The national Republican., 1866-12-01
whipping i'm Schools Testimony Of
% DR.. Wyman, and Prom. Agassis
and Washburn. ,g
From tho Boston Conmsfcil

From tho Boston Conmsscial, Nov. 27.l ID
The woman-whipping school case, which
has reflected SO much disgrace directly upon
Cambridge and indirectly upon Massachu-
setts, Is likely to result in good, after all, in
the adoption Of rule forbidding corporeal
punishment in the Cambridge schools, and
BY vote Of the citizens condemning the
shameful proceeding Of the school commit
tee which justified tho brutality of the
woman-whipping master and his female sc-i
complice. At meeting Of the Republicans
Of Cambridge, last evening, to nominate ON
GERS for the ensuing municipal year, DR..
.Wyman introduced : resolution declaring
that, in the opinion Of the meeting, corporal
the schools. Mayor Merrill opposed the res
olution on the ground that il would look like
o rebuke to the school committee. He depre-
Gated the idea Of changing the board; he de-
Tended their action. He did not think the
conduct OF the master judicious, but he
though the master had only done his duty.
1t appeared by the explanation Of Mr.. Fos-
ter, father Of the girl who was whipped, that
Mayor Merrill was the man who voted
against public hearing before the school
committee. ,.....I N
DR.. Wyman, in advocating the resolution,
spoke Of the schools Of Prussia as having
abolished corporeal punishment for more than
twenty-five years, with beneficial results, and
he thought the plan ought to be adopted
here. He spoke OF the peculiar physiological
development Of the female sex as being to-
tally at variance with the law Of force. They
required the law of.love to govern them.
The code Of morals was far more effective
than physical force. -i sis-a,s,fga ga.r.. ID, t5,
Mr.. John N. Barbour, an old anti-slsvery
man, fully justified the whipping OF white
school girls, and the action Of the schoolcom
mittee on the subject But at this point in
the meeting, Prof. Agassiz stepped forward
and gave his opinion upon the whipping Of
scholars. He said be had been o citizen Of
Cambridge for twenty years: He was an
American citizen. He could not sit still
believed in the opinion expressed by the first
gentleman who spoke. He had been o
teacher since he was fourteen years Of age
some forty years-and be never struck
blow. He believed that the fault was
mainly with the teacher whenever corporeal
punishment was resorted to. He was In
favor Of increasing the number Of schools,
and also the number Of teachers, as he thought
1t impossible for one man to control SO large
o body ofscholars as are gathered in the pub
lie schools Of Cambridge. ia -.
| Ex-Governor Washburn followed;
He disclaimed all connection with any
party, and would vote for any man who
would stand by the petition which he had the
honor Of signing some time ago. that cor
poreal punishment, so far as girls were con-
cerned should be abolished in the public
schools. 1t was not with him personal mat
ter; he knew nothing Of the parties CON
cerned in the late whipping case; 1t was with
him matter Of greater Importance. Disci
pline was means, not an end. There Is no
need Of whipping girls to make them be.
have. He reiterated the statement expressed
by the previous speaker that in five cases out
seven the fault was with the teacher rather
than the scholar. II there is necessity fol
punishment 1t is the right and duty OF The
school committee to remove the refractory
scholar. Whipping is positive evil. y
blunts the intellect, and the scholars lose oil
selfrespect. He alluded to the progress
which had been made in the discipline o
criminals and in the treatment of the insane
, have our schools taught by females that tht
boys would overpower them in the matter o
discipline. But the result Of the progress
thus far made shows that large majority o
the teachers in the public schools were fe
males. .....
Continuing his remarks, Prof. WashburI
declared his conviction that the application
Of corporeal punishment was prolific Of evil
1t could not be used on young children with
out bunting their sensibilities and lesseninl
their confidence in their teachers, and ever!
one else; and no girl Of ten years old or up
ward could be whipped without hardening O
breaking her heart. Joshua Coffin, Of New
buryport, immortalized by Whittier, and {
: school teacher for forty years, was rougi
in exterior and coarse in manner, but he hat
' heart as soft as q girls, and clear head
: The speaker remembered him at teachers
meeting, where the subject Of corporeal pun
ishment was under discussion. Many Of tn,
teachers had advocated frequent exercis,
; oft. Mr. Coffin rose. and in about ten word
, ended the debate and settled the question
I 1T" said he, II wanted to make boy {
rascal, would treat him as II no was one
II lswanted to make him manly, 5wonl.
treat him kindly and generously" Prof
Washhurn said he had nevar vat fonnd n mar