Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-10-30
miscellaneous
ADMISSION OF WOMEN TO COLLEGES.

cation OF young ladies OF Michigan Ter ADMISSION
as students in the State University, have reported
that at present it is inexpedient to introduce the
change into the University. In coming to q CON
elusion, they have sought to collect facts and opin'
ions from many sources, such ms would command
resnee, and exercise a beautiful influence upon
public sentiment. They accordingly wrote 10 ihe
Presidents of Harvard, Yale, Union and other Coll
leres. to several eminent politicians and ministers,
and to the officers of educational associations.
Horace Mann, President of Antioch College,
where both sexes arc admitted, writes
II have long been in favor Of the joint education
Of the sexes LIST. Because woman has as good q
right to an education as q man--even better IL on
ly one Of them could be educated.
"2d. Because both can be educated together, not
more cheaply, but much better than either Of them
can be apart. The adVan
tages of a joint education are rery great. The dan
gers Of it are terrible. Unless those dangers can
be excluded with a degree of probability amount,
ing almost to a certainty, l must say that should
rather forego the advantages than incur the dan
gers.
"These dangers consist in their opportunities for
associating together tcithout supervision, or prtrate'
~. If these dangers cannot be excluded, | would
not with all my Partially in favor OF the Object
incur the risks. If, for instance, they must be per
.nit,ed in a oity like yours to board promiscuously
among the inhabitants, | should prefer that the
young women of the age should lose the sdvanta,
ges of an education rather than incur the moral
danger of obtaining it in that way.
Strongly, therefore, as | am in favor of joint educa-
ton of the sexes, | should first demand what secu-
rity can be furnished for moral protectionf And
until this question should be satisfactorily answer
ed l should not dare vote in favor of my own side
of the question. The system works
we'll here, and there are great advantages in it. l
ought not to say this, however, without adding
that very serious dangers must attend the introduce
ton of such a system.
@. G.. Finney, President OF Oberlin College,
where all are admitted, says the results there are
quite satisfactory.
At a meeting of the michigan State Teachers
Association" held at Ann Arbor, in April, 1855, o
report was presented to Professor Putnam, of Hal.
amazoo, in favor of the co.education of the sexes
The subject was discussed by teachers of both sex.
es, and the following resolution was adopted by
the Association
Resolved, That il is the opinion Of this Aesoci-
alton that the coreducation of the sexes is in accor'
dance with the true philosophy, and is particularly
expedient."
This is all the testimony which is presented in
favor of distur bling the present system. 1t is vast
ly overborn by that upon the other side.
As the question before them was a new one, and
had never before been formally presented for the
deliberative consideration of q College Board o
Trustees, or of a University Board Of Regents
their action has considerable Importance as a precs
dent. especially as they expressly exclude any cor
nection between the application of these young la
dies and the political and social movements know
as Woman's Rights and Free Love.
The question was opened by the recommends
ton Of the State Superintendent of Public lnstruc
tion, in his published report, that women shoul
be admitted to all the privileges of the University
and claiming that they were legally included Il
che word persons in the statutary provision 70
Its foundation.
The opinions Of the Presidents Of the principa
Colleges were given as follows:
President Hopkins, of Williams College, write
that it is his impression:
"That the advantages of our higher institution
for young men might be shared by young wOme
to a great extent, with great advantage to BOTH
Probably the curse of study should not be tn
same throughout. The difcu
ty would be social. NJ
impression is that you might try the experimer
safely, and | hope you will do So"
Chancellor Frelinghuysen writes;
The proposed admission to the ordinary collee
classes of your State University Of twelve your
ladies as students, does not strike my mind favor
bly, either for the ladies or the University. !
propriety is very questionable, and its probah
effec, upon the interests and reputation ofthe Or
versity | should fear. If necessity required su,
a step for female education, / should regard it as
sad exigency, but when the wives and mothers a,
daughters of our land have at all times found
struction clearly as useful and hopeful as amol
any other people, why should we do u ythiEg
impair or obscure shat line of distinction betwe
the sexes,ewhich keeps alive q refined and retiri
delicacy in woman, of sacred influence, and viii
is. in very truth ,!under God, one of her best sd
guardsi
DR.. Mott of Union College, writes:
"The question is one of very grave interest, a
may not be lightly decided. or rather, the sat
having ben already decided by the common conse
of mankind, that decision may not be hastily
lightly reversed.
at is not easy to see how appliances for the pl
ductiOn of such opposite results can be furnish
by the same agencies, at the same time and in t
same place, Nor is it easy to see how young, 81
~csptible and inexperienced individuals of difere
sexes can be daily brought into familiar intercour.
and subjected to such common appliances in t
absence of parental supervision, without endang,
ing alike their virtue and their happiness"
In a previous letter he writes that he should Ii
to see the experiment tried under proper resu
tions.
Prest. Walker. of Harvard University says thu
Is an immense preponderance of enlightened p,
lie opinion against the experiment., in which op
ion he entirely concurs.
Prest. WOolsey, of Yale, writes that he is ave,