Now, let us look at the condition and prospects of these tender children, who are to be submitted to this experiment of instruction without Christianity.  In the first place, they are orphans, have no parents to guide or instruct them in the way in which they should go, no father, no religious mother, to lead them to the pure fount of Christianity; they are orphans.  If they were only poor, there might be somebody bound by ties of human affection to look after their spiritual welfare; to see that they imbibed no erroneous opinions on the subject of religion; that they run into no excessive improprieties of belief as well as conduct.  The child would have its father or mother to teach it to lisp the name of its Creator in prayer, or hymn His praise.  But in this experimental school of instruction, if the orphans have any friends or connections able to look after their welfare, it shuts them out.  It is made the duty of the governors of the institution, on taking the child, so to make out the indentures of apprenticeship as to keep him from any after interference in his welfare on the part of guardians or relatives; to keep them from withdrawing him from the school, or interfering with his instruction whilst he is in the school, in any manner whatever.

The school or college is to be surrounded by high walls; there are to be two gates in these walls, and no more; they are to be of iron within, and iron bound or covered without; thus answering more to the description of a castle than a school-house.  The children are to be thus guarded for twelve years in this, I do not mean to say a prison, nor do I mean to say that this is exactly close confinement; but it is much closer confinement than ordinarily is met with, under the rules of any institution at present, and has a resemblance to the monastic institutions of past ages, rather than to any school for instruction at this period, at least in this country.

All this is to be within one great enclosure; all that is done for the bodily or mental welfare of the child is to be done within this great wall.  It has been said that the children could attend public worship elsewhere.  Where is the proof of this?  There is no such provision in the devise; there is nothing said about it in any part of Mr. Girard’s will; and I shall show presently that any such thing would be just as adverse to Mr. Girard’s whole scheme, as it would be that the doctrines of Christianity should be preached within the walls of the college.

These children, then, are taken before they know the alphabet.  They are kept till the period of early manhood, and then sent out into the world to enter upon its business and affairs.  By this time the character will have been stamped.  For if there is any truth in the Bible, if there is any truth in those oracles which soar above all human authority, or if any thing be established as a general fact, by the experience of mankind, in this first third of human life the character is formed.  And what sort of a character is likely to be made by this process, this experimental system of instruction?