Religious Instruction in France.

429

lowing account of one, who was awakened by this advice to act accordingly.

"At certain times he successively visited the schools. When he went to a school, he first offered a prayer for the children, as much adapted to their condition as he could make it. Then he went through the catechism, or as much of it as he thought necessary, making the several children repeat the several answers: but he divided the questions, that every article in the answers might be understood by them: expecting them to answer Yes or No, to each of these divisions. He also put to them such questions as would make them see and own their duties, and often express a resolution to perform them. Then he often preached a short sermon to them, exceedingly plain, on some suitable scripture, with all possible ingenuity and earnestness, in order to excite their attentive regard. After this, he singled out a number of scholars, perhaps eight or ten, and bid each of them turn to a certain scripture, which he made them read to the whole school; giving them to see, by his brief remarks upon it, that it contained something which it particularly concerned children to take notice of; then he concluded with a short prayer for a blessing on the school and on the tutors.'-Cotton Mather.

TEACHERS' SEMINARY IN OHIO.

A new Seminary for Teachers, to be called the Western Reserve Seminary and Kirtland Institute, is to be opened on the first Wednesday of the present month, at Kirtland, Geauga county, Ohio. It is to be conducted in the Temple lately occupied by the Mormons, which will accommodate two or three hundred students. The principal object is the preparation of both male and female teachers. A model school is also to be connected with the Seminary, for instruction, in the branches usually taught in common schools of young persons under 14 years of age. Provision is also to be made, as soon as circumstances may permit, for agricultural and mechanical labor, both with reference to health and the saving of expense.-Should this school go into operation, as its friends confidently expect, we shall probably give a more full account of it hereafter. Mr Nelson Slater is the Principal.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN FRANCE.

During a recent meeting of the Society for the encouragement of Primary Instruction in France, at which the Marquis de Jaucourt presided, the subject of religious instruction in the mixed schools' was taken up and discussed. The mixed schools are those which receive both Catholic and Protestant children, and they are said to be quite numerous. It appears they are a deplorable obstacle to religious and moral instruction; for the teachers, having pupils who belong to both communions,

430

Lesson for the United States.

are afraid to displease the parents, by taking any particular complexion in their lessons. They therefore leave out religious instruction, to avoid the complaints of one church or the other; and thence it results that the most important part of education is almost universally neglected. The partisans of these mixed schools say that they are a means of establishing harmony between the different forms of worship. Yes, say the other party, but religious ideas are killed, or rather are kept from being born, that we may have peace. It is the peace of death; the peace of corpses, which never dispute, because they are wholly devoid of life. What a singular advancement of society is that, which consists in strangling religious convictions for the sake of union!

Many members of the Society for Primary Instruction among Protestants have perceived the difficulty, and they have undertaken to substitute exclusive schools for these mixed schools. This design encounters many obstacles. Worldly men, who do not understand the necessity of religion, accuse those who reject the system of mixed schools, of intolerance and fanaticism; Protestants are so few, in many places, that they are unable to support a teacher.

The people of the United States know full well, how to sympathize with their transatlantic brethren on this subject. We too have our mixed schools in great numbers; not indeed very often embracing Catholic children, but almost always including those of various religious sects. And here too, for the sake of peace, almost all religious instruction is banished from our common schools, as well as from many of a higher grade. To avoid giving offence, the old fashioned custom of teaching a religious catechism is set at nought almost entirely; and of late, in many places, committees, parents and teachers seem to have virtually combined to exclude the Bible. Now while we believe there are other and better methods of inculcating religious instruction, than by spending much time in the mere reading of this book, we do not like the idea of entering into an unholy combination to exclude it altogether. The present course, in our common schools, in regard to religious instruction is most unhappy. Better, it seems to us-certainly it is as well either to tell our children at once that we do not believe they have souls, or that we do not think they are worth cultivating. Better to be consistent, and say, the body-not the mind is the main thing the standard of the man,' as Watts would say. Better say to them in plain terms, as we really and effectually do by 'Children, money is the principal thing. Other things may be well enough, and some may be worth a little effort; but in all your gettings, get money.'

our conduct,

Education in New Hampshire.

CHILDREN IN FACTORIES.

431

An attempt has been lately made to do something in France, to prevent the destruction of health and life in factories. In England, much attention has been paid to this subject, and no child under nine years of can now be compelled to work in the factories at all, and none under thirteen more than 48 hours in a week. But in France, there appears to be no law of the kind; and that in some instances children from the age of six or seven years are still subjected to an amonnt of labor which destroys their constitution in the very blossom, and hinders them also from acquiring the least instruction, religious, moral, or intellectual. They grow up in the most brutal ignorance, and are worn out long before the period at which man usually obtains the full development of his maturity. A writer in the New York Observer says that the Society for Primary Instruction among Protestants are taking up the subject, and something will be done for these white slaves, as he calls them. He says, and with no little reason, that it is high time to put an end to the frightful and horrible practice of using up infancy for profit, and to prevent the rearing, in our bosom, of a generation of barbarians, of men without religion, without education, without morals, without principles of of any kind, who are ready, at the first political commotion, to whelm every thing in fire and blood. On this subject, too, Christian America might do well to take a few lessons, or at least a few hints, even though they come from infidel France.

POPULAR EDUCATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

We learn that the House of Representatives in New Hampshire, at their session in 1837, passed a bill for the establishment of a Board of Education, to have the superintendence of the public schools of the State, and at the recent session of the Legislature, this bill coming before the Senate, the consideration of it was postponed till next year, with the direction that in the mean time it should be published. It has accordingly just appeared in the New Hampshire Patriot.

It contains provisions similar to the act recently passed in this State for a similar purpose, the only material difference being that the New Hampshire Board consists of but three persons, while that in this State has ten members. In contains provisions for the rotation in office of the members of the Board; for the returns by the school cominittees of the several towns, and the prohibition of a share in the Literary fund to those towns which neglect to make returns; for an abstract of the returns to be made by the Board, similar to those in force in this State.

430

Lesson for the United States.

are afraid to displease the parents, by taking any particular complexion in their lessons. They therefore leave out religious instruction, to avoid the complaints of one church or the other; and thence it results that the most important part of education is almost universally neglected. The partisans of these mixed schools say that they are a means of establishing harmony between the different forms of worship. Yes, say the other party, but religious ideas are killed, or rather are kept from being born, that we may have peace. It is the peace of death; the peace of corpses, which never dispute, because they are wholly devoid of life. What a singular advancement of society is that, which consists in strangling religious convictions for the sake of union!

Many members of the Society for Primary Instruction among Protestants have perceived the difficulty, and they have undertaken to substitute exclusive schools for these mixed schools. This design encounters many obstacles. Worldly men, who do not understand the necessity of religion, accuse those who reject the system of mixed schools, of intolerance and fanaticism; Protestants are so few, in many places, that they are unable to support a teacher.

The people of the United States know full well, how to sympathize with their transatlantic brethren on this subject. We too have our mixed schools in great numbers; not indeed very often embracing Catholic children, but almost always including those of various religious sects. And here too, for the sake of peace, almost all religious instruction is banished from our common schools, as well as from many of a higher grade. To avoid giving offence, the old fashioned custom of teaching a religious catechism is set at nought almost entirely; and of late, in many places, committees, parents and teachers seem to have virtually combined to exclude the Bible. Now while we believe there are other and better methods of inculcating religious instruction, than by spending much time in the mere reading of this book, we do not like the idea of entering into an unholy combination to exclude it altogether. The present course, in our common schools, in regard to religious instruction is most unhappy. Better, it seems to us-certainly it is as well either to tell our children at once that we do not believe they have souls, or that we do not think they are worth cultivating. Better to be consistent, and say, the body-not the mind is the main thing-the standard of the man,' as Watts would say. Better say to them in plain terms, as we really and effectually do by 'Children, money is the principal thing. Other things may be well enough, and some may be worth a little effort; but in all your gettings, get money.'

our conduct,

Education in New Hampshire.

CHILDREN IN FACTORIES.

431

An attempt has been lately made to do something in France, to prevent the destruction of health and life in factories. In England, much attention has been paid to this subject, and no child under nine years of can now be compelled to work in the factories at all, and none under thirteen more than 48 hours in a week. But in France, there appears to be no law of the kind; and that in some instances children from the age of six or seven years are still subjected to an amonnt of labor which destroys their constitution in the very blossom, and hinders them also from acquiring the least instruction, religious, moral, or intellectual. They grow up in the most brutal ignorance, and are worn out long before the period at which man usually obtains the full development of his maturity. A writer in the New York Observer says that the Society for Primary Instruction among Protestants are taking up the subject, and something will be done for these white slaves, as he calls them. He says, and with no little reason, that it is high time to put an end to the frightful and horrible practice of using up infancy for profit, and to prevent the rearing, in our bosom, of a generation of barbarians, of men without religion, without education, without morals, without principles of of any kind, who are ready, at the first political commotion, to whelm every thing in fire and blood. On this subject, too, Christian America might do well to take a few lessons, or at least a few hints, even though they come from infidel France.

POPULAR EDUCATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

We learn that the House of Representatives in New Hampshire, at their session in 1837, passed a bill for the establishment of a Board of Education, to have the superintendence of the public schools of the State, and at the recent session of the Legislature, this bill coming before the Senate, the consideration of it was postponed till next year, with the direction that in the mean time it should be published. It has accordingly just appeared in the New Hampshire Patriot.

It contains provisions similar to the act recently passed in this State for a similar purpose, the only material difference being that the New Hampshire Board consists of but three persons, while that in this State has ten members. In contains provisions for the rotation in office of the members of the Board; for the returns by the school committees of the several towns, and the prohibition of a share in the Literary fund to those towns which neglect to make returns; for an abstract of the returns to be made by the Board, similar to those in force in this State.