The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-20
THE BIRcH IN THE BouDoIR.

The Saturday Review, in the course OF long
discussion Of the articles in favor of whipping
girls in England, that appeared in the Eng
lishman's Domestic Magazine, says:
Another step has been taken in the onward
march OF feminine aggression. On all sldas
the fortress in which masculine presumption
has so long been intrenchcd is now assailed,
and one by one the outworks are falling. That
hideous old superstition OF tho supremacy OF
man having once been denied ana his claims
TO an exclusive use of any virile properties,
from brains to breeches, having once been
vltiated, 1T is astonishing tosee how rapidly
the :, hole social and political fabric which has
been constructed on that foundation is tumb-
ling to pieces. Mans monopoly, ofclgars, OF
clubs. OF the pulpit, OF the hberul professions,
of sports, oil academical life, and OF the IRAN
chise having each OF them been moro or less
successfully infriEged. ono might almost have
been inclined to fancy that there was little else
left which woman could grudge linn; that he
had been stripped of every shred OF bis ancient
encroachments and that, except the trinine
and accidental distinctions OF sex ana OF oodly
strength. there WAS now really no property ano
NO quality left undisputed Which might be
said to differantiate the male from the fe-
maic Briton. But such q conclusion would
be premature. There is at least, 1t seems,
one more great privilege, one more tme-
hopored custom, which the male inhabitants
OF this country have been used 10 arroSate
TO themselves and OF the exercise OF
which there arc divers notorious emolems ana
instruments. Tho male Inhabltants or Great
Britain have been hitherto DISTINGUISHED from
their female compatriots, as from the inhabl-
tauts Of most other countries, by the peculiar
insuar privilege Of L ceivinS corporeal chas-
tisement at certain stages and n cerialn con-
dtions of their existence; and indeed, until
very recently, it would not have been all mac
curate account OF the difference between Eng
lish men and English women which described
the former as that portion II the community
which is, and the latter as that which IS not,
flosged. It was not likely that women. in their
present mood OF sclf-asscrtlon. would long
allow such IN lDvidious distinction 10 remain
unchacnged. Ii the young English woman IL
to be trained to be in all respects ns like as pos
sible to what the young English man has been,
it is clear that means Of discipline and correc-
lion similar to those which have been IN force
amouc men must be brought to bear upon
the girls. 1t was to be expected that refore
long that should occur which has now,
1t scep's, in TACT occurred; that mans monopo-.
ly OF the birch and the cane, as Instruments OF
training or education, should be attacked ID
the same way as his monopoly OF the academy,
the pulpit and the franchise; that q sect OF
female fagcllants would arise TO swell the
uufnUcTS Oh lUOSe WHO uto f.Ssuniht, Lioh Sin-
pire; and that to the women who wish TO
preach, the women who wish to graduate, and
the women who wish 10 vote, would shortly he
added tue women who wish to fog.
Some OF these ladies are DOWNRIGHT enthusiasts
for the birch and the taws. They seem to glory
in tho privilege of thrashing their girls. They
give faithful. Representations, carefully drawn
from ,lc life, OF their own pet mode
of conducting tho operation. The pre-
liminaries, the place OF execntion-somc-
times bedroom, sometimes DoudoI-
the instrument OF torture, the oelllvlor OF the
victim before, during and after the inficion
Of the iiogglng, in short, the most minute de-
tails OF the entire process, arc described with
that graphic force which some women exhibit
when writing on subject which powerfully
interests and cxcites tucm. Those w1iters do
not even take tho line OF apoiogizinS, for tne
inbumawty, or of endearonng 10 palilatc the
shame, which must be involved in the process
OF stripping and hoSgins girl OF fifteen or Dr.
sixteen Years old. On tho contrary, some or
them, VINO seem to have q sort OF mission FOR
propagating tho doctrine of h)ggine SlI!s, are
mJst keen in recommending means whereby
the pain may be made as severe ana tho shame
as Overwhelming to the sufferer as possible.