, 1873-07-13
C0.EDucATI0N OF THE SEXES.

For myself, have no prejudice against CO.
education. On tho contrary, am free to say
thht, whom tho question of opening Amherst
College for the reception Of women wan uudor dis
ouaBon, WAS in favor OF trying tho experiment.
And ii Is not toiug tales out Of school for 1t is
not matter which my Of uB wish to oonooaD,
when add, that my colleagues In tho faculty
wero gonornl1y Of tho same aentiment. Wo were
willing to try the experiment. But tc wero
overruled by tho Trusteos and the students, who,
being either moro conservative or less gallant than
tho faculty, combined against us, and Of oourao
outnumbcred uB. Truth requires mo to add TINT
no did not expect the experiment to succeed.
We believe in fair play. Wo believe in giving
everybody a fair chance, md everything that
holds out any promise or prospect Of good,
fair trial. So wo were willing tho experiment.
should be tried, not only in the Woss, where, Is
Ut Athens. tt KA1NoTEnoN, something newer, is
always the motto, but (where 1t is quite another
question: In conservative Now England, old Mas
saohusetts, and tried horo under tho most favor
able circumstances. in ono Of the youngest col
leges, who1o Christian principle has perhaps tho
fullest 8way over the students, and whoro tho
faculty arc not afraid OF now things, simply be-
cause thoy arc now, but havo always ondeavored
to act tho apostolic precopt: "Proye alI things
hold fast that which is good" But wo expected
the experiment to fail, even under these eircum-
not believe there arc many young woman who
arc fully capable Of competing with young mon
in tho studios Of tho existing college curriculum.
Facts prove tho contrary. Not because we fear
On the contrary, belioye their morals aud mau-
nora would be improved by association with the
other BOZ. If tho experiment wero really and
permanently successful, it would bo ono OF tho
most certain and effectual mothods Of exercising
from our colleRoH aome barbarouB customB that
have come dorm from the dark ages, and intro
ducing tho courtasies and roflnements OF Chris
tian civilization Not for theae reasons, but tor
tho same reason that wo expect tho women nuf-
frago movement TO be q failure, viz. Because
women-Nomen gdnera1ly-the truest, pureat,
and bost Of tho se1-do not wish for tho
right Of suffrage, and TINT because their
they would loso moro than thoy would gain
by tho change, because their good
sense ana tleht-fseliuy teasn thom there is a
enco and blessing mankind. 90 women genor-
ally-women in New England, the truest purest,
aud boat Of tho sex everywhere-do not wish
for co-elucation. Mothers in our most cultured
daughters, And daughters, the genuine daugh-
tors OF such mothers-7nat,ibus pulchris pulchr,-
ores fliH-do not Wish It for tl@msclvos.
The founder OF Wlllisson Seminary, who ia at
Holyoko Seminary, provided with no little euro
aud expense for tho education Of young won.on
il tho aamo classos mud studfea, by tho samo
teachorH, and in just tue same way, with
young men, in that richly endowed and
wcll.appointed inesitution but the export
mcnt WAS rolinquiahsd, nimpIy because
young woman preferred to go to Mount Holyoke
and othor Ben,innries Where the training WAS ex-
presHly intended for them, adapted to thoir ua-
ture, md Buited to moet their wants. In Obor-
lin, whore the experiment has boon tried under
tho most favorable circumstances, it has proved
failure so far aB the regular college courHo is
concerned. Tho number Of young women in
that oourac, instead Of increasing with tho pros-
perity of tho institution, has diminished, 80
that It now averages at most only two Or threo.
The rest pursue q diforant curriculum, live in q
separate dormitory, and study by themselves in q
course OF their own reciting indeed partly with
tho young men, and, by way Of reciprocity and
in true womAn1y compassion. allowing sono OF
thom to et ut their table IN tho dininghall, but
yet constituting substantially female uominnry,
or, II you please, q woman's college in the Uni
veraity. So that il Oberlin had boon only col
lege with its four collegiate classes, without any
professional schools, tho experiment would have
| turned out just as It did at Williston Seminary
| md would hayo been failure even there. Ii
| could have boon made successful at Amherst, Of
any other New England college only by turning
! it into upivornity-in other words, only by en-
! system, md thus nearly doubling tho expense,
and then IL would not hare been the ideal wo.
mans college. There would have been no ooono'
! ny-which ib the great American argument fol
| co.education-thoTe would hsvo been little or nc
| advantage for young women III suoh an institu'
tion-the couFae established for young meu
would havo boon complicated. revolutionlzcd
| would ntill have boon D more excellent way
Hprin1feld Republican,.