MOORE’S RURAI NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL, 
ill 292 
! (lbutatioiinriE|iartnmii 
HV I.. WKTHKRELL 
FREE SCHOOLS. 
4 ^ 
'I 
i 
Mil. Editok :—Friend Wethkkkll delves 
; to the bottom of the Free School question, 
and present*;, 1 think, the true issue upon 
that subject. If 1 understand him, he de¬ 
nies the rigid (or doubts it) of the State to 
interfere in any manner whatever, with the 
education of the children within its limits, 
The State certiinly has, or has not such 
right Which ever hypothesis is true, that 
truth underlies a system, and lays a founda¬ 
tion, deep and broad, upon which for it to 
rest If the affirmative is true, then Free 
Schools have a legitimate existance; if the 
negative, then they exist by fraud and usur¬ 
pation. And all other State schools must 
range themselves along side, in the same 
category. If the 'princi'ple of State inter¬ 
ference, and State provision for educational 
purposes be wrong, then should all general 
systems for that object share alike our un¬ 
compromising resistance. It strikes me as 
utterly childish to bepraise the old common 
school system and berate the new—to call 
the former wise and equitable, and the lat¬ 
ter unjust and oppressive. They sliould 
stand or fall together, as they both look for 
their justification to the same principle— 
the right and duty of the State to provide 
for the education of her children. 
Let us then examine this primary ques¬ 
tion—a question vital in this investigation.— 
j Does the State transcend its just powers, 
{ in providing the means of an education for 
j the children ivithin its bounds ? Those who 
< take this ground, usually challenge the le- 
gitimacy of governmental action aside from, 
or beyond the simple protection of rights. 
< Without joining issue here, let us bring the 
\ ’ subject in hand to the test of this theory.— 
i “ The object of human government is, sim- 
\ ply the protection of the rights of its citi- 
) zena” And jiray, what are the citizen’s 
) rights ? Are not the unmolested enjoyment 
j. of “ life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi- 
1 ness?” But it is not in the nature of igno- 
^ ranee to respect these rights, llampant and 
^ self-willed, it knows no law but “ the law of 
) might and values no order but “ the order 
/ of Moscow.'’' Who knows not that near 
relationship exists between ignorance and 
crime ? But the common school training is 
intended to bo, not only intellectual, but 
moral also. So that it constitutes a double 
safeguard against crime. Place a man in 
the midst of an ignorant community, and 
v.ffiat is the comparative value of his portion 
of stock in the prime elements of human 
well-being ? Then let the genius of com¬ 
mon schools waivi! his talismanic Avand over 
such community, and rapidly does this 
species of stock change position, from low 
discount to high premium. Property is 
thus rendered more secure—almost incom¬ 
parably so. V'et a class of capitalists com- 
^ plain of the sliglit tax by which this is bro’t 
about But can it be accomplished, with 
the same economy, in any other way ? No 
sir, no. Let the common school system go | 
,by the board, and who dare give security 
to accomplish as much in this direction with 
ten, oj even a hundred times the amount 
now expended ? Is it not, then, a short¬ 
sighted policy that makes war upon this 
system ? Why, when I hear men saying, 
“ Let eiieh parent educate his own children, 
or let them go without;” it reminds me of 
a certain class of farmers who seem incapa¬ 
ble of diverting their minds from the ex¬ 
pense of improvements to the profits that 
would accrue. We will suppose a case, in 
our view, altogether relevant. A has a 
piece of low, wet ground which, as it is, is 
almost worthless, ^i’he produce of a single 
year would pay the expense of draining.— 
Why, then, does not A drain it ? Well, for 
this, to his m\nd, all-sufficient reason:—B 
has land lying below his, into wdvich he 
must dig a short distance in order to drain 
his own: and he “ don’t believe in draining 
other folks’ land for them;” not he. “Let 
every man drain his own land, or go with¬ 
out.” Now with A this is a “ knock-down 
argument,” and, it must be confessiid, A has 
some few relatives. They seem smitten 
with an unfortunate blindness. 
Take another illustration In the last 
Rural is an article on Free Schools, signed 
“ Old Tax-Payer.” He commences with a 
high eulogy on the old common school sys¬ 
tem, and then makes an unmerciful onset 
upon the new, calling it “free legal rob¬ 
bery ;” and asks, “Is it right for legislators 
to pass a law for men to vote money out of 
their neighbor’s pockets to pay their own 
debts ?” Now what a vast difference “Old 
Tax-Payer” thought he saw “ ’twixt twee- 
dle-dum and tweedle-dee”—in other words 
between A B and C voting a tax on D E 
and F at a school meeting, under the regu¬ 
lations of the new act, and their doing the 
same thing at a town meeting under the 
old! This question ought not to be settled 
by empty declamation, but rather by an ap¬ 
peal to first principles. More anon. 
Plowm.\n. 
Bcr[ren, August 28, 1850. 
REVIEW OF THE FREE SCHOOL LAW. 
BY H. D. BARTO, OK TOMPKINS COUNTY. 
Strike, bnt Hear! 
[^Concluded.'] 
VVk are admonished of the ditlerGnce between 
sciiools under governmental patronage and man¬ 
agement, and tlioso under the management of the 
people, without patronage, by the first schools es¬ 
tablished in Virginia and Boston. The first school 
in Virginia was establLshed by government with a 
princely endowment, and fell through, while the 
school in Boston, established by the people, with¬ 
out patronafro, has continued to widen its influence 
until New England is filled with schools and light. 
It is true that latterly they have had school funds 
and school systems in some parts of New England, 
but we have the testimony of some of her wisest 
and best men, for saying that they have not profit¬ 
ed by the change—the lion. Horace Mann to the 
contrary, notw'jthstanding. 
It may bo a kind of sacrilege to question the in- 
falibility of Mr. Mann in anything pertaining to 
schools and systems, but wo never heard of his 
being distinguished for originality of thought or 
brilliancy of conception, beyond Ids laudations of 
schools and systems, any more than of a certain 
other gentleman, in the State of New York, (wo 
verily believe him to bo an amiable and good man,) 
who has written some books in praise of men and 
systems, from which we can obtain about as much 
correct information respecting them, as from an 
old almanac. Indeed, we should think the object 
of the New York gentleman, was rather to round 
off hyperbolical sentences than an aim at truth.fS 
A projier education for all, we deem next in im- 
jiortance to our daily food, but we deem it no more 
a governmental duty to furnish the one than the 
other. It is said that education deters from the 
commission of crime and promotes morality. Not 
always, though it may hel]) in many cases to con¬ 
ceal crime. If men were fed to jilethora and 
clothed like jirinces, it is hardly probable they 
would steal food or clothing—if under such a .state 
of things, they could exist at all, which is doubted 
they would be entirely helple.ss, and useless to 
themsolve.s, as well as to others. Who, was ever 
worth any thing to himself or others, whose ener¬ 
gies were never put forth in the struggles of life ? 
We do not propose, however, to withhold all pe¬ 
cuniary aid from our schools; but the less the bet¬ 
ter, provided the amount bo sullicient to induce to 
the establishment of schools in all localities of the 
State. The State school fund with its accumula¬ 
tions, together with the local funds, if they can bo 
preserved from legal stealings, we deem, however, 
amply sufficient, aside from the building of houses 
within prescribed limits, never to be departed from 
unless by voluntary contributions, furnishing fuel 
and laying for the teaching of indigent children. 
Tho.so deriving the benefits of education, and none 
can derive benefits of education without their own 
exertions, should pay principally for their instruc¬ 
tion; for any thing ami every thing obtained with¬ 
out labor or pains, is rarely, if over, appreciated by 
the recipient or possessor. 
As respects a foreign superintcndonce and the 
regulation of schools under superintendents gen¬ 
erally, we will remark, that the fact of having 
school funds to be accumulated at Albany, and the 
establishment of a new and extensive s}^stcm, by 
wliich they were to be disbursed, suggested a sup- 
po.sod necessity for having a central power or head 
in the hands of an individual in Albany; and it is 
not wonderful, that a legislature, that would au¬ 
thorize lotteries to rai.so funds for the promotion of 
science, morals, or religion, should not foresee all 
the conseipiences that nave resulted from placing 
this power in the hands of one man, or for not im¬ 
agining, that all men were not like Gideon Haw¬ 
ley, and some others that succeeded him; and it is 
not verj- strange that all the evils of this whole sys¬ 
tem should not have been seen by many, until tliev 
were devclojicd : we only blame men, and legis- 
lators especially, for not opening their eyes, that 
they may see. As respects superintendence, how¬ 
ever, ns well as every thing else about the 
system, the first law was the best, bocau.se it was 
framed by the legislature, not by the sujiorinten- 
dent; because the powers under it, were vested in 
more and wiser hands, bringing the powers to be 
exercised nearer home to the i)oo])le; because so 
much was not required of comrni.ssioners as of su¬ 
perintendents, and common sense, jiractical men, 
who hold other emjiloymonts to occujiy most of 
their time and attention, wore elected to fill the of¬ 
fices ; and they generally practised the non-inter¬ 
vention, or let-alone policy, leaving schools, most¬ 
ly, to the supervision of trustees and people. 
The system notwithstanding the ultimate power 
to a very limited extent in foreign hands, and not¬ 
withstanding direct taxation to a limited extent, 
worked pretty well and without many heart burn¬ 
ings up to 18.30. In 1829, however, the salary of 
the #uporintendont, was increased (,|t250,) two 
hundred and fifty dollars, and this has been follow¬ 
ed by increase, upon increase, until no one knows 
what it, at present, is. 
In 1830, a law was passed containing the fol¬ 
lowing provisions : 
Any person conceiving himself aggrieved in 
consequence of any decision made : 
1. By any school district meeting : 
2. By the commissioners of schools in forming 
or altering, or in refusing to form or altar any 
school district, or in refusing to pay any monies to 
any school district: 
3. By the trustees of any school district in pay¬ 
ing any teacher, or in refusing to pay him, or in 
refusing to admit any scholar gratuitously into any 
school: 
4. Or concerning any other matter, under the 
present title, may apjioal to the superintendent of 
common schools, who.so decision shall be final. 
This law, granting such extensive and alarming 
prolatical powers to the superintendent, laid the 
foundation of a detestable hierarchy, which has 
been growing and increasing under subsequent 
legislation, in all cases dictated by the superinten¬ 
dent, till, if not eijuals in extent of territory, it is 
more absolute and more odious (no sprinklings of 
mercy being blended) than the prelacy of the Pojie 
of Rome in the plenitude of its power. 
School laws of every day’s application by com¬ 
mon peojilo, should be few and simple in all their 
provisions,—allowing no discretionary jiowers to be 
exercised in foreign irreH])onsible hands. But, we 
have had law upon law, amendment upon amend¬ 
ment, especially since the creation of county super¬ 
intendents, and the change of commissioners to 
town su])crintcndonts, following each other in rapid 
succession, all calculated and designed to increase 
the diserctionarx’ powers of the superintendent, until 
the school laws arc more incomprehensible to the 
legal profession even than the old system of legal 
jiractice, now in process of codification; and until 
in the emphatic language of the Orange county 
resolutions, “ they cannot be understood by a com¬ 
mon or uncommon iiorson, and are therefore unfit 
for common use.” And withal, the expense of 
operating the system has increased, in proportion 
to the increase of officials and laws, till it exceeds 
what it should, by hundreds of thousands of dol¬ 
lars; still, the cry is give, give 1 
It is absolutely degrading to a people claiming 
to be free, to bo suffering under such a system of 
laws. Formerly we used occasionally to hear of 
appeals to the superintendent even at Albany; but 
since the great discretionary' powers granted to the 
superintendent and the multiplicity of laws calcu¬ 
lated to involve and mystify, we seldom hear of ap¬ 
peals; but when we do, they have to bo conducted 
by the best legal counsel in the country at vast ex¬ 
pence; and the people are stricken everywhere 
and they feel the blow,though the hand may he con¬ 
cealed or out of reach; they sufler and endure, not 
entirely in silence, it is true, but their murmurs are 
heard only at home. Indeed, no lawyer of any 
reputation dare advise his suffering neighbor, in 
respect to laws; and if he do, he is almost sure of 
being stultified the very next day, by a decree or 
bull of the primate, irreconciloable with common 
justice, or common sense. This probably arises 
in a great degree from the superintendent’s giving 
opinions in advance to his subordinates—never to 
the people, who bleed; so, that in nine cases out of 
ten, the aggrieved has to encounter a jire-judg- 
rnent of his case; in any event all the members of 
the prelacy must be protected, let who else suller 
may. 
Never was a greater outrage perpetrated upon a 
free people, than by the enactment of the law pro¬ 
viding for the creation of the office of county su¬ 
perintendents, with a salary of ($500) five liun- 
dred dollars jier year, of which, in the language of 
the senate committee’s report, they well might he 
proud.. This law sent upon the community a 
host of juveniles fresh from the schools, without 
practical knowledge of any kind, and freipiontly 
without common sense; and to them wore commit¬ 
ted extensive legislative administrative, c.xecutivo 
and judicial jiowers, aflecting the interest of every 
individual in the State. A specimen of the ability 
with which it may bo sujiposcd these powers were 
exercised and their duties performed, we bc^ leave 
to re'er to their reports published a few years ago, 
by order of the legislature, at the enormous ex- 
jicnse of some ten thousand dollars. More school 
boy productions, to bo heard on commencement 
days, but never afterwards. 
Their time was princijially employed in travers¬ 
ing towns and counties, entering people’s houses, 
intermeddling and making mischief in other peo¬ 
ple’s matters, eating and sleeping upon the jicople; 
l)ut more especially in tsinging pcans in praise of 
the primate and glorifying the system, atibrding 
them, young as they were, such fat livings—in¬ 
deed, “groat was Diana of the Ephesians!” If 
district superintendents shall bo appointed accord¬ 
ing to the recommendations of the primate, and 
they shall again bo permitted to patrol our towns 
and districts, the people may .soon become as help¬ 
less and dependent upon government for every 
thing, as wore the poor Peruvians, at Die lime of 
their conquest by the Spaniards, upon their sove¬ 
reign Inca—all their interests being merged in his 
interest, whose slaves they were, so, that when ho 
was conquered, all were conquered. 
Already are we helpless enough under too much 
training. Docs the su])erintendent want district 
superintendents to aid his brothers in the sale of 
Salem Town’s school books, in which business 
they are extensively engaged ? Do you ask what 
wo propose in place of all this ? 
For city schools we propose nothing, for we 
know very little about them, never having lived 
long in any city. Wo suppose, however, some 
kind of free schools are necessary to protect the 
inhahilants against the masses of idle street chil¬ 
dren, if but for a few hours in each day, while the 
children are at school; but we propose nothing, 
leaving it for those who know to jirojiose. For 
country towns generally throughout the State, ex¬ 
cluding cities: 
1. We projiosc a simplification of all our school 
laws, aliowing no foreign superintendence: 
2. Wo propose to abolish all direct taxation ex¬ 
cept to build and rejiair houses, furnish fuel and 
pay for the teaching of indigent scholars. 
3. Wo propose to require the State treasurer to 
collect the State school funds, divide and transmit 
to county treasurers, with the least possible expense. 
4. We propose to require county treasurers to 
sub-divide and hand over to sujiervisors of towns. 
5. We j)ropo,sc to require supervisors of towns 
to collect the local funds, put them with the State 
funds, again sub-divide, and hand over to trustees 
of districts, to be jiaid to teachers for, or towards 
their wages for teaching. 
6. We iirojioso to require supervisors to form and 
alter districts, and settle all school differences, with 
the right of a])])eal to three justices of the town, or 
to the board of supervisors, at the election of the 
aggrieved, whoso decision in either case shall be 
final in the premises. 
7. We propose to permit, allow, and reipiire 
trustees and peojile to choose and examine teach¬ 
ers, or emidoy a competent person or persons to do 
it for them, sujierintend schools, and do all the 
rest. 
It is a poor commentary upon our school sys¬ 
tem, having now been in operation about 40 years, 
if wo have not in every school district, men com¬ 
petent to judge of the qualifications of their school¬ 
master ; if they are incompetent, their )'oung 
children will find out in a few days, if their master 
is a fool and tell their parents of it. 
It improves our race to have interesting respon¬ 
sibility thrown upon the people in the common 
walks of life—the more the better—a thousand 
times better than all the free schools in the world. 
We are principally indebted for our free institu¬ 
tions, to the wise provision adopted in England 
many years ago, for trial by jury. 
By the adoption of a school system, the outlines 
of which, are here hastily shadowed forth, though 
not without much observation and reflection, we 
may confidently hope in an easy and natural way 
to have schools advance in usefulness; in most 
cases, justice to be administered in the first instance; 
if not, hopes are held out of speedy relief; the peo¬ 
ple relieved from usefulness, burthensorne, nay, 
dangerous taxation; that peace and harmony may 
prevail about schools, school systems and school 
funds ; and that our schools may prove enduring 
blessings. 
With the old system, will fall of course, the 
Common School Journal, read by none, and used 
only for promulgating the decrees or bulls of the 
primate. And wo may also confidently hope that 
the Normal School, of foreign origin, not adapted 
to the genius of our institutions, may soon follow in 
the train. Charity scholars. Normal School, or 
West Point, are not exactly adapted to civil, ns to 
prelatical or despotic rule; and the people would bo 
as unwise, nay, ridiculous, to place the institutions 
of our State under their control, as to place a beg¬ 
gar on horseback. A people may bo trained to al¬ 
most any thing, oven passive obedience and non- 
rcsislanco. 
Wo know, however, the obstacles that any pro¬ 
posed new system for schools has to encounter.— 
Besides having “ to war against principalities and 
powers,” fed and clothed by the old system, wo 
liave to encounter the prejudices of two genera¬ 
tions, who have grown up under it, and of whom, 
many suppose they are creations of that system, 
and that wc could not exist as an enlightened peo¬ 
ple without it, not reflecting for a moment, that 
the great desires of their enterprising farthers for 
improvement, indicated the system imperfect as it 
is; and that it is like all other human institutions, 
requiring renovation or change. 
It is hoped, however, no one will bo deterred 
from an examination of the suggestions here put 
forth, on account of the manner, for that has noth¬ 
ing to do with the merits of the system itself; or 
on account of a su.spicion that any political party 
feelings lurk behind. The author is an humble, 
retired citizen of Western Now York, not perhaps 
without vanity, now about sixty years of ago, de¬ 
siring neither place nor political distinction; and 
although he claims to entertain principles, detests 
the very name of party. 
All of which is submitted to an outraged and 
indignant people. 
History of a Zooi.ocicai, Tempkhanck Con¬ 
vention. Held in Ccntril Africa in 1847. By 
Edward IIichcock, I). I)., I.L. E., President of 
the Amherst College, Nortliampton, Mass: But¬ 
ler Bridgman. For sale at IJ. M. Dewey’s. 
This is a very amusing and entertaining 
allegory designed to promote the cause of 
Temperance. It is well illustrated by an 
artist who '* entered fully into the spirit of 
the subject, and produced a series of draw¬ 
ings that add very much to the interest of 
the wonderful account of the Zoological 
Temperance Convention. 
The (question of Ladies’ Rights was dis- 
po.sed of by the Convention as follows: 
“ Another question, which had well nigh 
broken up the Convention, was, whether fe¬ 
male' animals had a right to sit, and speak, 
and vote, as members of the body. Many 
of these had come up to the meeting, some, 
out of idle curiosity, and some, because they 
took a deep interest in the subject, and sup¬ 
posed they should be admitted to speak and 
act upon it The cow, especially, thought 
it a very hard case, that her right to a seat 
should be disputed, after she had signed 
the petition which resulted in the calling of 
the convention. It was well known, also, 
that by an almost unheard-of act of oppres¬ 
sion and cruelty, the bos taurus, or ox, her 
natural mate, had everywhere been separat¬ 
ed from the cow, so that she was left to 
shift for herself, and if she did not vindicate 
her- own rights there was no one who would 
do it. The males of several other animals 
that had been enslaved by man stood up 
and gallantly defended the rights of the 
ladies, and stated that such had been the 
cruelty of man in destroying the males, that 
in fact the females had become their rulers 
in the domestic circle; and they testified, 
moreover, that their sway was very gentle, 
and that it would be most ungallant, and 
an eternal disgrace to that convention, to 
deprive them of the right of speaking. In 
short, they declared that a large number of 
animals had resolved to withdraw from the 
convention in di.sgust, should such an act 
pass. On the other side, several of the wild 
animals replied with great severity, that the 
evils complained of by the domestic animals 
were all the result of their disgraceful sub¬ 
mission to the ojipression of man; that in a 
state of nature no female ever ruled over 
her mate, but was always in subjection; that 
it was her business to attend to domestic 
duties, and not to interfere with great pub¬ 
lic concerns; and that they never would sub¬ 
mit to have the example set before their 
own mates, who had attended them hither, 
of seeing females so out of their place as to 
make sjieeches there, and thus come upon 
a level with themselves. The contest on 
this question became more and more vio¬ 
lent, and personal crimination and recrimin¬ 
ation took the place of argument; so much 
so, that it seemed almost certain that the 
speakers must have been familiar with the 
proceedings of the A<|rierican Congress,— 
’J'he excitement, however, was clamed in a 
very unexpected maimer, and almost entire 
harmony restored. 
In the midst of the uproar the turtle¬ 
dove and its mate, a bird well known for its 
gentleness and connubial fidelity, were seen 
to alight upon a rock behind which sat the 
lion, and around which sat the Secretaries. 
So manifest a breach of order drew forth 
from a panther, who had been appointed 
one of the constables, so loud a yell, that it 
produced an entire stillness through the 
assembly. The male turtle-dove seized the 
favorable moment to introduce the follow¬ 
ing resolutions, which unexpectedly har¬ 
monized the conflicting views of the mem¬ 
bers, and passed almost by acclamation: 
RKSOi.vEn, That those ladies who are 
present without mates, not through any fault 
of their own, have liberty to sit, speak, and 
act in this Convention, and to vindicate the 
rights of females. 
Resolved, That each married lady pres¬ 
ent be expected, to take lier seat by the side 
of her husband, and that her chief business 
and duty it shall be to keep him in order. 
As the Convention was about to proceed 
to business, it was again disturbed by the 
constables dragging into the assembly, with ‘ 
great growling and screaming, a wolf and a 
hymna, all covered with blood and dust.-— 
It appeared that during the discussion about 
ladies’ rights, something was said by the 
wolf, which the hyoena thought was intend¬ 
ed for a reflection upon his lady. He im¬ 
mediately passed a challenge to a personal 
combat; and forthwith they ran, with their 
seconds, the lynx and the alligator, into an 
adjoining field, and commenced biting and 
tearing each other, but the constables had 
hold of them before either obtained the vic¬ 
tory. A motion was immediately made and 
carried to refer their case to the decision of 
King Leo. His majesty observing that the 
wolf had lost his tail, and the hymna his 
ears, immediately decreed that the tails and 
ears of both should be crojipi-d close, and 
they be expelled from the Convention.— 
The shark was appointed e.vecutioner, and 
immediately, and with great relish perform¬ 
ed the sentence. They were led fortli from 
the assembly, followed by their weeping- 
mates. This touching sight drew tears from 
the eyes of the crocodile; and his cousin, the 
alligator, was so much excited by his feel¬ 
ings, as to say, that if the laws of honor had 
been as well understcxid by that Convention 
as in the country from which he came, es¬ 
pecially in the American Congress, so severe 
a judgment would not have been passed; 
and he felt constrained by a regard to his 
friends who had just departed, to propose 
two resolutions, whfeh he thought the Con¬ 
vention ought to pass:— 
1. Resolved, That the honor of the hy¬ 
aena’s lady stands fully vindicated. 
2. Resolved, That our departed friends 
have fully vindicated tlftir own honor, and 
shown that they belonged to a genuine race 
of wolves and hyaenas. 
The resolutions were instantly rejected, 
and King Leo took no notice of this impu¬ 
dent speech, except to order proclamation 
to be made, that it was a fixed law of the 
Empire, that whoever engages either as 
principal or second in a duel, shall lose both 
his ears and his tail.” 
Buy the book and read it, 
THE LIFE OF AN EDITOR. 
There are few readers of newspapers 
who have any adequate idea of the inces¬ 
sant toil required in their publication.— 
CapL Marryatt, who in his life had much 
bitter experience, held the following lan¬ 
guage on one occasion, while writing upon 
this subject: 
“ Newspaper literature is a link in the 
great chain of miracles which proves the 
greatness of England, and every support 
should be given to newspapers. The edi¬ 
tors of these papers perform a most enor¬ 
mous task. It is not the writing of the 
leading article every week, whether incli:> 
ed or not, in sickness or health, in affliction, 
disease of mind, winter o« summer, year af¬ 
ter year, tied down to the task, remaining 
in one spot. It is like the walking of a 
thousand miles in a thousand hours. 1 have 
a fellow feeling, for I know how a periodi¬ 
cal will wear down one’s existence. In it¬ 
self it appears nothing. The labor is not 
manifest, nor is it the labor, but it is the 
continual attention which it requirea— 
Your life becomes, as it were, the publica¬ 
tion. One paper is no sooner corrected and 
printed, than on comes another. It is the 
stone ^f Sisyphus, and endless repetition of 
toil, a constant weight upon the mind, a con¬ 
tinual wearing upon the intellect and spirits, 
demanding all the exertions of your facul¬ 
ties, at the same time that you are compell¬ 
ed to do the severest drudgery. To write 
for a paper is very well, but to edit one is 
to condemn yourself to slavery.” 
“With Locke commenced the brigliUrc 
of a new philosophy, which, whatever were 
still its imperfection, hml for its basis clear 
and determinate conceptions; free inquiry 
and unbiassed reason for its instrutnents, 
and for its end truth,—truth unsophisticat¬ 
ed and undisguised, shedding its pure light 
over every proper object of the human un¬ 
derstanding, but confining itself with rever¬ 
ential awe within those bounds which an 
all-wise Creator has set to our inquiries.”— 
l/ord Orcnville. 
A Picture. — After all that has been 
said, and eloquently said by sages, preach¬ 
ers and poets on the dangers of inexperi¬ 
enced youth, one stanza in “ The Bard,” 
will ever be admired and quoted as a vivid 
pictui-e of the whole scene of peril 
Fair laiigliH Oie uioon, and soft tlie zepliyr lilows, 
While proudly rolling o’er the azure realm. 
In gilded trim (lie vessel goes,— 
'Vouth on the prow, and IMeasiire at the helm, 
Regardless of the sweei)lng whirlwind's 8way,| 
That Imshed in grim reiwse expects his evening prey. 
What a picture for a painter in these six 
lines ? And what a tojiic for solemn thought 
to the young. 
Attention. —If we listen, let us listen 
with our whole powers; if we play, let us 
play with coiisentaneousncssof action among 
the faculties; if we read, let us do it in the 
same way; if we hear of something affect¬ 
ing other people, let us try to enter into it 
as if it were our own. A vigorous and most 
useful command of mental power will thus 
bo attained, which is infinitely more valu¬ 
able than any amount of mere knowlegc.— 
Dr. A. Combe. 
