"No kissing girls in school-time; no _licking_ the _master_ during holy
days."
At fifteen or sixteen, if not at college, the boy assumes the man; he
enters into business, as a clerk to some merchant, or in some store.
His father's home is abandoned, except when it may suit his convenience,
his salary being sufficient for most of his wants. He frequents the
bar, calls for gin cocktails, chews tobacco, and talks politics. His
theoretical education, whether he has profited much by it or not, is now
superseded by a more practical one, in which he obtains a most rapid
proficiency. I have no hesitation in asserting that there is more
practical knowledge among the Americans than among any other people
under the sun. (note 7).
It is singular that in America, everything, whether it be of good of
evil, appears to assist the country in _going a-head_. This very want
of parental control, however it may affect the morals of the community,
is certainly advantageous to America, as far as her rapid advancement is
concerned. Boys are working like men for years before they would be in
England; time is money, and they assist to bring in the harvest.
But does this independence on the part of the youth of America end here?
On the contrary, what at first was _independence_, assumes next the
form of _opposition_, and eventually that of _control_.
The young men before they are qualified by age to claim their rights as
citizens, have their societies, their book-clubs, their political
meetings, their resolutions, all of which are promulgated in the
newspapers; and very often the young men's societies are called upon by
the newspapers to come forward with their opinions. Here is
_opposition_. Mr Cooper says, on page 152 of his "Democrat":--
"The defects in American deportment are, notwithstanding, numerous and
palpable. Among the first may be ranked, _insubordination in children_,
and a great want of respect for age. The former vice may be ascribed to
the business habits of the country, which leave so little time for
parental instruction, and, perhaps, in some degree to the acts of
political agents, who, with their own advantages in view, among the
other expedients of their cunning, have resorted to the artifice of
separating children from their natural advisers by calling meetings of
the young to decide on the fortunes and policy of the country."
But what is more remarkable, is the fact that society has been usurped
by the young people, and the married and old people have been, to a
certain degree, excluded from it. A young lady will give a ball, and
ask none but young men and young women of her acquaintance; not a
_chaperon_ is permitted to enter, and her father and mother are
requested to stay upstairs, that they may not interfere with the
amusement. This is constantly the case in Philadelphia and Baltimore,
and I have heard bitter complaints made by the married people concerning
it. Here is _control_. Mr Sanderson, in his "Sketches of Paris,"
observes:--
"They who give a tone to society should have maturity of mind; they
should have refinement of taste, which is a quality of age. As long
as _college beaux and boarding-school misses_ take the lead, it must
be an insipid society, in whatever community it may exist. Is it not
villainous in your Quakerships of Philadelphia, to lay us, before we
have lived half our time out, upon the shelf! Some of the native
tribes, more merciful, eat the old folks out of the way."
However, retribution follows: in their turn they marry, and are ejected;
they have children, and are disobeyed. The pangs which they have
occasioned to their own parents are now suffered by them in return,
through the conduct of their own children; and thus it goes on, and will
go on, until the system is changed.
All this is undeniable; and thus it appears that the youth of America,
being under no control, acquire just as much as they please, and no
more, of what may be termed theoretical knowledge. Thus is the first
great error in American education, for how many boys are there who will
learn without coercion, in proportion to the number who will not?
Certainly not one in ten, and, therefore it may be assumed that not one
in ten is properly instructed. [See note 6.]
Now, that the education of the youth of America is much injured by the
want of control on the part of the parents, is easily established by the
fact that in those states where the parental control is the greatest, as
in Massachusetts, the education is proportionably superior. But this
great error is followed by consequences even more lamentable: it is the
first dissolving power of the kindred attraction, so manifest throughout
all American society. Beyond the period of infancy there is no
endearment between the parents and children; none of that sweet spirit
of affection between brother and sisters; none of those links which
unite one family; of that mutual confidence; that rejoicing in each
other's success; that refuge, when they are depressed or afflicted, in
the bosoms of those who love us--the sweetest portion of human
existence, which supports us wider, and encourages us firmly to brave,
the ills of life--nothing of this exists. In short, there is hardly
such a thing in America as "Home, sweet home." That there are
exceptions to this, I grant but I speak of the great majority of cases,
and the results upon the character of the nation. Mr Cooper, speaking
of the weakness of the family tie in America, says--
"Let the reason be what it will, the effect is to cut us off from a
large portion of the happiness that is dependent on the affections."
The next error of American education is, that in their anxiety to instil
into the minds of youth a proper and ardent love of their own
institutions, feelings and sentiments are fostered which ought to be
most carefully checked. It matters little whether these feelings (in
themselves vices) are directed against the institutions of other
countries; the vice once engendered remains, and _hatred_ once implanted
in the breast of youth, will not be confined in its action. Neither
will national conceit remain only _national_ conceit, or _vanity_ be
confined to admiration of a form of government; in the present mode of
educating the youth of America, all sight is lost of humility,
good-will, and the other Christian virtues, which are necessary to
constitute a good man, whether he be an American, or of any other
country.
Let us examine the manner in which a child is taught. Democracy,
equality, the vastness of his own country, the glorious independence,
the superiority, of the Americans in all conflicts by sea or land, are
impressed upon his mind before he can well read. All their elementary
books contain garbled and false accounts of naval and land engagements,
in which every credit is given to the Americans, and equal vituperation
and disgrace thrown upon their opponents. Monarchy is derided, the
equal rights of man declared--all is invective, uncharitableness, and
falsehood.
That I may not in this be supposed to have asserted too much, I will
quote a reading-lesson from a child's book, which I purchased in America
as a curiosity, and is now in my possession. It is called the "Primary
Reader for Young Children," and contains many stories besides this,
relative to the history of the country.
"LESSON" 62.
"STORY ABOUT THE 4TH OF JULY".
6. "I must tell you what the people of New York did. In a certain spot
in that city there stood a large statue, or representation of King
George III. It was made of lead. In one hand he held a sceptre, or
kind of sword, and on his head he wore a crown."
7. "When the news of the Declaration of Independence reached the city,
a great multitude were seen running to the statue."
8. "The cry was heard, `Down with it--down with it!' and soon a rope
was placed about its neck, and the leaden King George came tumbling
down."
9. "This might fairly be interpreted as a striking prediction of the
downfall of the monarchical form of government in these United States."
10. "If we look into history, we shall frequently find great events
proceeding from as trifling causes as the fall of the _leaden_ statue,
which not unaptly represents the character of a despotic prince."
11. "I shall only add, that when the statue was fairly down, it was cut
to pieces, and converted into musket-balls to kill the soldiers whom his
majesty had sent over to fight the Americans."
This is quite sufficient for a specimen. I have no doubt that it will
be argued by the Americans--"We are justified in bringing up our youth
to _love_ our institutions." I admit it; but you bring them up to
_hate_ other people, before they have sufficient intellect to understand
the merits of the case.