The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-06-13
THE SOUTHERN vAssAR.
(Continued from First Page)

THE SOUTHERN VASSAR.
CONTINUED from First Page
prepare herself to keep pace with him
in this development. In no country can
this be better seen than in the Germany
of to-day. There every facility is found
for developing mans intellect but the
want of provision for the higher female
education can but attract the attention
of the American traveller. It is true,
good teachers, make good scholars, but
it is only good mothers that make good
men and to make good mothers, higher
education is necessary. The more study
the biographies of distinguished men,
the more am 1 convinced of the mothers
influence in the formation of character
and the development of noble aspira-
tons. Let us strive for Tennyson's ideal:
She with all the charms of woman,
She with all the breadth OF man."
have spoken of education in general;
now word as to the causes which
demand the higher education Of the
men and women of the South. l trust
what shall say in this connection may
not be considered disloyal to the Old
South. No, we honor the land of Wash
ington and of Jefferson, of Macon and
of Clay, of Graham and of Calhoun.
South of the peerless Lee, of the invinci-
BILE Jackson, of the brave Pettigrew, we
revere thy memory! South of the con-
quered banner whose sons have proved
themselves more heroic. in defeat than
in victory, we are proud of thy record |!
only heritage. Under the benign genius
of the New South-the South of progress,
the South of diversified industries, the
South of education, the South of these
happily reunited States, we are making
history that will be the admiration of
future ages. And just here permit a
brief reference to one of the chief orna-
ments of the New South-the galaxy of
literary lights that has recently made its
appearance in our midst. Time fails me,
nor is it necessary in this company to
review the works of George w. Cable,
Thomas Nelson Page, Joel Chandler
Harris, Richerd Malcolm Johnston, and
of those bright particular stars, Amelie
Rives, Charles Egbert Craddock, Francis
Courtney Baylor, Julia Magruder, and
our own Christian Reid, who have found
ed literature and made for themselves
regulations as broad as this Continent.
These sons and daughters of the New
are gathering into rich sheaves the ten
der and stirring memories bequeathed
by the Old South.
Now that sectional animosities have
been extinguished. at least between the
better classes of all parts of our Union, I
marks the inevitable elimination of a
century's discord and the complete sepa-
ration between the Old South and the
New South. But from that struggle, so
terrible in its immediate effect were born
blessings to our whole country and to
the South in particular. AS one who
has studied the philosophy of history and
learned the great reforms are the pro-
ducts of great revolutions, do not hest
tate to say that the Civil War was worth
all it cost-it was sharp instrument but
it cured many ills. First and most i'm
portant of all, it cut out the cancer, sla-
very, which was slowly but surely de-
stroying the life of our social, political
and economical institutions !; it did away
with the system of caste which was being
developed among us-a system which
always manifests itself where free and
servile population exist side by side and
which is always check to progress. The
war was to the South what the great fire
of 1866 was to London-it destroyed the
plague spots and made place for a better
and healthier life.
the results Of the war called forth the
best energies of the South. The soldiers
returned heart-sore and weary-all save
honor lost-to find homes destroyed and
fertile fields laid waste. But by the SYM
pathetic encouragement of noble women
who bore all reverses without murmur,
hope was rekindled and those same SOL
diers with heroism equal to that dis
played in battle under the eyes of their
gallant leaders, set to work to conquer
circumstances-how well they have sue
ceeded, let the Twin Cities, Reidsville,
Durham, Asheville, High Point, Greens
boro, and the other prosperous towns of
North Carolina and the South attest.
Before the war the South's only resource
was agriculture now her industries are
diversified. Under the regime of slavery
the development of manufacturing enter
prises was an impossibility now the
shuttle and spindle are heard through
out the land. Notwithstanding the raw
ages of war, the South is richer to-day
than she was in 1861. Selfdependence
is the only true independence and we
have learned from experience that a
struggle with poverty and adversely is
required to develop the best energies of
people.
The South has not only made great
progress in the development of material
wealth, but although later in manifest
ing itself now that she has recovered
from the stunning blow which, for time,
checked intellectual development the
revival of educational interests is no less
marked.
In this progress, both educational and
economic, women have taken a note
worthy part. Examples are numerous
and did time permit l should like to
dwell longer upon so pleasing theme.
Enough, however, has already been said
to demonstrate the causes which de
manded and still demand the higher
education. To meet these increased edu-
cational requirements, old schools have
been enlarged and new ones have been
established. But the crying needs of our
institutions is endowments and especially
is this true of those for the education of
women. 1 blush to say that the State of
North Carolina has never made single
appropriation for higher female educa-
ton and so far, none of her wealthy citi-
zens have seen fit to endow a female col
lege. The South has no endowed Bryn
Mawrs, Vassars or Wellesleys, nor will
she have, until proper agitation has been
made for the establishment of such col
leges. Nor has the United States a
Johns Hopkins University for its women.
While it is true that only men are
admitted to this institution, yet it bears
close relation to the education of
women for it has furnished number of
Professors to the leading female colleges
throughout the Union. And this reminds
me that have been especially requested
to tell you something of this University,
an institution in which North Carolina,