American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-02-13
NUMBER 10
RL-WHIPPING,

Boston and of Cambridge adjoining, have
been agitated with the question as to the
Ptopricty of whipping girls and young
ladies in school! A teacher in one of
the public schools of Boston was some
time since brought before the courts on
the charge cf administering cruel aud
Illuminating chastlsemeut to young girl,
but he was sustained by the authorities.
4 similar case occurred at Cambridge.
the seat of Harvard University, where a
young lady sixteen years of age was Sc
verely hogged. The late election of
school commissioners at the latter place
turned altogether on this point, and the
anti>whipping-the girls candidates were
elected by very small majority The
discussion of the question is still kept up
in Anthems and the surrounding parts,
and is carried on with no little warmth
pro and con. DR.. Morrill, Wymau, of
Cambridge, who has been one of the most
active in denouneing the case of girl.
whipping in that city, has published Il
pamphlet setting forth the moral aud
physical reasons willy corporal punish>
ment should not be inflicted upon girls.
He says
"Why should not girls be treated as
boysY Because girls are not boys Ev>
cry parent having children of both SEX
es knows that they have moral charac.
teristics that at once distinguish them
before they arrive at Ithe school age
They are weaker in body and more SEN
sltive in feeling, and are more occupied
with the impression they make upon
others long before they know its value.
Thtt delicate sense of propriety which
distinguishes the woman has already the
germ in the girl. They seem to know
instinctively that they cannot rely upon
physical strength, and as instinctively
cling to others for support and protec--
tion. They are gentle, docile, confdiug
and affectionate. They exhibit these
gentler qualities at home and in school
in thousand ways; they hasten to meet
their teacher as she approaches in ths
morning; they run by her side, they
seize her hand and eyince their affec-
tion by kisses upon her cheeks and roses
\ upon her desk. The skillful and faith.
full teacher takes advantage of these quail.
tiles, especially Of their docility, and so
moulds them that corporal punishment Q
net only unnecessary, but tits cruelty.
"Physologically she is different and to
this would most earnestly beg your at
tention. Her blood corpusoles are smaf-
Ter, her nervous system. of more deli-
cate structure, ber brain is lighter, and
her muscles smaller; she is made for
quickness aud vivacity, but not for
strength and endurance. The same reas-
vns which prevent her from sharing the
rougher games and plays of boys should
protect her from suffering the harsher
punishmonts of boys. She is more sen
sltive to internal emotions and external
sensations and assert without fear Of
contradiction, that no physician can be
safely trusted to advise for the preserva-
ton of health or its restoration who dis
regards even in the child the Distinction
of sex The most cEeptful period of
her physiological life is spent in schools.
During this period there is not unfre-
quenty mental uneasiness, irritability
and depression, easily mistaken for PETE
ulance and defiance by the unwise, and /
greatly fear has sometimes produced pun
ishment for that, for which she is answer
able to her God alone.
"With rapidity Of development un-
known in. the other sex, she becomes a
woman, with all a woman's refined sensi-
bilitics, hopes and fears. She now in
stinctly knows that upon the good i'm
) preston she makes upon others is base |
| her hopes for the future. If her phisic
al organization is sensitive, her spiritu !
, nature is doubly sensitive, and it is this
that makes her what she is. 1t is in va >
to copnt the number and weigh the -
, verify Of the blows upon her person, 81
, note the hours that elapse before IL
marks disappear. Her spirit is wcu::r>
r ed, the is disgraced and degraded; yeas
may not efface the consequences. It =
this that stirs the sensibilities and Lri.
u down the censure of the greater pa:l u
}, the civilized world, and from none is
> that ccnsurs more severe than from col
J, tivated women. Strike not wowar,,
n even with feather, is the motto OF z
| iization, and it is in accordance with u ,
| spirit of Christianity also"
-~->S
An Anthems, Ga, paper says onr Il
the great grievances Of the South le9