324 Foreign Notices : — North America. 



Cabbage, Radish of sorts, Royal Dwarf Peas, Prussian Peas, Scorzonera, 

 Dutch and Stone Turnip, Curled Parsley. The Cauliflowers, Turnip, and 

 Radish are the most essential. If directed to me by any of the Cape 

 traders, they would be sure to come safe. With best wishes I remain, Sir, &c. 

 — J.B. 



Mr. Mackay of Clapton has volunteered a box of fruit trees, of different 

 sorts, and another of seeds. — Cond. March, 1830. 



NORTH AMERICA. 



The high and equal Education Principle in the United States. — The fol- 

 lowing extract of a letter from America, dated March 27., appeared in the 

 Times of May ] . : — " There exists a respectable and continually increasing 

 party, denominated ' The Mechanics' and Working-men's Party, which has 

 already three daily papers in its interest in the city of New York alone — the 

 Daily Sentinel, the Morning Herald, and the Evening Journal, besides many 

 others throughout the country. This party, which carried one, and nearly 

 carried six representatives at the last annual state election, will probably 

 exercise a considerable influence in the elections of this year. It advocates 

 a great national system of education, to be free to all, at the public expense, 

 and to support as well as educate the children of those whose parents can- 

 not afford to educate and support them ; so that every child born in the 

 republic shall have a liberal scientific education, equal in real advantages to 

 any which the wealthiest can now command. If this measure, which is 

 daily engrossing more of the American public, should be carried, we may 

 see the times of Lycurgus again revived, when a nation became the instruc- 

 tress of all her young citizens. In a country like America, where the prin- 

 ciple of universal suffrage is recognised, such a measure is especially 

 required ; and we augur from it the most important results. This new 

 party will, if I mistake not, soon exercise an overwhelming influence here. 

 Ten days since the Speaker of the House of Representatives came out 

 most decidedly in their favour." {Times, May 1. 1830.) 



We rejoice in the existence of this Mechanics' and Working-men's Party, and 

 hope it will ultimately prevail over every other. As to the times of Lycurgus, 

 we do not think a reference to them in good taste ; there is very little of the 

 past in any age or country worth remembering, except to be deplored and 

 avoided, and certainly nothing worth holding up as a model. The single 

 object which we most ardently desire for every individual in every country 

 in the world is, a high and equal degree of education from infancy to matu- 

 rity. Having made sure of this, we would leave it to work its way, not 

 doubting that it would lead to whatever was best for mankind in every 

 country. Nothing, as it appears to us, will be satisfactorily established in 

 any country, till something like this degree of education exists. It is not 

 in the nature of things that happiness can be general, or government any 

 thing like perfect, till mankind are brought as near as practicable to a level 

 in every thing ; and it is equally self-evident that they can neither be brought 

 to, nor kept on, a level in every thing, till they are put on, and kept on, a 

 level in education. The beginning, the middle, and the end, therefore, of 

 all that has reference to the beau ideal of a perfect society, is individual 

 education, high, equal, universal. In Europe much good might be done in 

 every country by. the adoption of a representative system of government, 

 and in England, where that system already exists, by improving it, or by 

 what is called a thorough parliamentary reform. We sincerely desire this 

 individually ; because it would tend to relieve us from an intolerable burthen 

 of taxation direct and indirect ; in consequence of which taxation, and of that 

 alone, we, in common with many others, who labour incessantly from morning 

 to night, and from one week's end to another, and in short we may say from 

 the beginning to the end of life, and that too with success, are barely able 



