Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-07-03

discipline than they can find in schools of
their own sex, and the effects of such
training on character, and on society, would
be most favorable. Strength must always
underlie the highest grace, and sustain the
best morality; and women, all the more
because they have been taught the cunning
ways of weakness, must now be educated TO
self-reliance, and led up to a more indepen-
dent and personal ambition. Strength is
the quality we miss in woman; the want of
it has taken from her graces their natural
support; and what Addison said of the
amusements of the sex, has been true Of
their instruction, which " seems contrived
for them rather as they are women than as
reasonable creatures, and is more adapted to
the sex than to the species" Society is to
acquire purity, strength, dignity, by more
depth and breadth of knowledge, impaired
to women by an equality of education. 1t
has been said of women that they hang loose
upon society; if not married they become
- anxious and aimless because they have
not had the solid and fruitful discipline that
gives purpose and the power to pursue it,
an object in life and the independent ability
10 reach it. Ceasing from drudgery and
mere ornamentation, women ought to find q
more even-haDded fellowship, accept its
labors and aspire to its awards. But the
discipline needed for women can be gained
more certainly, quickly and completely in
cO-educatiOn of the sexes than in any other
way. There are colleges enough endowed
already, if we admit women to the old ones,
but if new ones are to be built especially for
women, there must be delay. Moreover,
the schools for women now existing have a
narrow theory Of education for that sex, and
even of these thus limited, there are not
enough for the work. The best colleges are
those for men, and one objection TO admitting
women is the secret fear that it would lower
the standard of scholarship to do so. An
educational course for women cannot in many
years be independently secured equivalent
to our present college system for men; we
cannot sustain second series equal to the
first. But it is objected that the mems col
leges are not adapted for women. We never
give this answer to a young man, encourag-
ing him to think his mind too peculiar to be
instructed in our colleges; on the contrary
we invite all young men to a general train
ing of their minds; and so we ought young
women. What strengthens one mind
strengthens another, and if men are too
often turned aside from general knowledge
70 narrow and special discipline, much more
are women. Thus at Vassar, Greek is but
seldom taught, and consequently the gradu-
ates are not prepared to take charge of high
for college. And as these young women
come from exactly the same territory occu-
pied by male colleges, it would be good
economy to have them taught in those estab-
lishments, rather than to endow new ones
while the intellectual and moral results of
college life would be improved by the change.
There are qualities in the mind of either sex,
that mutually complement each other; the
intuitive faculties and the sprightly powers
of memory are found in women, the reflective
faculties and sluggish logic in men. With
women in our colleges, enthusiasm would
not be so sedulously suppressed in them
new elements of enthusiasm would be sup
piled by joint education; we should also find
greater intellectual honesty and purer
morality than now exists. Indeed the CO.
education of the sexes presupposes high
moral sentiment nor are the mixed institu-
tions proved by experience to be dangerous
to morals.
Prof Bascom then cited at some length
the testimony of Presidents White of Cor
nell, Angel of Michigan and Merriman Of
RipOn College in favor of admitting women,
based on their practical experience of its
results He closed by pointing out some
special reasons why millions should enter on
this work because there is here abundance
of room, freedom from temptation and a
great need of more students because it is a
good and progressive work, and in the line
of the missionary spirit that has hitherto
prevailed here, etc. True, those who founded
the college did not anticipate this result,
nor provide for 1t, but, in admitting women,
we should be acting in the spirit of the
fathers. God forbid that the timidity of
caution should outweigh the courage of
belief.
Both reports were heartily applauded by
the audience, and it was hard to say which
was best received. Both were laid upon the
table and ordered to be printed and thus the
question was temporarily disposed of.