To John Hirst   9th Mar. 1848

9^th Mar. 1848.

My Dear Sons,

Your last two letters¹ caused me no small exhilaration of soul – I am rejoiced to hear that you are delving into those brains of yours,² you will find there a richer product than is yielded by either the mines of Low Moor or the quarries of Southowram³ – of Tom I never had much fear, but of Jemmy⁴ my hopes often sunk to zero – they are now I confess rising and that more on account of his reading than of his republicanism⁵ – you did wisely in joining the Mechanics Institute,⁶ but let me still keep this as a frontlet before your eyes, that a connexion with a literary Society is valueless if it do not prompt to individual exertion – appropos subject of discussion ‘Individual Competition as opposed to Co-operation’ the last may be good – the first cant – England however may melt into one wide cooperative league but it will prove a stagnant pool if individual culture be unheeded –

Jemmy cant make his epistle egotistical by letting me know what he is doing. I am much pleased to find that he has attacked Euclid.⁷ how far has he got, and what time does he lay out for the completion of the l^st 6 books?⁸

I should like very much to receive a brief abstract of the amount of information he has derived from Joyce⁹ –

I know of no method so good as devoting with firm purpose a portion of each day to your studies you are sure to get along even though the time you study may be short. I am sometimes struck by the bulk to which my short Journal entries¹⁰ have swelled, simply because they were regularly made –

Jemmy asks me for a subject for an essay, this I shall not attempt to give – I would advise him to choose one which is embraced by his own feelings, it would be far better if he would look into his own spirit for a subject than if he could commit all Howitt’s articles¹¹ to memory

The subject of capital punishment I dont like, it is so hackneyed and such a load of twaddle has been heaped upon it – the question I conceive can only occur in two lights 1^st is it just? 2^nd Is it useful the 1^st is of course the true standard and if W^m Howitt¹² be able to prove the negative he has more brains than I gave him credit for.

Neither can I see the great utility likely to flow from the discontinuance of hanging –at all events I believe that utility to be utterly disproportionate to the fuss kicked up about the matter. There is great danger of kind hearted generous young men being led away by this tinfoil liberality – the only check I see to this is for them to seek knowledge from themselves and not from others – to take the trouble to form their own opinions which on many subjects must be a work of time and patience. Could not Jemmy take a subject within his scope, for instance the school and the office – the student and the apprentice, and give his hearers a little of his own fresh feeling upon the matter? – And here I set down a parting word for Jemmy – dont let me lead you away – if your opinions be different from mine let your own be your guide and not mine – If you think Howitts articles good pursue the subject by all means –

I respect that feeling on the part of Booth¹³ though he certainly has relinquished great advantages –

I care very little for such a movement as the French revolution only so far as it is indicative of the popular current beneath – as an end it would be pitiful – as a means it may be great – the provisional Government are however about to grapple with some terrible questions. they guarantee employment to the workman, if they can solve this question they will deserve eternal honour – I dont like their motto, liberty and equality¹⁴ – as long as society is composed of such heterogeneous particles, we shall now and then want some vigorous heel to trample it into order – but I have spun myself too far

Good bye & believe me | Sincerely yours | J Tyndall

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