Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

have numberless cases to prove the obstruction which force creates for itself, we have also some which shew that gentle means have a contrary tendency. There are only fewer illustrations of the power of gentleness than of the slow efficacy of the law of force, because gentleness has been so seldom tried. But in those instances where it has been tried, and fully carried out, it has usually succeeded brilliantly. Few, we believe, are aware that the very commencement of the British empire in India was laid, not in an example of the law of force, but of that of gentleness. The Company had struggled for forty years for liberty to make a permanent settlement and build a factory, but in vain. At length this was obtained from the native princes by Dr Boughton, a physician, in gratitude for the successful exertion of his medical skill amongst them. They could resist everything but the appeal of humanity. We have seen the British power since then spread over nearly the whole of Hindustan; and history would probably make it appear as chiefly the result of certain battles, followed by treaties. But while these means have certainly been attended by certain definite effects, there has also been a less visible, though powerful agency at work, in as far as the English have proved mild and just superiors, and exemplified before the eyes of the natives the maxims of humanity. A bright illustration of the power of humane deeds over a people in a situation analogous to that of the Hindus, was presented some time ago in the consequences attending the establishment of an ophthalmic hospital at Canton, in 1835, by Mr Parker, an American missionary. The principle on which this hospital was founded is kindness-to heal the afflicted without expense to them. At first, only the lower orders came for relief; but gradually, as the fame of the institution spread abroad, men of the upper ranks came also. In the first two years, upwards of two thousand persons were treated, many of whom experienced benefit. The effect of this in doing away with the prejudices of the Chinese was most remarkable; our national name acquired a respect which the victories of terror could never have produced. One man of rank, to whom sight was restored, could scarcely be withheld from worshipping the kind-hearted missionary. When England possesses such ample means of this kind for conciliating the nations with whom our commerce brings us into connection, is it not a pity that they are not more used?

LOVE IS POWER-IN SITUATIONS OF COMMAND.

The greater power of love than of fear in maintaining command is beginning to be acknowledged. In former times, command was kept up in the army and navy almost wholly by the terror of severe punishment. The lash, the black-hole, and other barbarous and degrading inflictions, were the main trust of the officers for maintaining discipline. In the whole conduct of the officers to the private

men there was no trace of kindly feeling. The cane was liberally used in drilling; and it was thought indispensably necessary, in speaking to a soldier, to swear at him. The effect of this treatment was to degrade the men, and make them the more frequently liable to punishment. In fact, the treatment and its consequences acted and reacted upon each other, until, in many unfortunate cases, a regiment or a ship would become nearly useless to the service.

These facts are strongly stated in a book, written by one well acquainted with military affairs-Mr Henry Marshall. He quotes from the work of an old officer, published in 1761, the following just sentiments: 'Abuse deadens the heart; kindness wins the affections. Threatenings infuse into the obdurate bosom a callous indifference; whilst calm admonition sucks the sting from the most hardened mind. Severity creates hatred—mercy, love. I have known private and parental admonitions by commanding officers wean the most desperate dispositions, on which severity had exercised its greatest power, without reforming: each blow of retribution stole from the heart the few remaining sparks of manhood, and the debased individual at last fell like a brute into the grave. Kindness will ever be found the best antidote to crime-severity its most active source.'

The same old officer tells us an anecdote which forcibly illustrates the superior power of gentle methods. It refers to a man of bad habits, upon whom punishment had been found to have no effect. 'The commander observing that, notwithstanding all his vices, he possessed some valuable qualifications, resolved to try another mode than whipping. It was not long before he had an opportunity of putting his scheme into execution; for the next fault, instead of being punished, to the fellow's great surprise he appointed him sergeant! This opened his eyes; he applied himself diligently to his duty, and became as remarkably sober and good as he had been the contrary before.'

It is not surprising to hear Mr Marshall stating, as an observation made by many excellent officers, 'that those regiments in which flogging has been least practised have been the best behaved. A low degree of discipline not unfrequently exists with a high degree of flogging-a circumstance which shews that the fear of the lash is precarious, little to be trusted, and will not stand the test of temptation.' 'Real improvement,' says Mr Marshall, consists in the formation of better and purer principles, and a realisation of them in the life and conduct-a result which cannot be obtained without self-respect, and without a prospect of some portion of happiness coming along with it. It is difficult, therefore, to perceive the wisdom of confining men long in a “black-hole "—a place where soldiers are rarely, if ever, reformed, where the health of persons of a nervous temperament may be destroyed, the spirits prostrated, the intellect

Military Miscellany; comprehending a History of Recruiting in the Army, Military Punishments, &c. By Henry Marshall, F.R.S.E. London: John Murray. 1846.

clouded, and the heart broken. All punishments are attended with serious evils, but none are so bad as those which have a tendency to destroy the mind, on whose improvement we rest our hopes of instilling the principles of subordination.'

The

Of late years, severe punishments have almost disappeared from the army and navy. It has been found that, where they are greatly necessary, the fault lies more with the officers than the men. soldier is not now, as formerly, received as an outcast or blackguard, who is to be only turned to use and kept in order by terror. Some deference is paid to his feelings; means for improving his mind are adopted; his little interests are strictly respected; and certain honours and rewards are put before him as the prizes of good conduct. In short, the system of 'love' is gradually supplanting that of force and fear, and its good effects tell upon the poor soldier as upon all other human beings.

LOVE IS POWER-AMONGST CHILDREN.

The return of anger for anger, bad words for bad words, a blow for a blow, is usually the first impulse. Children being extremely liable to follow their first impulses, it follows that enmities and fightings are very apt to arise amongst them. There was more of this evil a few years ago than there is now, because grown people were not so careful as they ought to have been to preserve peace and good feeling amongst the young. Even now, it is too common to see brothers in one family, or boys attending the same school, or young persons generally at their play, fall into quarrels, and come to blows. Fortunately, youthful feelings of any kind being very transient, these hatreds and hostilities are seldom kept up for any length of time. Yet there can be no doubt that great harm often ensues from them, and that they take much from the happiness which the young might enjoy. With boys and girls it is just as true as with their eldersthat all angry passion produces wretchedness; while kind feelings, and a mild and forgiving behaviour, tend to make life pass agreeably.

*

We shall illustrate this by a few anecdotes, taken from an American book written for children, entitled A Kiss for a Blow, but we are sure that everybody must remember scores of facts of a similar kind. "Two boys, named Abel and George, were at the same school in New York. Each was about ten years old: they were not brothers, but schoolmates and classmates. Both of them had irritable tempers, and had been taught to think that they must resent injuries, and defend their rights at all hazards. Playing pin was a common

*By Henry C. Wright, a temperance lecturer. This volume, of which it were to be wished that every family in the country had a copy, was reprinted in Dublin (Webb and Chapman). It is an invaluable little book.

amusement in the school. They played in this way: two boys would take a hat, and set it down between them, crown upward. Each boy would lay a pin on the crown of the hat, and push it; first one boy would push the pin, and then the other. He who could push the pins so as to make them lie across each other, became entitled to them both. One day, during play-hour, Abel and George were playing pin. They pushed the pins about for some time. Both became much excited by the game. At last Abel pushed the pin, so that, as he said, one lay across the point of the other. George denied it. Abel declared they did, and snatched up both pins. George's anger broke forth in a moment, and he struck Abel in the face with his fist. This excited Abel's wrath. They began to fight-the other boys clustering around, not to part them, but to urge them on. Some cried: "Hit him, Abel!" and some: "Give it to him, George!" thus stimulating them to quarrel. The boys seized each: other, and finally came tumbling to the ground, Abel uppermost. Then Abel, in his fury, beat George in the face till the blood spouted from his nose and mouth, and he lay like one dead. Then the boys pulled Abel off. But George could not get up. The boys began to be alarmed. They were afraid Abel had killed him. The teacher was called. He carried George in, and washed the blood from his face and head, which he found bruised in a shocking manner. One of his eyes was so hurt and swollen that he could not open it; and from that day the sight of it grew more and more dim, till it became blind.' Here was a dreadful mischief produced by the angry style of conduct. Now hear, in contrast with this, an anecdote in which the opposite plan was pursued.

Thomas and Gerald lived in Rhode Island, and were brothers. One cold day, when the ground was frozen, they were out driving a hoop. Both boys were following and driving the same hoop. This is rather dangerous, as the boy who runs behind is in danger of throwing the other down. As they were driving their hoop down the street, running as fast as they could, Thomas, who was foremost, struck his foot against a stone, and fell headlong upon the frozen ground, coming down with violence upon his bare hands and face. Gerald, being close behind, and running fast, could not stop, but came down with his whole weight on Thomas. This hurt Thomas still more, and he was angry with Gerald for falling on him.

'They both rose. Thomas began to scold and storm at his brother, and to beat him. What did Gerald do? Did he cry out, and strike in return? He did no such thing. He put his hand into his pocket hurriedly, rummaged about, and soon drew out a stick of candy, which he thrust into his brother's mouth as he was scolding and beating him. Thomas instantly stopped scolding and beating Gerald, and looked confused and ashamed. His brother urged him to take the candy. He took it, and began to eat―evidently feeling very sorry that he had struck his generous brother.

'Thus his wrath was disarmed, and his blows were staid, by love and kindness.'

It is the same as to the angry assertion of supposed rights: in proof of which, let us read the following little story, and the sound reflections which the author makes upon it.

66

'Ruth and Amy were sisters, and lived in Pennsylvania. In early spring, as the violets began to bloom, they were playing in a meadow near their father's house. They both happened at the same time to see a violet before them. Both ran to it. Ruth, the elder sister, came to it first, and plucked it. Amy was angry, and cried out: “I saw it first, and it belongs to me." 'No, it is not yours; it is mine," said Ruth; "for I saw it as soon as you did, and I got to it first, and plucked it: so I have got it, and you shall not have it." Amy was quite furious, snatched at the flower, and struck her sister. Then Ruth became angry, and struck Amy. So they fought about it, and screamed, and beat each other. Their mother heard them, and came to see what was the matter. She found her little daughters tearing and beating each other.

"What does this mean?" asked the mother.
"Ruth got my flower," said Amy.
"No, I did not, mother," said Ruth.

and plucked it."

"It was mine. I saw it first,

"But where is the flower?" asked their mother.

'Lo! it had been torn to pieces in the fight! Thus each claimed the flower by right of first discovery; and in fighting to decide who saw it first, and who should have it, both lost it!

66

'How could this fight have been prevented, and the sweet violet, and the sweeter spirit of sisterly love and affection, been preserved? Ruth said she saw it first, and claimed it. Amy said she saw it first, and claimed it. Now, though Ruth had the violet in her hand, if, when Amy said: "It is mine-I saw it first-I will have it," Ruth had said to her: Sister, if you think the pretty flower is yours, you may have it; I should rather let you have it than keep it myself; I would rather have your love than all the flowers that grow," would there have been any fight-any coldness or unkindness between the sisters? None. They would have saved their sisterly affection from so rude a shock, and the sweet violet too; and Amy would not have cared whether the flower had been in her sister's hand or in her own. She would have enjoyed it just as much-nay, more-had it been in her sister's. The sweet and pretty flower belonged to Him who made it. God made it to delight the two sisters. How wicked in them to get angry and to fight about it!

'Our heavenly Father made the earth and all the beautiful things that adorn it. They are all his. He invites all his children to come and enjoy them. We admire them; we see that there is more than enough for all; and it would seem that, as children of a common

« ForrigeFortsæt »