PREFACE.
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BEING desirous of exerting the humble abilities God has given us towards procuring for our brethren equality of political rights, and placing them in such a social condition as shall best develop and preserve all their faculties, physical, moral, and intellectual, we have presumed to put forth the following pages for their consideration, containing our opinions of the best means of accomplishing those important objects.  Believing that the proposed act of parliament, entitled "The People's Charter," is calculated to secure to all classes of society their just share of political power, and forming one of the most important steps to all social improvement, we are desirous of seeing the energies of all peacefully concentrated to cause that measure to be enacted as one of the laws of our country.  Unhappily, the conflicting opinions entertained by some portion of the working-classes regarding the means of accomplishing that object have hitherto greatly retarded it; but we trust that experience, the great teacher of mankind, has led them to perceive that no other means are likely to be so effective as a peaceful combination of the millions, founding their hopes on the might and influence of intellectual and moral progress.  Our feelings, at least, being in favour of such a description of organization, have induced us to set forth the advantages it would possess;—first, in causing great numbers to join us who are politically indifferent, or entertain erroneous notions respecting the objects and intentions of "the Chartists;" and, second, of the mode of perfecting that union when formed, and preparing our brethren to enjoy all the social advantages of the political power they are now seeking to obtain.  The reflecting portion of our brethren are beginning to perceive the great necessity for this intellectual and moral preparation;―not as set forth by those "educationists" who seek to spread their own exclusive or sectarian notions, or by those who seek to train up the youthful mind of our country to be submissive admirers of "things as they are;" but for establishing such a just and extensive system of education as shall ere long make our country intellectually great, politically free, and socially happy.  Various propositions have been made at different times for educating the whole people, none of which have been, nor deserve to be, adopted, on account of their exclusive or sectarian character.  There is also so much evil to be apprehended from placing the education of our children in the hands of any government, especially of an irresponsible one, that it becomes one of the most important duties of the working and middle classes, to take the subject into their own hands, and to establish a just and liberal system of education, lest the power of educating their own children be taken from them by the arbitrary act of a corrupt and exclusive government.  If, therefore, we should succeed in arousing the attention of the millions to the great importance of the subjects treated of in this pamphlet, we think we shall not have suffered twelve months' imprisonment in vain.