American Telegraph

PARENTS AND CHILDREN.

An aged citizen called at our office this morning, and said he thought we could render a good service to this city by admonishing parents and children of the evil tendencies of the loose conduct of the latter; and he related to us some instances of immorality and wickedness practised no doubt by the children of persons who would not credit the truthful narrative, were it communicated to them. We told him we would make his information and remarks the subject of a leading article in our paper; but the fulfilment of this promise is now rendered unnecessary: for we quote from the Baltimore Sun a story that will surely do more toward opening the eyes of all to the iniquitous and depraved tendencies of false parental indulgence than could any thing we could possibly say on the subject. A little boy, not six years old, has been cruelly murdered by boys probably not twice his own age! Incredible as this may appear, we fear it is but too true.

But we have another truth to add to this. It is that in the streets of Washington there are now many little boys quite prepared to do as bad a deed as has been committed in Baltimore. They are always ready to swear, to fight, and to throw stones, in the most vindictive manner; and, when doing these things, are incapable of defining the point at which their wicked practices are to stop.

Parents who would be faithful to their offspring are as imperatively required to control and subdue such propensities as to provide them with food and clothing, and they who fail to do so have a fearful responsibility resting upon them.

The narrative we quote cannot be read by any man or woman possessing the least sensibility without the emotions of both pity and indignation: and we earnestly beseech all, in view of this melancholy admonition, to resolve upon a better course of conduct for the future, and to prevent, as far as it is possible to do so, the indiscriminate association in the streets of our city of children who are too young to be fortified against the malign influences of such association.