The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-09-10
TAGGING AND FLOGGING IN TIE
BRITISH SCHOOLS
wINcnEsTER COLLEGE.

'F5 .i,H 1asH4 ftEN.--H EN.
% WINCHESTER COLLEGE.
10 the Editor IF the Times: r
y . MANY public abuses have been removed
through your powerful interference; let me.
therefore, call your attention 10 the evils exist
ing AT Winchester College.
Z" am induced more especially 10 do so NJ
this time, because another boy IS now lying
dead. or dying oftyphus fever. within the walls
OF that establishment, produced, as is stated by
the medical men, from over exeriion Of mind
and body.'
"The boys here, unlike those OF any other
of our public schools, are not only subject 10
The rigid discipline of the masters for six months
together, without intermission, but the most
cruel tyranny is allowed 70 be exercised by the
elder over the younger students.
The Juniors. as they are called, are obliged
10 perform the most mental Offices Tor The pre-
tecIs--are made TO lag for them lar beyond
Their strength, and are frequently by Them most
cruelty beaten. e." +.
"The child to whom have alluded above
was compelled to fag out al cricket Tor some OF
these petty tyranls for six hours successfully,
in n scorching sun, and without a hat; and
this, no doubt. has been the exciting cause Of
his present suffering.
"lndeed, a system Of torture is carried on,
such as would not be allowed in union work
house or gaol, and this, too, with the know
ledge Of the authorities Of the place, who have
been frequently warned Of the consequences Of
their system but they seem determined to per
severe.
Few men are fit to be trusted with power =;
much less boys OF ID years Of age. II
81 trust some public inquiry will now take
place, and that parents will not be deprived of
the advantages arising from the rich endow-
menL .s "
"Your obedent servant,
"July27. HUMANlrAs."
FLoGGrNa AT sToNYHURsT COLLEGE.
To the Editor Of the Times: "
Sir: Being one Of the six youths alluded
to in the paragraph which appeared in the
Preston Chronicle, aud WHICH has been copied
in the Times of the 2S,h of july beg leave
to say that the whole statement is correct
Allow me TO give you faithful account Of the
treatment | have met with in this College of
the Jesuils. was called on, Of the play ground
by MIR. Clifford, a sub project, aud told TO go
10 the room of MI. Speakman, the head pre-
feet. On entering his room found the win
dow blinds down, and he Immediately locked
the door, He then desired ME to strip, 10 re
ceive discipline. ! asked him, for wha,2 He
answered, for cursipg. | requested TO know
who had heard me curse His reply was,
: Never mind, you know that you are guilty.
| acknowledged that ! had, on two or three
occasions, when provoked, said, Damn it,
but that was thu only term had used, aud |
defied any one to prove that had made use OF
any other term. Yon have,' said he, Eek
pressed yourself as hostile 10 the Jesuits.' [
again asked him who had heard me use any
offensive expressions against them; for was
not conscious OF having said anything that
could or ought TO give offence; but received
for answer, 'Neyer mind and was again
ordered 10 strip, and kneel down against a
chair PLACED in the middle Of the room, while
he adjusted the sleeves Of his cassock, in order
to use the cat more freely. lf bow wears
flannel, he is ordered 10 reinqve il, that the
force OF the oat may not be weakened he is
also made to bind his braces round his waist,
which was the case with me. The number oil
stripes received was upwards Of thirty
What have stated can be corrGbu,a,el b,
my five school fellows who suffered on ,ht
same day, and FOR no greater offence than Ii,
one ! have stated. We shall all remembe
Stony hurst College and the Jesuiis. .
" / enclose, sir, mvnspip anu address, fol
your private ,ntsrma,iop.
"a VICTIM"
The above letters, extracted from the London
Times, have given cause {says the Philadelphia
North Amercan) to some public excitement
as may be supposed, in England and We
think them worlhy Of republication. as illus
'ralins state Of things existing in Ihe Engi>l,
scminares, scarcely conceivable in the United
States, which will make American schoolboys
open their eyes-or, perhaps, contract them
with lrowns-and their parents shutlder. Thai
the children Of free born Britons should be
subjected 10 the degrading slavery Of the fag,
ging system and the tYIaany and brutality Of
the lash, in their public schools, and that toe
with the knowledge and consent Of their pa
rents. seems incredible. And the marvel i,
increased, when we renlemher that the treat.
menl IS not conaned 10 fule boys incapable o.
resistance, and scarcely aware OF the wrong
but 10 young men, possessing the feelings apd
the muscles of manhood. s",.a
The London Sun tells us that the six "yousa
genllemen' who had been subject to 9. the
brulaliziug and degrading punishment, of the
cat,o were :" not Of very juvenile years, but
that they were actually verging on manhood
and had long passed that period of existence
when personal chaslisement OF any description
is usually administered" Conceive of six
American schopIeys "verging or manhood
submitting patiently 10 the discipne-involv
ing actual corporal punishment reveng.
ing themselves by writing letters of complain,
TO the newspapers! We are very much afraid
that the accounts would be given in very
different way--describing results, too, of a
very different character. wv
Making every allowance for the embellish
ment and exaggeration with which statements
Of schoolhouse seventies are usually given, il
is very clear that the system of punishments
tolerated in the English seminaries, is one
which common sense and common humanity
require should be entirely put an end 10.
Flogging has been now almost abolished in
A IL.