Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-07
BRUTALITY TO WOmAN,

. 1 ~ VVAANs
| Some extracts from a Londo
magazine called the Englts
WomanS ConUerzatione, are goin
, the rounds Of the American pres.
and everywhere excite amazemer
at the gross and brutal tone of pee
pie who doubtless make pretension
to refinement. 1t seems that tn
magazine in question is an advocat
of corporal punishment, and pub
fishes correspondence from variou
quarters to sustain its views. Blu
what is, to us, novel, is this: no
criminals, or soldiers, or sail
ors, or boys, are the subjects of thi.
discipline, but girls over the age O
fifteen years. A maxim of this
school is that till near that age NOR
al persuasion may do well enough
"but for the girl of fifteen, or over
there is nothing like the old-fash
Toned way, a short, smart whipping
The very old fashioned way in which
it is applied is set forth, and the
best instruments for the purpose are
described infinitely. One gentle
man chronicles the practice and
success of the governess who took
charge of his unruly daughters, and
brought them to complete subjec-
ton in this fashion:
In consequence Of my wife diving
about three years ago, l was left with
the entire management of my children
two girls and four boys. The latter
sent to a boarding school, and employed
a governess to superintend the education
Of the young ladies, who, until eighteen
months ago, had been carefully trained
under the Observation-Disclosures sys-
TEN, but their progress was so unsatis~
factory and their general conduct SO in
subordinate and unladylike, that | Yields
ed to the solicitation of the governess
and consented to her introducing the rod.
One was accordingly procured, and at her
suggestion, 1t was made Of soft, pliable
leather, cut into long, narrow thongs at
one end, which she assured me produced
intense pain with little or no injury to
the person. 1t was used for the first
time on the occasion of the girls being
detected in pilfering money. 1 directed
the governess to infict upon each Of them
a most severe whipping. The eldest was
first taken to her dressing room and pre-
pared for the rod, and then conveyed to
the boudoir by the governess, who at once
administered the discipline. The younger
one was then prepared, and received
wholesome tiagellatiOn. The delinquents
were tightly strapped to an ottoman dur
ing the castigation, at the conclusion of
which they had to kiss the rod and thank
the goVerness, when they were permitted
to retire. Since then there has been q
marked improvement in their behavior,
and the progress made in their studies
has been truly gratifying"
Now, if it be true that moral sua-
sion does well for the young, but
must be reinforced with personal
chasdsement as the subject ripens in
age, this theory will bring us straight
back to the old fashion, which mod
ern humanity has discarded The
States which have retained the whip
ing post must be wiser than those
which have abolished it and arm
les and navies ought still to be
fiogged up to the proper pitch of
valOr. John Bull, perhaps may &C
cept this theory, and push it to it's
last extreme. Indeed, the vulgar
Englishman beats his wife as prompt
ly as he does his OK, Or his ass or
anything that is his" and the cases
in the English divorce courts, as
well as the details on which we are
now commenting, show that trait
in the national character is brutality
to woman. On the other hand, q
chivalrOus Difference to the sex is a
distinct American characteristic. 1t
is a reality, and not an empty de
monstration of superficial manners,
&c ~, nnnntrinG Tho
weakness of the sex is its panoply,
its sure defense, and even in the
minor attentions shown to women in
public places and conveyances, the
unadulturated American manner is
an example of true good breeding.
1t is the travelled snob'' who sits
still and sees a delicate woman
stand he has an uneasy feeling, yet
he suppresse5 it to show his foreign
accomplishments. In France and
England nobody gives up a seat to
a woman But we order matters
better in America. The American
gentleman, though his coat be ragged
and his hand begrimed with toll, and
though he may not know the mean
ing of the old herald's cry, "place
GuG DANES" room for the ladies is
yet imbued with a generous respect
for woman. He shields her to the
best of his power; helps her if he
can, though a stranger; and does
not beat his wife or his daughter
In family discipline we reject, of
course, the unnatural order which
puts moral persuasion first, and per-
sonal violence afterwards. With
very young children authority is
often best established by the mater
nal hand, which is not apt to go be
yond the necessity of the occasion {;