conviction, that it is not beyond the bounds of hu-
man effort to devise a system, that will combine in
its tendency, the prevention of crimes, and the reform-
ation of convicts. Let us then ask any sagacious
observer of human nature, what should be the inci-
pient step in order to protect society against crime.
The answer is plain. To afford them a common
school education, and fasten on their minds a know-
ledge of their duties towards God, and carefully in-
struct them by means of the Holy Scriptures, in the
principles of the Christian religion. Let, then, the
present laws for common schools be cherished and
improved, in such manner as will oblige parents of
the poorer classes in society, to send their children to
some one of the common schools, to be instructed in
reading, writing, and arithmetic, and in a knowledge
of the Scriptures.

By a legislative act, rules should be prescribed for
enforcing a strict regard to the perfect cleanliness of
the persons of the children, to their moral conduct, to
oblige the teacher to read at the opening of the school,
daily, a chapter from a work entitled Scripture Les-
sons, which is, on many accounts, preferable to the
Bible for the use of schools, as it contains the most
important part of the Scriptures appertaining to vir-
tue and good morals. This book has been translated
into most of the languages of Europe, and is exten-
sively used in the common schools in that quarter of
the globe, and also in the United States. To make
it the duty of all overseers of common schools, to em-
ploy such teachers only, as are men of suitable quali-
fications, sober and exemplary characters. Every
inducement should be used to encourage parents (in
every place where it is practicable) to send their
children to school, as soon as they reach three years
of age. This might be done, by making it the duty
of overseers of each school, occasionally to visit the
parents of the children, as has been done by the trus-
tees of the New-York Free School Society