exemplifications.--Dishonor to our country that the people should have
remained in such a condition.--Effects of their ignorance as appearing
in several parts of the economy of life; in their ordinary occupations;
in their manner of spending their leisure time, including the Sunday; in
the state of domestic society; consequences of this last as seen in the
old age of parents.--The lower classes placed by their want of education
out of amicable communication with the higher.--Unhappy and dangerous
consequences of this.--Great decline of the respect which in former
times the people felt toward the higher classes and the existing order
of the community.--Progress of a contrary spirit.


Section IV.

Objection, that a material increase of knowledge and intelligence among
the people would render them unfit for their station, and discontented
with it; would excite them to insubordination and arrogance toward
their superiors; and make them the more liable to be seduced by the
wild notions and pernicious machinations of declaimers, schemers, and
innovators.--Observations in answer.--Special and striking absurdity
of this objection in one important particular.--Evidence from matter of
fact that the improvement of the popular understanding has not the
tendency alleged.--The special regard meant to be had to _religious_
instruction in the education desired for the lower classes, a security
against their increased knowledge being perverted into an excitement to
insubordination and disorder.--Absurdity of the notion that an improved
education of the common people ought to consist of instruction
specifically and almost solely religious.--The diminutive quantity of
religious as well as other knowledge to which the people would be
limited by some zealous advocates of order and subordination utterly