very
principle and rule of morals under its peremptory sanction; making
the primary obligation and responsibility be towards God, of every
thing that is a duty with respect to men. So that, with the
subjects of this education, the sense of _propriety_ shall be
_conscience_; the consideration of how they ought to be regulated
in their conduct as a part of the community shall be the
recollection that their Master in heaven dictates the laws of that
conduct, and will judicially hold them amenable for every part of
it."

"And is not a discipline thus addressed to the purpose of fixing
religious principles in ascendency, as far as that difficult object
is within the power of discipline, and of infusing a salutary
tincture of them into whatever else is taught, the right way to
bring up citizens faithful to all that deserves fidelity in the
social compact?...

"Lay hold on the myriads of juvenile spirits before they have time
to grow up through ignorance, into a reckless hostility to social
order; train them to sense and good morals; inculcate the
principles of religion, simply and solemnly, as religion, as a
thing directly of divine dictation, and not as if its authority
were chiefly in virtue of human institutions; let the higher
orders, generally, make it evident to the multitude that they are
desirous to raise them in value, and promote their happiness; and
then, _whatever_ the demands of the people as a body, thus
improving in understanding and sense of justice, shall come to be,
and _whatever_ modification their preponderance may ultimately
enforce on the great social arrangements, it will be infallibly
certain that there never _can_ be a love of disorder, an insolent
anarchy, a prevailing spirit of revenge and devastation. Such a
conduct of the ascendent ranks would, in this nation at least,
secure that, as long as the world lasts, there never would be any
formidable commotion, or violent sudden changes. All those
modifications of the national economy to which an improving people
would aspire, and would deserve to obtain, would be gradually
accomplished, in a manner by which no party would be wronged, and
all would be the happier."[1]

I not only read this for the excellence of its sentiments and their
application to the subject, but becau