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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



tban his works, and the workman superior to his fabric. 

 It is lamentable indeed, that whilst England stood first 

 among the nations in commercial greatness and in mili- 

 tary and naval powers, and whilst she had advanced more 

 in the arts and sciences during the la^t 20 years than any 

 Other portion of the globe, the working-class education 

 was in a more discreditable position tlian that of any 

 other civilized country. It ought to call a blush of shame 

 to our cheeks to know that 40 out of every 100 persons 

 in this community were either totally unable to read or 

 write, or possessed only so little of those elementary 

 acquirements, that it was of no practical use. In those 

 European countries, on the other hand, which were 

 usually considered the seats of despotism, and also 

 amongst the Anglo-Saxons across the Atlantic, a man 

 80 ignorant would be positively an object of wonder. 

 Yes, I say, give the labouring classes a judicious, 

 useful education, that the peculiar glory of England 

 in the coming generation may be a social, an 

 intellectual, and a moral glory ; and I would 

 adopt the language of a brother in the ministry, 

 who though unknown to me I highly esteem for his 

 noble sentiments in reference to the labouring classes— 

 I mean the Rev. E. F. Beyuon, the president of the East 

 Surrey Agricultural Association, who, in addressing the 

 members, said, " Let us give to the youthful poor a 

 sound education, for by so doing we confer a benefit on 

 the country at large j and while advancing the welfare of 

 the children of the cottage, we consult for the safety, 

 benefit, and happiness of the children of the castle and 

 the palace. Let us hear no more of the delusion, that 

 knowledge can unfit the labourer for his duties. Would 

 a man be disposed to take less care of cattle, because he 

 knew something of their nature and physical constitu- 

 tion ? Would he be less capable of managing machinery, 

 because he knew somewhat of mechanical laws ? or be 

 less satisfied with his wages, because he had acquired a 

 knowledge of the law — that of supply and demand— by 

 which those wages are in no small degree regulated .' 

 Would his labour, in fine, be of less value because it 

 was skilled labour ? No, indeed. Let us then give our 

 labourers more intellectual and more religious light, 

 more education, and more of the knowledge of common, 

 or, I would say, more properly called useful things. 

 Let us not rest satisfied with providing for the bodily 

 wants of our work-people : let us seek to cultivate them 

 also, in head and heart. Let us give our labourers such 

 an education as may fit them alike to cope with life's 

 trials, and to perform life's tasks." One great evil has 

 been, that the idea of education has been associated only 

 with infancy and youth, exhibiting in our schools a few 

 youths as literary prodigies, often unfitted for the duties 

 of life, and a blot on the name of education. Educa- 

 tion, I maintain, does not consist in the mere storing of 

 the mind with a mass of dry facts, just as you would fill 

 a box with a number of curious articles ; but in develop- 

 ing the spiritual part of a child, and imparting to his 

 mind the power of drawing sound conclusions, and 

 gaining knowledge for himself in after-life. It is youth- 

 ful discipline, and the formation of industrious habits, 

 with a cultivation of truthfulness and honesty, as well 



as punctuality, neatness, and order. It is not only 

 teaching them, but training them — first, in the know- 

 ledge and love of the Saviour; secondly, by the forma- 

 tion of their moral habits ; thirdly, by improving their 

 powers of mind ; and, lastly, by giving them secular 

 information. What we want, I say, is, not only to 

 educate, but to train ; we want the education of life, the 

 education of responsibility — the cultivation of man's 

 humanity ; the recognition, as a part of our national life, 

 that the God of Revelation must be identified with the 

 God of Nature. It is in this way alone that we may 

 hope that our people will become honest, upright men, 

 good and useful labourers and servants, faithful and re- 

 ligious Christians, and live before God the witnesses of 

 His truth, the monuments of His grace, and heirs of 

 His future and everlasting mercies. This is the seed, I 

 say, which in all our transactions with our fellow- 

 creatures we must sow broadcast over the land, and in- 

 culcate in our schools, as being alone able to give go- 

 vernment its sanction, laws their authority, order its 

 security, or education its power. Let the alarm and 

 distress now being felt in the United States from the 

 neglect of this, in the rapid growth of scepticism and 

 spiritual indifference among a people once distinguished 

 by the deptii and energy of their religious character, 

 convince us of the danger of allowing the rising genera- 

 tion to grow up with mere highly-cultivated intellects, 

 but without any definite religious principles. And let 

 another instrument of our disasters — in the godless 

 schools and infidel press of India, with all the horrors 

 and all the woe of which we have heard — confirm the 

 solemn warning that we must not arm with mere in- 

 tellectual powers, if left destitute of holy principle. As 

 to schools, in the high-toned and manly onss of Eton, 

 Harrow, Rugby, and Westminster, within the reach of 

 the affluent and wealthy alone, a good education to fit 

 them for any duties of life, however elevated, can most 

 happily be secured. One great reason why so many 

 men illustrious both in Church and State issue from these 

 noble institutions is, that in their play-grounds courage is 

 universally admired, meanness despised, manly feelings 

 and generous conduct are encouraged. But I grieve to say 

 that though much improvement has taken, and is taking, 

 place — and the public voice demands it — our middle- 

 class schools (from the grammar-schools downwards, in 

 which the sons of many of our farmers would naturally 

 seek their education) are a crying disgrace to the 

 country, chiefly owing to incompetence and unfitness on 

 the part of the masters, and indifference on the part of the 

 parents. It is a lamentable fact that, of the sons of per- 

 sons in high social position, out of 860 candidates for the 

 civil service rejected on account of imperfect education, 

 only 65 have been refused for deficiencies not involving 

 spelling or arithmetic, or both ; whilst of 43" candidates 

 examined fcr commissions in the Indian army, 234 failed 

 in common arithmetic, and 182 in spelling their mother- 

 tongue ! What a picture of the state of middle-class 

 education even in its higher forms ! Happily, in national 

 and other schools appropriated to the labouring classes, 

 a foundation is laid by which a good and serviceable 

 education may henceforth be obtained. True, in some 



