1<)8 ISecessiti/ of a general Ethical 

 To the Editor of the Monthlij Magazine , 

 " Orandiiiii est, ut sit mens saaa in corporc 

 sano." 

 SIR, 



THE reality of the public evils, so 

 orten deprecated in your mo.al and 

 patriotic pages, is not iiiore certain, than 

 that tlic inajor part of those evils is as- 

 cribable to the AVant of a superior system 

 of ediiealioi) for the middle ciaises, or 

 great body, of the eomnuuiity. Ey a 

 superior system, I do not mean a system 

 incliidiiig an initiation into the sui)(il(ies 

 of the schools, the abs(riiscnesses of spe- 

 culative science, or the refinements of 

 classical leartsing; but that intimate and 

 comprehensive acquaintance with ])rac- 

 tical and useful knowledge, witii ethical 

 and political truth, which, while it would 

 open the eyes of every man to the duties 

 lie owes himself would not fail to im- 

 press him with a sense of what he is en- 

 titled to exact from others ; especially 

 those entrusted with the administration 

 of public affairs. That the present plan 

 of tuition is inadequate to these eflects, 

 private vice and piiblie corruption suffi- 

 ciently demonslratc. Our parochial 

 charity-schools teach reading, writing, 

 and arithmetic ; our ordinary academies 

 include book-keeping, geography, ma- 

 thematics, and the modern and ancient 

 languages; to these our universities add 

 logic, metaphysics, and the circle of the 

 sciences; and yet moral dereliction and 

 political delinquency remain, in every 

 rank, as prevalent as in the times of feu- 

 dal darkness. Tliose who doubt this, 

 only need listen to the language, and 

 scrutinize the habits, of tiie lower 

 classes ; observe the general irri^ligiou 

 and profligacy of the higher; — inspect 

 the oi)en receptacles of vulgar and po- 

 lite idleness ; the tap-room, the tavern, 

 the subscription gaming-houses, the pu- 

 gilistic stages, and the turf; — eonteni- 

 plate the principle upon which lotteries 

 are annually voted ; — observe the easy 

 confidence of men placed in Parliament 

 by undue means, and the pitiable ajjathy 

 •with which the people behold them in 

 their illicit seats; — take, sir, a retro- 

 spect of the late long course of human lia- 

 A'oc ; the disgraceful and horrfie waste 

 of life and treasure ; the public wealth 

 lavished upon the despoilers of jjublic 

 liberty, and the almost merited sutl'cr- 

 in"'s of t!ie inferior orders. Not only 

 do" these things stare men in the face, 

 without touching their hearts; they are 

 regarded witliout a blusii; committed 



and FolUical Education. [Oct. J, 



and endnred, with equal callosity to the^ 

 appeals of decency, of reason, and of' 

 justice. Why? Because every species- 

 of knowledge is cultivated, except tho* 

 most valuable ; every thing insproved by, 

 m;in, but man himself; every thing en- 

 hanced, save the true dignity of the Im- 

 man character. 



These reflections, Mr. Editor, have 

 been ciiiedy induced by an article in 

 your last number, descriptive of an in- 

 tended establishment of a male day- 

 school, for tlic purpose of extending to 

 the higher branches of education, the ex- 

 peditious methods of Dr. Bell and Mr. 

 Jjancaster. Of the patriotic and lauda- 

 ble intention of the respectable pro- 

 jectors there can be but one opinion; 

 but I must be allowed to say, that, after' 

 the most mature consideration of their 

 design, my cpnvietion is, that, unlcss- 

 something more be meant to be included- 

 than appears in their prospectus, ^ great 

 purpose (and I believe those geutleuien to 

 be incapable of a little one,) will not be- 

 ett'ee(ed. Their ample field of instruo* 

 tion may, for youths born to independ- 

 anee, be necessary and eligible, (if so 

 many branches of knowledge are ac- 

 quirable by common intellects), because 

 they open and expand the mind ge)ie- 

 ralli/, dispose it to useful, liberal, and 

 profitable pursuits, and qualify it for in- 

 tellectual and manly relaxation.* But 

 will such knowledge impress the pupil 

 with a just estimation of his imjKtrtanco 

 as a social being? Will it elevate him 

 to a just sense of the rank he holds in 

 the scale of creation ?t Will it teach liira 

 that, in erudition without wisdom, there 

 is no profit? in talent unadorned with 

 morality, no honor? in power not emr 

 blazoned with virtue, no glory ? Will 

 the intended tuition demonstrate, that 

 it is equally incumbent upon him to 

 impose upon himself and his neigh- 

 bour, his political representatives and 

 the executive power, the conscientious 

 observance of the principles of pro- 

 bity, morality, and justice? Will. it 

 convince him, that the conduct of mi- 

 nisters and parliaments ought to be the 

 objects of his incessant attention and 

 solicitude ? — that vice in governors, and 



* '' Ingeniias didir-isse fideliter artes, 

 Eraollit mores, nee siuit esse feros." Hor. 



t Aristide^ the just, whose house was a 

 public school for wisdom and virtue, en- 

 deavoured, above all things, to give rhe 

 young Athenians a due value for themselves, 

 us human bdniis, and freemen, 



virtus 



