The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-02-05
Free Academy Tor Females.


since the l4th of November last, report of Sc
lect committee Of their body consisting Of Robert
Kelly, Edward B. Fellows, Erastus c. Benedict,
James Cruikshank, and Timothy DAILY, appointed
TO inquire into the proprety and expedency Of es-
tablishing female Free Academy. The Com
mttee unanimously came to a conclusion in favor
of establishing the institution proposed But the
Board never took any decisive action on the report
TIL Wednesday evening, when they passed reso-
luton adopting it. This academy is to be the
counterpart OF the male academy, though the
course Of education will not be precisely the same.
The principles having been settled, the details will
be the subject OF more mature deliberauon. twill
he, in fact, high school, where higher grade OF
tree education may be acquired than is accessible
in he Common Schools, and such as is adapted to
the capacity and quality of the female mind, or TO
the pursuits in life in which the pupils may here
after be engaged.
The report is well written, able document,
and fairly states the objections against the instiu
ton and satisfactorily dlsposes of them; though
there are some points in which we cannot agree
with the gentlemen who drew II up. They appear
to us to Or somewhat carried away by their Excess
sve zeal for their hobby, and led into positions at
variance with the nature OF woman and her rela-
ton to man The report more than verges on
the IDEA Of the ply steal and mental equality of
the female, and her consequent right to perfect
social and political equality 1t suggests the pos
sibity of practically realizing this perfection, and
lays down the principle, that IN proportion as a
nation approxlnHtes to It, so high does II stand in
the scale Of civilization. Now, it will be found
that truth in this as in most other cases lies be-
tween The extremes There is a manifest differ
ence, both in body and mind, between the male
and female III mankind. This difference has been
recognised and acted upon more or less IN all ma
lions and for all generations There must, there
fore, be for II laid deep the foundations
Of human nature, and every attempt to overturn or
dsturb those natural laws can only end IN failure.
II the principle coDtended for be sound, it will
suit, when pushed TO It's legitimate consequences,
| in the election, some fine day, of female Presi-
dent If The United States, female Senators, fe-
male Mayor, II female General, female Captain,
and, IN fact, female everything.
Now, This is length to which one but some
Utopian socialist ar Fourierite visionary would be
disposed TO go, and the fair sex themselves shrink
back from The very idea, as incompatible with
the lr softer, geDiler nature. Yet to this goal do
some Of the arguments in the report inevitably
| lend ; and We have seen, the other day, open
avowal OF those doctrines by political Of fa-
natics in Massachus. It's.
| The main arguments, however, in the report, IN
| favor OF the new academy, are Just and true. One
OF them Is expressed in the following words -
"Tbe elevation OF female education will tell wonder
fully upon The i'm prov-mrpt OF the other sex They
viii riv- let To BE- left behind In intellectual race
IL viii be productive Of good fruits and not of evil
fruits In The marriage relation The cultivation Of
IL. s'mss Is far more important towards the elevation
Of The family " they should become blessed with
4 SAlf h. sdngaf nnff haFn rha
cui,st.a poser If n. female mind furnish too, the
channel by which moral and religious truth Is infused
into th- minds and hearts of children The heart
cannot close is.f sgSinst these teachings mothers
love viii unlock the portal where power Of eoquence
or ~ argument could force entrance The lessons
parted In early childhood the most precious and
tn. moot ssipg Of all Iessons The expansion Of the
diciour AND int-s.ut mother Is II value
instances often shown ~bsre men, ~ho become
highly distnguisbeo attribute their DO
prsrs OF = m'tb-r'r character and the effect Of Q
n.thsrs Teaching It 10 by some recorded . gene
RAJ rule that great are the children Of remarkable
mottersn
This is equally beautiful and true, and assigns
to lovely woman ner tree position :" help meet
for man" Those who would place her in any
other relsiiou--ithsr in The degraded rank Of a
slave To the male, or elevate her above the sphere
Gsd and Nature have ordained for her, would
violate the laws II creation, and make woman her
self unhappy as We. as man The argument that
women often 70, nd posse ssed of masculine
MINDS, and sometimes OF a physical appearance
superior IN strength To some OF the other SEX does
not all, CT The question for these are excep
tons TO the general rule. Nor does the fact that
the msJony of women possess some mental facul-
TIES In a higher degree than man, such as quick
perception, nvshdate The other tact, that the intel
l,ctual cabre of tne man is supe ror IN the MAN,
HE Judgment sounaer, and his reasoning powers
stronger than those of the woman. The secret of
w.msn's Influence IL moi In her strength, but in
her beauty, her geutl,Hsss aud love and that a
higher degree oi education thsn the mass of women
have yea acces, to, wuulo contribute ~ the mutual
happiness Ut hotn ssxrr. have not the slightest
doubt. IL " not proper, as the report Justly Oh.
serves. 10 srrpm- that The education Of a young
w'psD nlust necessarily b- the same IN all respects
NJ that ~ Yong man, having precisely the same
range. stretching over thorough rceHti1c course,
WIN .ipiicoton 10 The arts. or directed TO the
businoss IL the world tn the pfactic~ Of learned
profession. Nor is Al proper To assume, on the
other fand<that any education tor females above
Tho range ~ ,oinin"n school studies must be
mere gArnitUr' ~ ACCOMPLISHMENTS. serving, like
garland "a flowers. to b. placed uyon the head Of
lOuih snd beauty, hnt soon To fade. 10 wither, to
lcs, lie tfagfsnce aud then 10 h. cast away This
botton prevails uubspp,l, Nrry extensively, and the
bet female eo0caiIon ,,artnk.s too much of the
am ot temporary dir,l'y Elegant accomplish
ma nis are not Ia be .pl.ed. nut not be ac-
qulrrd al the sscritc. OF tfur m-nial cultivation
The mpouauc. ~ such an Institution IN tram |
ng highef cl.ss ~ i,maie TEACHERS Tor our cux-
mon schools. esn hardly b. o,rrfsied Tue low
att rnIt ute 81 the majority of the present teach
ers hsN, been the sub ret ~ frequent comment IN
the annual feiuit-. aud ~ ~ huped that N i'm.
pfoyeuent W be Effected through the instrument
iaip oi the ismal, academy The report OBJ.
sstNrs, ian Argument r. iurgishsd by the want al
pf,seut, 1T pfol-f Insti'puos to educate females
g. bs tacheu Tnsy are now Ia great extent
the TEACHER IN "uf common schools All the
Teachers IN the W mary departments, all IN the
female departments, snd fully half ~ those in the
nele departments. are females Il il exceedingly
desirable that they should have this province as
sgusd To- them Tb.y are bs nature fitted TO be
IT., teachers of childien They have a peculiar
moral aud intellectual aptitude tor dealing with
you htui minds p" Again, "the establishment of
a higher female summary ~ necessary 10 complete
~, system. II presents m tr actual state a want
~ symmetry sud uniformity Osr half of the