there was an alarming tendency in this town to a similar confusion of sexes. As the season is fast approaching, when this epidemick may probably revive, I had prepared a few words of caution as to prevention and remedy, but on further reflection there seems to be another mischief, which, as it lies deeper, and threatens more serious consequences, ought to be first attended to. This is no less than a league between our late philosophick president and his countrywomen to effect an incorporation and consolidation of the people of the United States with their Indian brethren. That such a plot is actually in existence, no one can at present entertain the slightest doubt; as it was without ceremony avowed in that philosopher's message at the opening of the last congress, in which he submitted to their consideration the propriety of admitting Indian representatives as a part of their body. I have sometimes thought, that certain circumstances would imply his intention to extend the plan of union not only to the Indians, but to our African brothers and sisters now dwelling in this country. However this may be, there can be no doubt on the other head; and since the ladies have joined with the president, we may well say, "Jungentur jam gryphes equis; aevoque sequenti Being a great speculator în causes and effects, and such philosophical matters, our philosopher no doubt perceived at first glance, that the best method of bringing about a union was to produce, in the first place, a similarity of customs, manners, and dresses. Here then we see the developement of a mystery, that has for a long time puzzled thinking men, even unto a derangement of their intellects. What could be the reason, why, in these cold northerly climates, where the sun scarcely peeps over the roofs of our houses from September to April, that female dresses have for a long time been gradually becoming thinner and thinner, till in many cases they have first become transparent, and then vanished. The reason is no other than an excess of complaisance on the part of the ladies in conforming themselves to the customs of the Chippawaws and Cherokees, who think themselves, "when unadorned, adorned the most." Thus being free from every sinister design in denuding themselves, they feel the innocence of our first parents, and like them are not ashamed, So pass they naked on, nor fear the sight No, I venture to affirm, that any thing like a symptom of shame on this account never transpired through the covering of a lady's cheek. As the influence of the mover of this scheme is as great among his red as his white subjects, no doubt there have been equal changes among the former as the latter. I have endeavoured to obtain accounts of the present state of dress among the inhabitants of the western waters, but after a painful search have received but little satisfaction; I have received information, that, with a view of conforming to the prevailing love of spangles, they have employed an agent to collect a large quantity of four-pence-half-penny pieces with holes in them; and an intelligent traveller says he saw a beautiful Osage dressed in a gown of muslin or picnick made of interwoven slips of birch bark and cane. There has long been a striking uniformity in one respect between the natives and European settlers, which perhaps first suggested the idea of a union. I mean the custom of painting the skin. There is indeed a slight difference in the mode of application. The natives diversify their faces, and even their whole bodies, with different colours and figures. Our ladies have hitherto confined themselves to the use of two colours, and the application of them to the face and neck only. But the custom of the natives must be considered as far superiour to our own in variety and effect, and will probably in the sequel obtain a decisive preference. The face of a fashionable lady will then exhibit as great a variety of figures as the mounting of a French fan; and the physiognomy will derive a great increase of significance. We may suppose that a young female of a sentimental and romantick turn will paint with Cupids, darts, flames and arrows, green fields and flowers, and a more practised belle would prefer plumes and shoulder knots; in fact this invention might supply the purposes of intrigue and assignation; a posy on a lady's cheek might indicate an appointment with her lover, and her lip might contain an invitation to press his suit. Persons of reflection will immediately perceive the connection of this secret conspiracy (the developement of which I consider as equally meritorious with the labours of Abbé Barruel and Robinson, or Titus Oates) with the visit made by several Indian emissaries to this town in the winter of 1807-8. They may also possibly recollect, with sensations of terrour that at the time they did not feel, the attention that was paid to them by their wives and daughters. Tea parties were considered as lifeless, without the presence of the agreeable Osages; the managers of the theatre were necessitated, for the support of their credit, to engage these universal geniuses for several nights; and the keeper of the Columbian Musexim, so fascinating was their appearance, found it profitable to bribe them to take a place amongst his wax-works and stuffed hedgehogs. A taste for their language and its kindred dialects began to gain ground, and a learned and ingenious lady of my acquaintance, who was previously making great progress in French and Italian, informed me that she had relinquished them, and was become a proficient in the Chactaw, or as it is sometimes pronounced, the jackdaw dialect; and observed that this was prevalent among her female acquaintance. Meantime, the threatened change began to appear in a great fondness for red shawls or blankets, feathers of various kinds and shapes, beads and spangles; and I am at no loss to assert, that it would have then gone much farther, had not these emissaries been summoned to attend their great father's council fire at Washington. They left the vicinity, but they left the root of their principles behind them. This developement and discovery will, I trust, be a sufficient check to the progress of the conspiracy; but lest this should not be the case, I would suggest a few prudential considerations for the use of its enthusiastick partisans. It is well known that the natives, in their treatment of the "fair sex," are greatly different from our modes of thinking and practice. Will the ladies of New England be willing to assume with new habits, new employments also? They have indeed shown, that they are not unwilling to exercise some laborious offices; but though they might not object to be grooms and jockies to their favourite ponies, will they be anxious to grasp the sword and the pen? Can they surrender hyson and bohea for maize and homony? Is it possible that any arts could prevail apon them to exchange the graceful waltz for the war dance or the death song ? No, I am convinced that they have more taste for the arts, and more love for the enjoyments of life. As the first means then toward showing that repentance which they cannot but feel for having embarked in this enterprise, let them retrace the steps they have taken, and resume the petticoats they have thrown away; let them wash off the filthy dies that disfigure their cheeks, and let them once more bloom with their native roses. The The Remarker is now stricken in age; the vigour of his youth is faded, and the locks on his brow are strowed with silver. He remembers the time, it was in the days of his youth, when the men were all brave, and the women were all lovely and virtuous.* manners of his country, though they had not the splendour of the age of chivalry, were marked with all its sincerity, and all its simplicity. It was at that time that the ministers of religion pointed to heaven, and led the way with no other arts but fervent and exemplary devotion; at that time, the politician wrapped himself in the mantle of pure love of country, forgetful of himself; then too he well remembers there was now and then one that had courage enough to neglect more prudential pursuits, and steal a few hours for the culture of the sacred Muses; and he was not for that thought more unworthy of the general eye; but the days of poetry, and inspiration, and friendship, remain no more, or if in any case, it is rather to furnish an exception than a rule. Those days the Remarker can scarcely expect to restore, happy if his influence should induce a semblance where the reality is wanting, and persuade his fair readers to "assume a virtue, if they have it not." ga Χρυσείοι παλαι ανδρες, εκ' αντεφίλησ ̓ ὁ φιληθείς. THEOC. Id. xi. v. 15. FOR THE ANTHOLOGY. OBSERVATIONS ON LANCASTER'S SYSTEM OF EDUCATION. ALTHOUGH education has been for ages a subject of discussion, yet it is only of late years that the extension of its benefits to the poorer classes of society has been matter of controversy in England. The disciples of the new school have been anxious to extend its influence to every individual in the community; while the supporters of government, seeing the dreadful consequences which have ensued from some of the wild theories of the same sect, have been deaf to their arguments, and opposed to every attempt to instruct the poor. But while each party was defending its own views of the subject, an important revolution has been proceeding silently in its course. Its effects have not hitherto been very apparent; but the situation of a country must become greatly changed, when a large majority of its inhabitants shall be converted from mere beasts of burden into rational creatures, capable of receiving knowledge. Although the friends to the education of the poor had been extremely industrious, and it had become fashionable for ladies to patronise Sunday and other charitable schools; yet, under the old mode of instruction, they necessarily proceeded slowly; and the numbers, who thus received the benefit of instruction, bore but a small proportion to the whole community. The new system, lately introduced by Mr. Lancaster, is so extensive in its operation, that it will soon try the experiment; and will fully prove, we hope, to the present generation, that a people are neither less moral nor less obedient for possessing the knowledge of their duties and relations to society. It is the object of the present paper to give a short account of this interesting institution, of which we have seen no notice in any American publication.* Mr. Lancaster, the author, belongs to the sect of christians denominated quakers; a sect, which, if they may ever excite a smile by their peculiarities, will always, by their active and extensive benevolence, command the highest respect. In the year 1798 he opened a school for instructing children in the first elements of learning, at the low price of four pence per week, and received gratis those, who were unable to pay that sum. But the number of free scholars increased so greatly, that he found he should soon be obliged either to refuse these candidates, or to adopt some new plan, by which he might educate greater numbers at the same expense. His benevolence prompted him to the latter expedient; and although a great part of the experiments that he tried resulted only in expense and disappointment, yet he so far succeeded as to form *Since writing the above, we have heard that a school has been opened upon this plan at New York, but with what success we cannot learn. the system he has given to the world, which for economy and comprehensiveness stands unrivalled. In June, 1801, our author established his free school, to be supported by subscription. One guinea per ann. was to be allowed for every scholar, fifteen shillings of which was charged for tuition, and the other six for books, rewards, &c. An exact account is given of the expenditure of each year. That for 1803-4 we shall insert, as it gives a favourable impression of the institution. "Education 12 months for 212 boys, at 15s. each boy Several excursions, with 180 boys to Clapham, 450 to the Green Sundries for the encouragement of the children, as gingerbread, Weekly rewards for the monitors, who teach the several classes, 25,000 pinions, at 78. 6d. per 1000 varying from 1d. to 6d. according to their stations Sundries, as inkstands, nails, pencils, &c. Several thousand toys, as bats, balls, kites, &c. &c. L. 8. d. 159 11 9 5 4 15 59205 16 6090 60 10 0 year Our author informs us, that, besides the above two hundred and twelve boys, which he charged to the publick, he educated this from three hundred to five hundred scholars at his own expense, and a number at half price. In 1806, the date of the publication, his scholars amounted to seven hundred, to be increased the following year to one thousand, whom he undertakes to educate for 3001. per annum, equal to $1 38 cts. for each boy. He was likewise raising subscriptions for increasing the girls' school, under the direction of his sisters, to the number of three hundred. "Ac From the expenses of his institution, Mr. Lancaster passes to its principles. "The predominant feature," he says, "in the youthful disposition, is an almost irresistible propensity to action.' tive youths, when treated as cyphers, will generally shew their consequence by exercising themselves in mischief." "This liveliness should never be repressed, but diverted to useful ends; and I have. ever found the surest way to cure a mischievous boy was to make him a monitor." "From successfully cultivating the affections, and studying the dispositions of my senior lads, it is," he again observes, "that I have been able to turn the public spirit of youths in my institution against vice and profaneness." "The whole school is arranged in classes; a monitor is appointed to each, who is responsible for the cleanliness, order, and improvement of every boy in it. He is assisted by other boys, who perform part of his duties, when the number is more than he can manage himself. The proportion of boys who teach either in reading, writing, or arithmetic, is one to ten." The monitors for the lower classes are taken from those immediately above, but for the upper they belong to the same classes that they instruct; for it requires nothing more by this plan than to read in order to be able to teach others. The first class consists of those who are to learn their alphabet. The boys of this class sit before desks, covered with dry sand, on which they are to print the letters at the word of command given o g |