Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-03-11
For the Fayetteville Observer.
Malcolm glanced at.

glance at an article written by
Malcolm under the interesting
head of GLOW shall our daughters
be educated?" and lately published
in your paper. We do not purpose
in this article to buEden either
the reading public or ourselves
with any tedious argument to ex-
pose the fallacy of Malcolm's con-
illusions, but simply to give his
price a little heaithful ventilation,
and to call his attention to the un-
fairness of some Of his representa-
tions.
Now, that character of discuss
ion which has for its leading pur-
pose the establishment of sound
doctrine and the clear develop
ment of unseen or unrecognised
truths is commendable and praise
worthy in itself, and if the same
be pushed to a complete analytic
exposition Of the proposition I'M
der investigation, and a full COM
prehension of the synthetic bear
ing of its several parts upon one
another and upon the whole, then
much good must, of necessity, re-
suit to all parties concerned. But
when men, either from the inner
ent envy in their constitutional
organizations, or from the pinch
ing pressure of their surroundings,
allow selfish ends and selfish mo-
tives to take such control and di-
rectlon of their souls as to impel
them, with however much affec-
ted grief, into a dismal portrayal
of the imaginary evils attending
the plan of operations adopted by
other people, without one hint,
much less argument, in favor of
their OVID theories, then discussion
degenerates into a wrangling con-
troversy from which no good can
flow, but harm and that continu-
ally.
We suppose from the context of
Malcolm's article that the question
upon which he wrote, was, not
GLOW" but in what sort of schools,
"ShaIl our daughters be educated?"
For, if there is one sentence in
his piece devoted to an explana-
ton OF ho,0 they should be edu-
Gated, outside of his dictation to
"place them in schools where
they can study the characters of the
opposite SEX" we have been too
mentally blind to discover it.
Now we heartily concur with
Malcolm in his confession of faith,
that schools" 1--WE mean all
schools) SHOULD be conducted up.
on Christian princi pie" even ION
the great and liberal principles of
Professionalism" And we cheer
fully join with him in the prayer,
,'Let the crescent wane before
the cross" Nor do we have any
serious objection to an association
of both sexes in the same school
where circumstances are favorable.
But that woman can be educated
and prepared for the performance
Of her"great mission in,the world"
only in a mixed school of males
and females where the latter ''can
study the characters" of the for
mer, we cannot admit, for reasons
which we hold as good and sufR-
cient, and which we are ready 70
render at any convenient time
and place in a fair, open and hon.
est discussion. We might reason
ably inter from the language just
quoted from Malcolm that he
would advocate the establishment
of schools everywhere in which
both sexes should be associated
purposely to "statdy the characters"
of one another to the end that
that they might thereby be ena-
bled to secure for themselves hap
Ply marriages and therefore, that
those works which give the deep
est springs would be most dill
gently sought after and most high
ly regarded in his favorite sort of
schools but we have the charity
to believe otherwise.
Again listen at the sad lamenta-
tons of Malcolm over the poor,
innocent, helpless girls who have
been locked up by cruel or relig-
ously infatuated parents in the
lreary converts of female schools
where their tender, weeping hearts
ever yearn for the priceless priv
lege of going to a place where
hey "can study the characters of
he opposite sex, and where the
leep restless waters of the souls
Election are held damned up by
he rigors of the convent until
-ba boavipcr Ioooratod hoSoyo ,r;,,oSs