered over the face of visible things, or may both exalt and give a wider compass to 

 the imagination, or may awaken a sense before dormant to the beauties of the Divine 

 workmanship and to the charms of that argument or of that eloquence by which they 

 are expounded, each and all of these might be pressed into the service of forming 

 to ourselves a LOFTIER POPULATION." Chalmers. 



NATIONAL EDUCATION based on reasonable principles and regulated 

 by the State is a great and urgent necessity, that becomes every day 

 more and more obvious' to the thinking men of all parties. The peo- 

 ple cry out for self-government, for the exercise of that power which 

 their recognition as a free people has led them to consider as their 

 right ; but whether it be a just claim or not, it is so strongly enforced, 

 that we dare not refuse to entertain the question of right that they 

 urge upon us. Meanwhile we must provide, if merely out of regard 

 for the safety of ourselves and our property, that these powers, when- 

 ever granted and to whatever degree, shall be properly exercised, 

 in short that they shall not be like edge-tools placed in children's 

 hands, alike dangerous to themselves and all around them ; and the 

 only means by which the interests of society can be so secured 

 is by giving to the masses of our population an education religious, 

 moral, and intellectual, religious, that they may know their duty to 

 God and the ultimate principles of moral obligation, moral, that they 

 may be able to trace in detail the various ramifications of the social 

 duties, and intellectual, that they may be able to exercise a mature 

 judgment on the various matters domestic, social, and .political, that 

 come under their consideration. It must be acknowledged that this 

 compulsory view of education is a very low one to take of so import- 

 ant a subject : but it is to be feared, that many who admit its neces- 

 sity, defend it on no higher ground. That many persons, highly to 

 their credit, have taken up the subject from the higher motives of re- 

 ligion and morality, and that their philanthropic activity has un- 

 doubtedly been productive of great national good, cannot be denied; 

 but however much higher the ground which they take than that as- 



* Central Society of Education. First publication, 12mo. pp. 414. Taylor and 



Walton. 

 JUNE 1837. 2 O 



