The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-07-20
BETHANY
The''ExtraOrdinary Commence
ment.-A Reply to AIiquis.


The recent severe structures Of
Aliquis upon the commencement
exercises at Bethany have attracted
so much attention that we cannot
refrain from answering him, if you
will allow US space in your columns.
The last session of Bethany High
School was the largest since the
war, and encouraged by the pros
poets which seemed so favorable to
the development of a great educa-
tional power, it was decided to give
a series of entertainments at the
close, innocent IN their nature, and
designed only to exhibit the intel
lectual advancement of the pupils,
and to edify the vast audience
which assembled All connected
with it were as far from degrading
female character as Aliquis, and
probably further from such a pur-
pose, for he singles out one "among
the many at fault" and seeks to de
grade our school in the estimation
of the public, and at the same time
to bring disgrace upon the innocent
heads of the young ladies by imput-
ing to them lack of modesty. As
this is the case we cannot let the
insult pass unnoticed, and as it
would be shocking to his orthodox
views for the ladies to defend them
selves through the press, the duty
devolves upon the sterner sex Of the
guilty (?) crew to vindicate them
from the assaults of a slander-lov-
ing world.
In the first place, he classes all
schools together as "infringing on
public morals" but he goes on to
speak especially" and says that
Bethany went to greater extremes
than any other reported. He also
terms it in his caption as"extraordi-
nary" which shows a malicious
spite at Bethany which cannot be
accounted for, unless he is an ennis.
sary Of some rival institution, and
seeks to undermine Bethany's pro
gress by his unwarranted censure
AS to holding the exercises in
the church, it has never been oh.
iected to before. We consider the
leading members who were consult
ed about the use Of the building
sufficient judges of right and wrong
to have objected had it been a Sc.
rious crime. We assure Aliquis
that they are good and true men
and are laboring as hard as he iii
he is laboring in no other way but
in the CITIZEN to advance the cause
Of virtue and refinement. II ac
cording to their judgment there
had been anything Objectionable
they certainly would have arrested
it. Our teacher has a high sense o.
honor, and anything imprudent
would not have been sanctioned by
him. The young ladies upon whom
his attacks fell with double force
/ (for he questions their modesty
were under the charge and training
of a lady of the brightest grade o
culture. To say that any one unde
her charge would be guilty of any
thing imprudent is to cast a rehec
tion upon her fair name, whicl
should cause the cheeks of Aliqui
to burn with shame to think h,
should have been so cowardly as K
bring discredit upon an innocen
lady.
1t seems that Aliquis is no
pleased with the conduct of South
, ern school girls; he seems dread
fully uneasy about them, and tn
, only comfort we can offer him il
his moonlight condition is to retir
to his beloved Virginia, hide unde
a tobacco leaf and growl becaus
women are not all shut up i
nunneries. In his imaginatio
! (which is extremely fertile, to sa
e the least) he can have women e2
s cluded from society, and her nobl
t and rare gifts hushed within er
Y they bloom into the sweet flower
a of womanly grace and refnemen
C AS for the young ladies and ger
r tlemen who acted in the plays {
# "The Toodles' and "Home SEWN
n Society" which have been gossipe
V about so muck in the CITIZEN, "
/, wish to say they are as far fro
?. staining the shrine dedicated to tt
S worship of God as Aliquis or an
h of his followers. If he attempts
g make the world subscribe to h
h ver-righteous doctrine he will hs'
a task equal to Don QuixOtte figh
d ing the windmills. His idea Z
Ie keeping women from before Il
l. public, even to read an essay, is s
i most equal to the customs Of Il
sc Eastern idolatrous nations whi'
- keep their women secluded fro
l. the active duties of life, and subje
,e to the most cruel despotism.
Il VNDICATOR.
Kind Words.