第16章

That plan is a national，well-digested，unexclusive system for the formation of character and general amelioration of the lower orders.On the experience of a life devoted to the subject，I hesitate not to say，that the members of any community may by degrees be trained to live without idleness，without poverty，without crime，and without punishment；for each of these is the effect of error in the various systems prevalent throughout the world.They are all necessary consequences of ignorance.

Train any population rationally，and they will be rational.

Furnish honest and useful employments to those so trained，and such employments they will greatly prefer to dishonest or injurious occupations.It is beyond all calculation the interest of every government to provide that training and that employment；

and to provide both is easily practicable.

The first，as before stated，is to be obtained by a national system for the formation of character；the second，by governments preparing a reserve of employment for the surplus working classes，when the general demand for labour throughout the country.iS not equal to the full occupation of the whole：that employment to be on useful national objects from which the public may derive advantage equal to the expense which those works may require.

The national plan for the formation of character should include all the modern improvements of education，without regard to the system of any one individual；and should not exclude the child of any one subject in the empire.Anything short of this would be an act of intolerance and injustice to the excluded，and of injury to society，so glaring and manifest，that I shall be deceived in the character of my countrymen if any of those who have influence in church and state should now be found willing to attempt it.Is it not indeed strikingly evident even to common observers，that any further effort to enforce religious exclusion would involve the certain and speedy destruction of the present church establishment，and would even endanger our civil institutions？

It may be said，however，that ministers and parliament have many other important subjects under discussion.This is evidently true；but will they not have high national concerns always to engage their attention？And can any question be brought forward of deeper interest to the community than that which affects the formation of character and the well-being of every individual within the empire？A question，too，which，when understood，will be found to offer the means of amelioration to the revenues of these kingdoms，far beyond any practical plan now likely to be devised.Yet，important as are considerations of revenue，they must appear secondary when put in competition with the lives，liberty，and comfort of our fellow subjects，which are now hourly sacrificed for want of an effective legislative measure to prevent crime.And is an act of such vital importance to the well-being of all to be longer delayed？Shall yet another year pass in which crime shall be forced on the infant，who in ten，twenty，or thirty years hence shall suffer DEATH for being taught that crime？Surely it is impossible.Should it be so delayed，the individuals of the present parliament，the legislators of this day，ought in strict and impartial justice to be amenable to the laws for not adopting the means in their power to prevent the crime；rather than the poor，untrained，and unprotected culprit，whose previous years，if he had language to describe them，would exhibit a life of unceasing wretchedness，arising solely from the errors of society.

Much might be added on these momentous subjects，even to make them evident to the capacities of children：but for obvious reasons the outlines are merely sketched；and it is hoped these outlines will be sufficient to induce the well-disposed of all parties cordially to unite in this vital measure for the preservation of everything dear to society.

In the next Essay an account will be given of the plans which are in progress at New Lanark for the further comfort and improvement of its inhabitants；and a general practical system be described，by which the same advantages may be gradually introduced among the poor and working classes throughout the United Kingdom.