FAGGING IN THE SEMINARIES OF BRITAIN. 55 



knowledge amongst the people, thereby raising the standard 

 of morality by which crime is prevented, and good govern 

 ment secured. Simple, and in some respects defective, as the 

 American common school system is, it has, nevertheless, suc 

 ceeded well, and seems suited to the present wants of the 

 people. 



Reading and writing, with the elements of arithmetic, 

 which can be attained in a few years, enable those to improve 

 themselves by application who are at all desirous of acquiring 

 knowledge. Indeed, the learning generally obtained at school 

 may be regarded as but a foundation to build on in after life ; 

 and therefore the schools of the United States and Scotland 

 supply, alike, the primary means of ultimate improvement. A 

 longer and severer course of mental study than afforded by 

 these institutions often converts weak minds into polished 

 nothings, without adding to the usefulness of the man. 



The system of fagging, so generally introduced into the 

 higher seminaries of England, and which may be described as 

 each of the senior members holding a junior in slavery, re 

 quiring not only the discharge of menial services, such as 

 brushing clothes, and cleaning shoes, but often the perform 

 ance of criminal and immoral actions, is altogether unknown 

 in the States. Fagging is so complete and systematic in many 

 of the English schools, that the junior boys have not the 

 power of resisting the commands of their seniors, and must 

 lie or steal at their nod. Such a system inculcates passive 

 obedience in the weak, and absolute power in the strong ; 

 the ductile youth, after being corrupted by vice, and degraded 

 by offices of slavery, becomes, in turn, slave-master, when 

 recollections of his former sufferings leads him to exercise his 

 power with more zeal, and when so trained, he is sent forth to 

 play his part in the world. Powerful minds occasionally over 

 come the effects of this pernicious education, but ordinary ones 

 are unable to do so. It is chiefly the aristocracy of Britain 

 who are reared under the fagging system, and it unfortunately 

 too often influences their conduct in after life. A law prohi 

 biting fagging in seminaries of youth would be a blessing to 

 Britain, where man too often fags his fellow-creatures. 



Fagging has found an eloquent advocate in Mr Hamilton, 



