It is true that the public mind must be prepared for legislative action, and the belief of the value of that education which alone merits the name must be far more pervading and serious than it now is, before legislatures will have either the inclination or the courage to act. The dissemination of this book, and of the truths which it contains, will tend thus to prepare the public mind, to produce the right state of feeling and of thought; for assuredly it will not be read in vain by parents who are such in heart and in conscience, not in name merely. There are some truths which it may be painful to confess, yet are most necessary to be known. To the reflecting and the candid it will not seem extravagant to say that the chief source of the evils, the disorders, the crimes which afflict society, is to be found in the heartless indifference of the higher classes, the rich, the educated, the refined, towards the comfort and well-being of those they term or deem their inferiors, and their consequent neglect of the intellectual and moral improvement of those who always have been, and would seem by the order of Providence, always must be, the most numerous class, those who depend on their daily labour for their daily support. It is this neglect, the alienation it produces, the ignorance it perpetuates, the vices it fosters, which leave marked the broad line of separation, on the one side of which are the few, indolent, disdainful, proud, on the other the many, restless, envious, discontented. It is this which keeps the minds of a multitude in a constant state of irritation, and which, when the base demagogue seeks to array the poor against the rich, collects the crowd of his willing auditors, and arms him with his dreaded power. It is this which caused the atrocities of the French Revolution, and which deepens and darkens the cloud that now hangs over England. It is this neglect-the grand crime of civilized and Christian society, which, in every country, sooner or later, and in none more cer tainly than in our own, if continued, is destined to meet a fearful retribution. Here most emphatically is it true, that the people must be raised to the level of their rights and duties, must be made the safe depositaries of the power which they possess, or in the history of other republics we may read our own fate:-first, lawless anarchy-next, the calm which fear and the bayonet produce— the calm of military despotism. How then are these evils to be prevented?this fate to be averted? I answer, all that is odious, all that is dangerous in the distinctions which the free acquisition and the lawful enjoyment of property must always create, will soon vanish, and all classes be united in the enduring bonds of sympathy and gratitude, when the rich (I include all who have the leisure or means to bestow) shall understand and feel that it is their paramount duty to improve the physical and elevate the moral condition of their fellow-beings, or, to express nearly the whole in one word-to educate the poor. Let those on whom the burthen ought to fall willingly assume-cheerfully sustain it, and there will be no further obstacle to the action of the Legislature, no further difficulty in organizing a system effectual, permanent, universal. All that has been done in Prussia, and is about to be done in France, may be done here, and neither the patriot, the philanthropist, nor the Christian can desire more. J. D. CONTENTS. DUTIES OF PARENTS IN EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN. These duties have been treated in too general a man- ner-The peculiar duties of those who educate their children in the district school have not been sufficiently enforced-These considered-The parent's first duty is self-examination-The parent is the natural instructor and guardian of the child-Parents neglect their chil- dren during the susceptible years of infancy-Children begin to act and learn from the first moment of their ex- istence-Parents do not notice the effect of their own example before infants-The mother may shape the character-Parents leave the education of their children too much with the schoolmaster-They frequently have a bad government over their children at home-Difficult govern the teacher-Supply his defects-Parents should con- tinue their children's education after the school days are ended-This by giving them the means of knowledge- By example-By showing the pleasures and advantages of knowledge-The parent's happiness depends upon the education of his children-The child's happiness de- pends upon its education-The difference of early train- ing makes the great difference among men-It is the parent's duty to his country to educate his children-It is his duty to society-If the parent does not educate his children, the world will-Virtue and knowledge need The want of well qualified teachers in the United States-The number of common school teachers em- ployed Some of the deficiencies described-Ignorant of the studies which they teach-Ignorant of the nature and operations of the youthful mind-No preparation made for teaching-The profession made a temporary thing-In the first place, teachers should well consider the nature of their employment-Teachers should ex- amine their acquirements-They should be good readers -The poor reading in our schools noticed-Instructions in this art to teachers-The example of good reading in the teacher-Teachers should be good penmen-They should be ready and accurate in the science of Arith- metic-With Geography-Teachers should have a thorough knowledge of the Grammar and Philosophy of the English Language-They should be well versed in History-They should be able to impart knowledge to others-The inability of teachers, and all students, to tell what they know, or what they think they know-Our system of education deficient, in making men commu- nicate, or make a practical use of what they learn-The QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS, CONTINUED. A teacher should have a good moral character-He should govern himself-He should have a good judg- ment--A teacher should have an even, uniform temper --He should have decision and firmness-He should be able to sympathise with his pupils-He should be able to discriminate character-He should be able to |