Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-07-03
ADDRESS OF
HON. B. f. PERRY,
Delivered Before the Philophre-
nian Society of Walhalla
Female College, June
Oath, 1879.
Young ladies Of tho PAtlophrcnian SO
ciey Of WuMaUa Female Collc1c:

ciey Of ,WalhaNa Female College:
1t vas with great reluctance, in conse- :
quenco of my age and inGrmities, that
consented to address you, on this interesting
oocason-the anniversary of your society and
the commencement of your college. In
my acceptance of the honor you conferred
on me, stated that it was hard for an old
gentleman to rofpse the request of young
ladies, and especially the request of the
young ladies' of his own native county.
Oconee is tiny own, my native land,' aud her
people, her mountains, her rivers, her mag.
nifioent scenery aud her charming climate
are all endcared to me, as my birth place,
with thousand cminisccnccs of home, nv
childhood, ard the graves of my parents and
kiudrcd
congratulate you, young ladies, aud the
country on the endowment and organization
Of this your Alma Mater 10 tho delightful
townof Walhalla (Which in Northern mytho.
logy signifies an ''earthly .Puradisc") and is
surpassed by no town, village or city in
tho State for its beautiful location, health,
climate and grand scenery. This prospe
rous college, with its corps ofabe and learned
professors chcupness of board and tuition, is
destined to attract young ladies from abroad
and shed its clevatng and benign influence
over the whole community, in all tmo to
come.
Tho Ncwbcrry College, for the education
of young mcn, was located here for several
years and afterwards succeeded for tho
same purpose by the Adger College. But
no provision, during all this time, was mado
for the education Of young ladies in the
higher branches of learning and science.
have always thought the education of the
female sex was as important rs that of the
other sex. Mothers have the training
aad Bringing up of their sons in childhood
and from her they first lcarn principles of
virtue, religion, honor, good manners aud
love Of learning. Education improves and
eleva:es the mothers character, adds to her
pleasures, refinement and happiness, aud
makes her more competent to bring up her
sons and daughters ard inspire their young
minds with correct principles. John Rau-
dolph, of Roanoke, one Of Americas most
brilliant sons, though eccentric, said in
after lilo that i,e would have been CON
irmed infidel, but for the remembrance of
his mothers taking his little hands in hers
and making him repeat tho Lords Prayer
every night, before going to bed. Such
was the permanent influence of an educated
and refined Christian lady, over the tender
heart Of her little sou, destined to make
such figure in the world as ho did.
Thirty years ago, rodo all through tho
soun;les OF Oconeo, Pickcns, Anderson,
Abbeville and Grcenville, taking the tcsti
mony Of very aged witnesses in great law
suit then ponding in the city of Mobile,
involving several hundred thousand dollars
and tho legitimacy of highly respectable
family of young ladies. Tho witnesses, who
appeared before me, Werc mostly born before
or during tho revolutionary war. was
greatly surprised, and not a little shocked,
10 find that almost oil Of tho old ladies
examined, wero unable to write their names,
and had to mako their marks to their
,depositions! They wero in good circum-
stances and mothers of prominent men in
their counties.
But great progress and Improvement
have been made in this respect, as we'll as
in everything else, during tho present ocn-
tury, md especially within tho last forty or
fiity years, in the upper part of South Ca
,rolina The girls have all been taught, no
matter how poor they were, to read aud
writo and cphor, through the bounty of the
State. Most Of those in goood circum-
stances havc lattorly been sent to high
female schools and colleges. This cduoa-
tion Of tho female sex is tho highest test of
the civilization and rofinement of a com
munity,
Amongst unovilizod and savage people,
the women are mere drudgos and beasts of
,burdenI They have all tho hard labor to
perform, whilst their brutal masters 90 "on
the warpath," hunting wild game or lying
IN their huts smoking their pipes or fcasting
ON tho gamo brought home and cooked by
the women! In demi-oiviiaed nations,
such as Persia and Turkey, the female sox
arc brought up 10 utter ignorance, tho mere
toys and playthings of the men, taught only
to dress and adorn their persops to nloaso