MOOEE’S EUEAL NEW-YOEKEE: AN AGRICULTUEAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL, 
dBbiWQtiniml ItpariraEnt. 
BY L. VVETHERKLL. 
We listened a few evenings since to an 
agent sent out to labor in behalf of the 
American Sunday School Union. While 
the speaker was pressing home to the minds 
of his hearers the claims of this benevolent 
organization, as an agency to educate relig¬ 
iously the children of this and future gene¬ 
rations, we were led to inquire, v hat will be 
the final result of the attempts to substitute 
others instead of parents, to etJucatc the 
young mentally, morally, and religiously ? 
Sunday Schools, cis now organized, were 
originated a few years since in ItiUgland, in 
order to provide instruction for such chil¬ 
dren as were neglected by parents who 
were either too poor or too ignorant and vi¬ 
cious to do this important work. These 
schools when first opened were taught by 
hired teachers whose work was to teach the 
children to read and spell. They soon be¬ 
came very popular and were adopted by 
nearly all religious sects, and, as now, em¬ 
ployed in teaching the young the doctrines 
and precepts of the Bible, 
Children of all classes now attend these 
schools. This at first view seems to be a 
very desirable result. But to this there are 
serious objections. We shall mention but 
one now as directly connected with the 
point under consideration. And this one is 
—^parents have relinquished home-religious 
culture and training for the Sunday school. 
Who so well suited to the work of training 
clxildren morally and religiously as the Chris¬ 
tian parent ? That the Sunday school has 
greatly relaxed the discharge of this paren¬ 
tal training no observer can deny. That 
this is an evil, a very great evil, no reflect¬ 
ing person will fail to acknowledge. No 
Sunday school teacher can feel that pater¬ 
nal attachment for the children of his class' 
that a parent does toward his own offspring. 
It docs not follow from what we have here 
written, that we are opposed to Sunday 
Schools. No—we are in favor of them 
when employed by parents as aids to quick¬ 
en them in the great and important work of 
religious culture. What we would oppose, 
is the tendency to do, by agencies outside 
of the domestic circle, its exclusive duties. 
Just in proportion as these agencies secure 
the confidence of parents, will they relin¬ 
quish personal efifort and submit their chil¬ 
dren to be educated by strangers. 
In establishing schools whether religious 
or secular we would have this point kept in 
view, viz., that they should never be made 
substitutes for parents, but ever be regard¬ 
ed as their aids in the great work of mental 
and moral culture. Neither should parents 
be released from the obligation to provide 
the means for the education of their chil¬ 
dren. This, as has been showm in former 
articles, does an injury both to parents and 
the State. 
It may be said by the reader that the 
doctrine here taught, with that of two for¬ 
mer articles, conflicts with views and doc¬ 
trines before stated in this department of 
the New-Yorker relative to Free Schools. 
From experience and observation, from read¬ 
ing and reflection, and from history and con¬ 
versation, we have been led to the conclu¬ 
sion, that it was our duty to present for the 
consideration of our readers, such objections 
as arise in our mind against all schools and 
other benevolent institutions as interfere 
with paternal obligations and duties—such 
as tend to lessen and finally to destroy the 
great motive in parents to labor for the 
good of their children. 
If these objections are well founded they 
are certainly worthy of deep consideration 
and should be duly weighed before voting 
for or against Free Schools. If they are 
without foundation we call upon such of 
our readers as are able to show this, to do 
so, forthwith, in the columns of the New- 
YORKER, If, after a full and free discussion, 
these objections shall prove to be well found¬ 
ed, then there are good and valid reasons 
for opposing the establishment and support 
of Free Schools by the State. The subject 
is one of great importance to the citizens of 
this State. Let it be duly pondered by 
aU before the day of election, 
A man’s genius is always-in the beginning 
of }ife as much unknown to himself as tooth¬ 
ers; and it is only after frequent trials at¬ 
tended with success, that he dares think 
hitoself equal to the undertakings in which 
those who have succeeded have fixed the 
admiration of mankind. 
THE FREE SCHOOL CONVENTION. 
Ed. Rural New-Yorker:— The public 
acts of individuals and conventions, arc the 
property of community, and every one has 
a right to express his opinion of their mer¬ 
its or demerits, for good, or for evil. Per¬ 
mit me, through the medium of your use¬ 
ful journal, to make a few remarks on the 
School Convention convened at Syracuse, 
on the 10th of July, 1850. 
It is stated to have been the largest School 
Convention ever convened in the State, and 
perhaps in the world. There were collect¬ 
ed the educated, the learned, and the wise, 
from every part of the State—uniting all 
the wisdom and intelligence that education 
and literary endowments can give. And 
what was the object of concentrating all the 
united learning of the State? Was it to 
establi-sh Free Schools? No —for they de¬ 
clared that that was done in 1849, by such 
an emphatic vote that it cannot be repealed. 
Was it to suggest any improvement in the 
system of education? No. Was it to in¬ 
crease the veneration for justice, or to incul¬ 
cate principles of honesty? No—nothing 
of the kind. 
What then was the object of its delibera¬ 
tions ? It was to rivet on community the 
said school law of 1849. And what is said 
law, that it ^must not be repealed ? It is 
acknowledged by its friends, and the united 
voice of its opposers, to be wrong. It is de¬ 
clared that it never was legally passerl by 
the Legislature as a law—that it is uncon¬ 
stitutional, because it violates the right of 
property by taking the earnings of one man 
for the benefit of another—and that it de¬ 
stroys the peace of society by arousing the 
animosity of man against his fellow in the 
scramble to obtain support for the school. 
All of which the Convention tacitly ac¬ 
knowledged to be true—and the only rea¬ 
son given in its favor was, that more chil¬ 
dren would attend school. 
It is certainly most unaccountable that 
this Convention, composed of the united 
wisdom of the State, could think or even 
desire to palm such a bundle of imperfec¬ 
tions on community. But it was so. Not 
only do they hope that it may be retained, 
but they are determined that it shall be 
riveted on the pubhc by such an overwhelm¬ 
ing majority that the oppressed dare not 
complain. And for that purpose the State 
must be organized with a State Committee, 
one in each town, and one in every school 
district, in order to secure votes and control 
the election, that they may rivet the law 
on those who have to bear its burthen.— 
Is this true Republicanism?—is it justice? 
There was a time in our political history 
when it was considered disgraceful for an 
office holder to be an electioneerer. How 
would it affect the vote on the new school 
law, if that was the case at present ? 
Truth. 
Monroe County, Augmt, 1850. 
A COREECT TASTE IN CHILDREN. 
In many ways the mother can contribute 
to the formation of a correct taste. The 
first hymns she teaches to the lisper, and 
even the earliest notes which she sings for 
its lullaby, should be chosen with care.— 
The pictures with which the walls of the 
nursery are adorned, should be selected 
with a studious and cultivated regard for 
real beauty. Likenesses of excellent men 
and women, whose names you would choose 
to have your children love, arc a very de¬ 
sirable ornament. A few elegant historical 
pictures, which might be used as introduc¬ 
tions to general history, or which are calcu¬ 
lated to inspire noble sentiments, would be 
found of great utility in every family able 
to have them. A few well finished land¬ 
scape pieces would also tend to foster a love 
of nature in its cheerful and its sublime as¬ 
pects. There is a refining and effectual in¬ 
fluence arising from a daily familiarity with 
the scenery of nature, whether it glows be¬ 
fore us in its original loveliness, or in the 
representation of the genuine artist. 
Another Present to the State.— Mr. 
Vattemare has just received advices from 
his agent at Paris, stating that the French 
Government have made a donation to the 
New York State Library, of a copy of the 
celebrated Gallery of Versailles—a work 
containing several thousand historical en¬ 
gravings. “To g-ive you an idea of this 
magnificent present (s^ys Mons. Vattemare) 
I need only say that each copy occupies a 
case three feet square by two and a half 
high.” 
As the best part of Beauty is that which 
no picture can express, so the best part of 
the Poet is that which no words have told, j 
Had Shakespere lived for ever, could he 
have exhausted his thoughts ? 
DOG-DAYS. . 
What sort of days must these be? Un¬ 
lucky days, black days, festal days, for¬ 
tunate days, I understand. But Z)o5r-days, 
—what are they ? They occur in the heat 
of summer; is it because the hot days stick 
to you, as when one is dogyed by a spy or 
a pursuer ? “ Not at all,” says my little as¬ 
tronomical scholar; “do not you know?— 
They are so called from the Dog-star, Si¬ 
rius, in the constellation of Canis major, the 
Greater Dog. The ancients called the 
most splendid collection of stars Orion, af¬ 
ter a famous hunter, having three splendid 
stars in his belt, called the yard, or throe 
degrees long. Even Job speaks of the stars 
Orion, so early was the constellation mark¬ 
ed out. From regard to the hunter, some 
ancients said the Greater Dog was formed 
from stars S. E. of Orion: Sirius, or the 
Dog-star, is the largest, brightest star ever 
seen, and the striking object in Canis major. 
It is supposed to be the nearest fixed star 
to us, being at least iivcnty trillions of miles 
distant, so that his light must be three years 
and 82 days in coming to the earth. From 
Sirius, or the great Dog-star, the dog-days 
had their name.” 
But hold, little scholar, wdiy are they so 
called, and when do they come ? “ As Si¬ 
rius is so red and looks so bright, and rose 
and set with or near the sun in ancient 
times from August 4th to September 12th, 
being forty days of the hottest weather in 
Egypt, these days were called dog-days .— 
The ancients believed the influence of Si¬ 
rius, united with that of the sun, produced 
the great heat of that period, and the more 
so, as they rose and set together only at that 
period of the year. Very naturally they 
called that period dog-days." 
But, my little scholar, the precession of 
the equinoxes has moved the stars eastward, 
so that these cannot be dog-days noio. — 
“True, and formerly they wci’e reckoned 
from July 25th to September 5th; but now 
: they occur from July 3d to August 11th, 
and are not dependent on the place of Si¬ 
rius in respect to the sun. Indeed, they 
are not dog-days in the ancient sense, but 
depend on the summer solstice.” 
Then, as I understand you, little scholar, 
these days now, have respect to this hot 
period of summer, whether called dog-days 
or not. “ It is exactly so, but the designa¬ 
tion will doubtless be continued, as it has 
so wide and strong a hold on the language 
of the people.” 
But we see Sirius shining in all his splen¬ 
dor in the winter months. “ True; because 
he is then far from the sun, while in the 
summer months he is near the sun, and is 
invisible on account of the superior light of 
the sun. You know from the annual revo¬ 
lution of the earth, that the sun must pass 
over or appear to move round the concave 
every year.” 
But by the precession of the equinoxes, 
little scholar, the time will come when the 
Dog-star will rise and set with the sun in 
mid-winter. “ Yes; and this shows the ab¬ 
surdity of reckoning dog-days from Sirius, 
or any star, and of confining them to the 
present place from July 3d to August 11th, 
and making them to depend on the sum¬ 
mer solstice, because the hottest weather 
then takes place.” 
My little astronomer has now answered 
your questions—what Dog-days are ?—why 
they were so called ?—when they once oc¬ 
curred ?—why they are placed in the hot¬ 
test weather now ? and Avhy they may be 
called Dog-days still? They are not as 
Avonderful or absurd as they seemed, and 
are very likely to be continued from year to 
year. c. n. 
Williams College.— The next annual 
Commencement of this Institution will occur 
on Wednesday, the 21st of August On 
the preceding Sabbath, President Hopkins 
Avill preach the Baccalaureate Sermon to 
the graduating class, and in the evening. 
Rev. R. S. Stoors, Jun., of Brooklyn, will 
address the Mills Theological Society.— 
Monday evening. Rev. Chester Dewey, D. 
D., of Rochester, will address the Society 
of Natural History. Tuesday afternoon, 
David Dudley Field, Esq., of New York, 
will address the AlumnL In the evening 
the Prize Rhetorical Exercise will be held, 
followed by an address before the Adelphic 
Union. Wednesday is commencement day. 
The exercises will be unusually interesting, 
and afford a rare intellectual feast to those 
who may be present 
When a true genius appears in the world, 
you may know him by this sign — that the 
dimees are all in confederacy against hinx 
Natural liatani. 
THE AUGUST CRICKET—((Ecanthus niveus.) 
This Cricket Avas heard; in Rochester 
about the last of July this season, and is 
usually first heard about the same time. — 
It is called by some, August Cricket, by, 
others, Fall Cricket Its^mournfully monot¬ 
onous notes reminds nature’s observer that 
the summer is nearly gone, and, ever true to 
its instinct Avarns naan of autumn’s approach. 
We have from boyhood even, listened 
with a mournfifl pleasure to the inspiring 
cries of this exceedingly slender and deli¬ 
cate little insect It inhabits the- plants 
about the garden and house, concealing it¬ 
self among the leaves and floAyers. Its 
shrilling is loud, and is produced like that 
of other crickets, by its Avings, which are 
raised Avhile playing. When arrived at ma¬ 
turity, says Dr. Harris, the male begins 
the nocturnal serenade at the approach of 
tAvilight, and continues it, with little or no 
intermission until the dawn of day. The 
generic name, oecanthus, signifies inhabiting 
floAvers—the home of this the white climb¬ 
ing-cricket. The male is described as fol- 
loAvs, by Dr. Harris :— “ It is ivory-white, 
with the upper side of the first joint of the 
antennae, and the head between the eyes, 
of an ochre-yellow color; there is a minute 
black dot on the under-sides of the first and 
second joints of the antenme, and in some 
individuals, the extremities of the feet, and 
the under sides of the hinder-most thighs, 
are ochre-yellow. The body is about half 
an inch long, exclusive of the wing-covers.” 
w. 
INSTINCT OE THE ANT. 
A GENTLEMAN of Cambridge one day 
remarked an ant dragging along Avhat with 
respect to its strength, might have been de¬ 
nominated a piece of timber. Others were 
seA'erally employed each in its oAvn way.— 
Presently this little creature came to an as¬ 
cent, Avhere the Aveight of the AAmod seemed 
to overpower him. He did not remain long 
perplexed Avith it: for three or four others, 
obserAdng his dilemna, came behind and 
pushed it up. As soon, however, as he had 
got it on level ground, they left it to his 
care, and went to their own work. The 
piece he was draAving, happened to be con¬ 
siderably thicker at one end than the other. 
This soon threw the poor felloAv into a fresh 
difficulty; he unluckily dragged it between 
two pieces of Avood. After several fruitless 
efforts, finding it would not go through, he 
adopted the only mode that a reasoning be¬ 
ing, in similar circumstances, could have ta¬ 
ken ; he came behind it, pulled it back again, 
and turned it on its edge, when running 
again to the other end, it passed through 
without difficulty. 
FALSE PROPHETS vs. PROGRESS. 
To a man Avho relies on himself for suc¬ 
cess, and trusts to his own judgement more 
than to the opinions of others it is often 
amusing to observe the fickleness, shallow¬ 
ness and conceit of men, ambitious for a 
reputation for shrOAvdness, and yet really as 
stupid as they are vain. Such people are 
rediculously sensitive in their desire not to 
be thought credulous and visionary; and so 
whenever a neAv enterprise or inA’ention is 
brought into being, they turn up their noses 
at it, and say it is impracticable, until it es¬ 
tablishes itself in permanentprosperity, when 
they then change their tune, and with a 
Avorld of wisdom in their looks, say they 
prophesied its success, always thought it a 
grand idea, and are very glad to see such 
an evidence of native genius and public 
discrimination! 
These wiseacres always prophecy a result 
after it has occurred, and so make sure of 
their ground. Men of sterling sense and 
intrepidity of character despise their opin¬ 
ions, one Avay or the other—judge and work 
for themselves—and are content to rise or 
fall by the force of their OAvn merit alone. 
No matter how mathematically precise the 
screech-OAvls and slow coaches we have 
named may be, in calculating the chances 
of success for a novel idea—no matter how 
much charitable pity they say they feel for 
the imagined victim Avhose failure they count 
upon as inevitable—no matter how many 
instances they may adduce to support their 
views, as parallel cases—a man who knows 
himself, and observes the world, is little an¬ 
noyed by all their grave deductions. The 
cold water thrown by stupid envy, cannot 
extinguish the phosphoric fire of strong,, in¬ 
dependent, practical genius. 
The truth is, that men who take the most 
pride in their own fancied shrewdness, are, 
in nine cases out of ten, the veriest asses in 
the world. They almost wholly rely, in 
their arguments, upon instances supposed 
to be parallel with the case they oppose; as 
if new rules and new tastes were not daily 
born, setting at defiance all their experience; 
and as if all our future actions were to be 
entirely governed by what we have known 
in the past! If this cobweb sophistry Avere 
logical, there would be little talk of Pro¬ 
gress in this world, and no use at all for our 
glorious generation of Universal Yankees! 
Suiriai], IRraMng. 
POWER OF 
GOOD MAN’S LIFE. 
The beauty of a holy life, says Chalmers, 
constitutes the most eloquent and effective 
persuasive to religion, which one human be¬ 
ing can address to another. We have ma¬ 
ny Avays of doing good to our fellow crea¬ 
tures, but none so efficacious as leading a 
virtuous, upright, and well-ordered life.— 
There is an energy of moral suasion in a 
good man’s life, passing the highest efibrts 
of the orator’s genius. The seen but silent 
beauty of holiness speaks more eloquently 
of God and duty than the tongues of men 
and angels. Let parents remember this.— 
The test inheritance a parent can bequeath 
to a child is a virtuous example, a legacy of 
halloAved remembrances and associations. 
The beauty of holiness beaming through 
the life of a loved relative or friend, is more 
effectual to strengthen such as do stand in 
virtue’s Avays, to raise up those that are 
bowed down, than precept, command, en¬ 
treaty, or Avarning. Christianity itself, I be¬ 
lieve, owes by far the greatest part of its 
moral power, not to the precepts or para¬ 
bles of Christ, but to his own character.— 
The beauty of that holiness which is en¬ 
shrined in the four brief biographies of the 
Man of Nazereth, has done more, and will 
do more to regenerate the world, and bring 
in everlasting righteousness, than all the. 
other agencies put together. It has done 
more to spread His religion in the world 
than all that has ever been Avritten on the 
evidences of Christianity. 
ENTERPRISE AND BENEVOLENCE 
By the former we would intend every 
thing that excites to commendable action 
with a view of obtaining the means of en¬ 
joyment. By the latter Ave Avould desig¬ 
nate that state of the mind and heart that 
leads us to distribute these accumulations 
Avith a vieAv of promoting the happiness of 
others. These two are the great reforming 
influences that will ameliorate and advance 
the condition of mankind. We are com¬ 
manded to be diligent in business, to be ac¬ 
tive, to contrive, to invent, to waken up in¬ 
tellect, to render the material world tribu¬ 
tary and subservient, and to accumulate the 
products of art and nature. All this is to 
be done for rational purposes, compatible 
with the dignity and end of man, creation 
and destiny. Do we need any other organ¬ 
ization of society than that Avhich gives and 
secures to eveiy individual the full and free 
exercise of all his powers? Do we wish 
to implant any other motive in the heart 
than a desire ta spread and diffuse accumu¬ 
lations to promote present and eternal en¬ 
joyment? Does not common sense and 
universal experience point out these two 
simple laws as the ones on which all our 
hopes of progress depend? What more 
can we Avish than to see our felloAv creatures 
industrious, enterprising, economical, striving 
to accumulate for tl;pir own and others’ hap¬ 
piness, remembering that the earth and the 
fulness thereof is the Lord’s ? Liberty and 
encouragement to act, and increasing be¬ 
nevolence to distribute, are the hopeful signs 
of the times. 
Prayer.—P rayer Avas not invented; it 
Avas born with the first sigh, the first joy, 
the first sorroAV of the human heart; or 
rather, man was born to pray; to glorify 
God, or to implore him was his only mission 
here beloAv; all else perishes before him or 
Avith him; but the cry of glory, of admira¬ 
tion, or of love, which he raises towards the 
Creator, does not perish on his passing from 
the earth; it reascends, it resounds from ago 
to age, in the ear of the Almighty, like the 
reflection of his OAvn magnificence. It is 
the only thing in man which is wholly di¬ 
vine, and which he can exhale Avith joy and 
pride; as an homage to Him to whom hom¬ 
age alone is due—the infinite Being.— La- 
rnartine. 
The Ways of Providence.—T he ways 
of Providence arc a great deep Avhich Ave 
cannot fathom with reason’s longest line.— 
But when the veil is at length drawn over 
this ever changing scene, it will be nothing 
to us Avhether our passage through has been 
pleasant or painful—calm or stormy—long 
or short; and if the blessed port is but 
reached, we shall then at least be convinced, 
that most of the head winds and hard gales 
Ave have had to contend Avith, Avere “ bles¬ 
sings in disguise,” and the means of pre¬ 
serving us either from the enemy’s cruisers, 
hurricanes in the latitudes we were hasten¬ 
ed from, or other perils of which we had no 
apprehension at the time. 
Discontent.— Discontent is a sin that is 
its own punishment, and makes men tor¬ 
ment themselves; it makes the spirit sad— 
the body sick—and all enjoyments sour; it 
arises not from the condition, but the mind. 
Paul was contented in a prison—Ahab was 
discontented in a palace; he had all the de¬ 
lights of Canaan, that pleasant land, the 
wealth of a kingdom, the pleasures of a 
court, the honors and powers of a throne; 
yet all this avails him nothing wiohout Na¬ 
both’s vineyard. Inordinate desire exposes 
men to continual vexations: and being dis¬ 
posed to fret, they will always find some¬ 
thing to fret about 
