Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-06-25
Female Rducation.

Female Kducat1On. 60"
A woman Of accomplishment may entertain
those who have the pleasure of knowing her
for half an hour with great brilliancy; but a
mind full ofideas, and with that elastic spring
which the love of knowledge only can convey,
is perpetual source Of exhilaration and an-
usement to all that come within his reach not
collecting its force into single and insulated
achievements, like the efforts made in the line
arts, but difusing, equally over the whole OF
existence, a calm pleasure better loved as 1t
is longer felt, and suitable to every variety and
every period of life. Therefore, instead Of
hanging the understanding of a woman upon
| walls, or hearing it vibrate upon strings-in
stead of seeing it in clouds, or hearing it in
the wind, we would make it the first spring
and ornament of society, by enriching it with
attainments upon which along such power de-
pends. .-,...-
If the education of women were improved,
the education of men would be improved also.
Let any one consider Tin order to bring the
matter more home by an individual instance)
of what more immense Importance to society
it is whether a nobleman Of first-rate fortune
and distinction is well or ill-brought up
what taste and fashion he may inspire for
private and for political vice and what mis-
try and nischefhe may produce to the thou
sand human beings who are dependant on
him A country contains no such curse
within its bosom. Youth, wealth. high rank,
and vice, form combination which battles
all remonstrance and beats down all opposi-
ton. A man Of high rank, who combines
these qualifications for corruption, is almost
the master of the manners of the age, and
has the public happiness within his grasp
But the most beautiful possession which
country can have is a noble and rich man
who loves all knowledge who, without be-
ing feeble or fanatical, is pious; and who,
without being factiOus, is firm and independ-
ent :; who in his political life, is an equitable
mediator between kind and people and, in
his civil lite, firm promoter of all which can
shed \ luster upon his country, or promote
the peace and order of the world. But, If
these objects are of of the Importance which
we attribute to them, the education of wo-
men must be important, as the formation of
character for the first seven or eight years
of life seems to depend almost entirely upon
them.
1t is certainly in the power of sensible
and well educated mother to inspire, within
that period, such tastes and propensities as
shall nearly decide the destiny of the future
tional exertions of the mother, out by the
gradual and iasensble imitation of the child
for there is something extremely contagious in
greatness and rectitude of thinking, even at
that age and the character Of the mother,
with whom he passes his earliest infancy, is
always an event Of the utmost Importance to
the child. A merely accomplished woman
cannot iniuse her tastes into the minds of her
sons and, if she could, nothing could he
more unfortunate than her success.
Besides, when her accomplishments are
given up, she has nothing left for it but to
amuse herself i'll the best way she can and,
becoming entirely frivolous, either declines
at,gether the fatigue of attending to her chill
ren, or, attending to them, has neither tai
ents nor knowledge to succeed and, there
fore, here is a plain and fair answer to those
Sho ask so triumphantly Why should u
woman dedicate herself to this branch Of
knowledge or, why should she be attached
10 such science? Because, by having gain
ed information on these points, she may in
spire her son with valuable tastes, which may
abide by him through life, anu carry him up
to all the sublimities of knowledge because
she cannot lay the foundation of great char
acter if she absorbed in frivolous amusements,
nor inspire her child with noble desires when
a long course of trihng has destroyed the
little talents which were left by bad educa-
tiOn
1t is Of great Importance to a country that
there should be as many understandings as
possible actively employed within it,. Man
kind are much happier for the discovery of
barometers, thermometers, steam engines and
all the innumerable inventions in the arts and
sciences. We are every day and every hour
reaping the benefit Of such talent and ingenu-
ity. The same observation is true Of such
works as those of Dryden, Pope, Milton, and
Shakespeare. Mankind are made happier
that such individuals have lived and written;
| they add every day to the stock of public
enjoyment, and perpetualIy gladden. and en-
bellish life. Now the number of those who
exercise their understandings to any good
purpose is exactly in proportion to those who
exercise at all but as the matter stands
at present, half the talent in the universe
runs to waste, and it is totally unprofita-
bic.
L would have been almost as well for the
world hitherto, that women, instead of pos
sessing the capacities they do at present,
should have been born wholly destitute of
| wit genius and every other attribute of mind
| of which men maize SC e.nlnenC a use and
| the ideas of use and possession are so unit
ed together that, because it has been the
custom in almost all countries to give women
a different and worse education than to men,
the notion has obtained that they do not pos
sess faculties which they do not cultivate
just, as in breaking up common 1t Is some
times very difficult to make the poor believe
it will carry corn, merely because they have
been hitherto accustomed to see it produce
nothing but weeds and grass-they very ma
turally mistake present condition for general
nature. So completely have the talents Of
| women been kept down, that there is scarcely
a single work, either of reason or imagination
written by woman, which is in general cir
culation, either in the French, or Italian lit
erature scarcely one that has crept evn in
to the ranks of our minor poets.
If the possession OF excellent talents is not
as conclusive reason why they should be I'm
proved, it at least amounts to a very strong
presumption and, If 1t can be shown that
women may be trained to reason and imag-
inc as well as men, the strongest reasons are
certainly necessary to show US why we should
not avail ourselves of such rich gifts of ma
ture, and we have no right to cali for clear
statement OF those perils which make it me-
cessary that such talsnt should be totally ex-
tinguishcd OF, at most very partially extinguiSh-
The burden of proof does not lie with those
who say, increase the quantity of talent in
any country as much as possible-for such
proposition is in conformity with every man s
feelings; but it lies with those who say
Take care to keep that understanding weak
and trifmg winch nature has made capable oi
becoming strong and powerful ID.
The paradox with them, not with us. Ir
all human reasoning, knowledge must be ta
ken for good, till it can be shown to bs Al
evil. But now. Nature makes to Us rich and
magnificent presents !; and we say to her.
Yoa are too luxuriant and magnificent we
ourselves must expose them to narcotic pro
cess, and educate away that iaial redundanc
with which the world is ftilcted and the Or
order of sublunary things deranged.-Sidne