MORAL INFLUENCE OF KNOWLEDGE.

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feelings and dispositions. That it is the tendency of educationto diminish crime, is not matter of argument, but of fact. Letany man go into the gaols, and examine into the condition of thecriminals, whether they were well-educated or not; and hewas perfectly certain, that the well-educated would be found toform a very small proportion indeed of the criminals under ap-y prehension, and a smaller still of those under conviction. Butthe way in which this mistake had been committed was this, —that, in reference to this question, knowledge and education hadbeen too frequently confounded. It often happened, that whatwas taken for instruction and education, was merely the first steptowards it; and many persons were considered as educated, who,in reality, were possessed of nothing worthy the name of knowl-edge and instruction. Reading, writing, and accounts have,during the last thirty years, too often been held to imply educa-tion. A person possessed of these, may, indeed, have the meansof educating himself; but it does not, by any means, follow,that he will exercise these means.

“ It is too much to assume,” continued he, “ that, because inthe agricultural districts, where fewer means of education exist,crime is not so abundant as in the better educated and mostthickly populated manufacturing districts, therefore educationhas no influence in diminishing crime. No one ever said, thatreading meant instruction and education ; still less did any oneever say, that reading alone would produce the effects of instruc-tion. His noble friend (Lord Melbourne) who spoke last, andwho had spoken so eloquently, had entirely expressed his views.Knowledge is power, in whatever way it is used ; but whetherthat power will be available to virtue, depends on the kind ofeducation which may be given. If a people be educated withoutany regard to moral instruction , it is only putting instrumentsinto their hands , which they have every motive to misuse. Butit is asked, Why does not education put a stop to the commis-sion of crime ? Education certainly exercises a great influenceover the moral character ; but he never yet heard it asserted, thatknowledge (of itself) would alter the nature of the human being,or convert him into something of a higher or purer order than theordinary race of mortality.”