第31章

The proper system to supersede these laws has been in part already explained，but we proceed to unfold it still more.It may be called A System for the Prevention of Crime，and the Formation of Human Character and，under an established and well-intentioned government it will be found more efficacious in producing public benefit than any of the laws now in existence.

The fundamental principle on which all these Essays proceed is，that children collectively may be taught any sentiments and habitsor，in other words，trained to acquire any character.

It is of importance that this principle should be for ever present in the mind，and that its truth should be established beyond even the shadow of doubt.To the superficial observer it may appear to be an abstract truth of little value；but to the reflecting and accurate reasoner，it will speedily discover itself to be a power which ultimately must destroy the ignorance and consequent prejudices that have accumulated through all preceding ages.

For，as it is a deduction from all the leading facts in the past history of the world，so it will be found，on the most extensive investigation，to be consistent with every fact which now exists.It is calculated，therefore，to become the foundation of a new system，which，because true and of unparalleled importance，must prove irresistible，will speedily.supersede all those which exist，and itself become permanent.

It is necessary，however，prior to the introduction of this system in all its bearings and consequences，that the public mind should be impressed with the deepest conviction of its truth.

For this purpose，let us in imagination survey the various states and empires of the world，and attentively observe man as in these arbitrary divisions of the earth he is known to exist.

Compare the national character of each community with the laws and customs by which they are respectively governed，and，without an exception，the one will be found the archetype of the other.

Where，in former ages，the laws and customs established by Lycurgus formed man into a model for martial exploits，and a perfect instrument for war，he is now trained，by other laws and customs，to be the instrument of a despotism which renders him almost，or altogether，unfit for war.And where the law and custom of Athens trained the young mind to acquire as high a degree of partial rationality as the history of preceding times records，man is now reduced，by a total change of laws and customs，to the lowest state of mental degradation.Also，where，formerly，the superior native American tribes roamed fearlessly through their trackless forests，uniformly exhibiting the hardy，penetrating，elevated，and sincere character，which was at a loss to comprehend how a rational being could desire to possess more than his nature could enjoy；now，on the very same soil，in the same climate，characters are formed under laws and customs so opposite，that all their bodily and mental faculties are individually exerted to obtain，if possible，ten thousand times more than any man can enjoy.

But why proceed to enumerate such endless results as these，of the never-failing influence of training over human nature，when it may be easily rendered self-evident even to the most illiterate，by daily examples around their own dwellings？

No one，it may be supposed，can now be so defective in knowledge as to imagine it is a different human nature，which by its own powers forms itself into a child of ignorance，of poverty，and of habits leading to crime and to punishment；or into a votary of fashion，claiming distinction from its folly and inconsistency；or，to fancy，that it is some undefined，blind，unconscious process of human nature itself，distinct from instruction，that forms the sentiments and habits of the man of commerce，of agriculture，the law，the church，the army，the navy，or of the private and illegal depredator on society.or that it is a different human nature which constitutes the societies of the Jews，of Friends，and of all the various religious denominations which have existed or which now exist.

No！Human nature，save the minute differences which are ever found in all the compounds of the creation，is one and the same in all；it is without exception universally plastic，and by judicious training the infants of any one class in the world may be readily formed into men of any other class，even to believe and declare that conduct to be right and virtuous，and to die in its defence，which their parents had been taught to believe and say was wrong and vicious，and to oppose which，those parents would also have willingly sacrificed their lives.

Whence then the foundation of your claim，ye advocates for the superiority of the early prepossessions of your sect or party，in opposition to those taught to other men？Ignorance itself，at this day，might almost make it evident that one particle of merit is not due to you，for not possessing those notions and habits which you now the most contemn.Ought you not，and will you not，then，have charity for those who have been taught different sentiments and habits from yourselves？Let all men fairly investigate this subject for themselves；it well merits their most attentive examination.They will then discover that it is from the errors of education，misinstructing the young mind relative to the true cause of early prepossessions，that almost all the evils of life proceed.

Whence then，ye advocates for the merit and demerit of early prepossessions of opinion，do you derive your principles？

Let this system of misery be seen in all its naked deformity！