The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-28
HIGHER EDUCATION OF WOMEN
A Fine Address Delivered at th
National Capital.
DIPLOMATS IN THE AUDIENCE
Lectured for the Benefit of tho
Sisters of NOIre Dame.

Albert Young, the special correspond.
cnt OF the Peoria Journal, gives that
paper a splendid report of the address
of Bishop Spalding, at the national cap
ital, on Jan. 10th, on the Higher Edu-
cation Of Women" He says in part
His lecture was an eloquent plea, de-
signed to arouse interest in the project
ed Trinity College, for which grounds
have been purchased in the suburbs al-
joining the Catholic University of Amer
lea. The intention lis to make this col.
lege for women both a normal Of the
highest type and school having
curriculum similar to the womcn's COL
leges connected with Harvard and tho
great English universities. Among the
names OF the patronesses of Trinity
College are to be found those of Mrs,
Richard p. Bland, Mrs. Thomas H..
Carter, Miss Seward, Mrs Philip Shcr-
idan, Mrs. H. b. Vance. and Mrs Gen.
Vincent, and other prominent ladies' and
If the meeting yesterday was an indica-
ton the college will soon be Il reality
instead of an anticipation.
Trinity College is to be built by the
Sisters of Notre Dame. who have In
hand $4,000 of the 100000 necessary
for the erection of the first buildings.
DR.. Harris, commissioner of education,
the noted authority upon all pedagogic
matters, introduced the bishop, whom
he met while here last fall, and in so
doing paid him high tribute of praise
The hall was crowded with some 200
OF highly intellectual people, including
goodly sprinkling OF university stu
dents. members of the diplomatic CORDS
and other prominent persons.
The stage had been specially set with
the finest procurable palms until there
seemed scarce room for the half dozen
notables surrounding Cardinal Gibbons
and Monsignor Mnrtinclli, apostolic DEL
cgatc to the United States
In the course of his eloquent address.
which occupied more than an hour in tho
delivery, Bishop Spallng said in part:
When we speak of education, speak
ing, as we do, not of tho education Cf
man alone. but that of woman as we'll.
we speak of their mental culture as
well as their moral culture While wo
understand that the things which give
woman power and charm are largely
moral, she is yet being of intelligence
that she can know and think. This
Is what has dawncd upon us--not all
OF lls, but so many it is folly to take
the other point Of view. OF course. all
the old arguments are still used. They
say it is woman's business to be a good
wife, it is her business to be good
mother. Some say that one of her
chief businesses is to be good cook.
nAaughtcr.) do not doubt this at all,
That it is well that nearly all women
should, in the general order of thnga.
be good wives, that they should be
good mothcrs,--thnt they should have
good cooking done in their homes,
whether they do 1t themselves or not.
Appause.)
Those who say that education spoila
women for wifchood and motherhood
and cookery-(l (laughter) do not know
what education is; and this is one of
the things that our country is coming to
understand
The chief aim formerly was to impart
information and store the mind with
facts. We now see this is incidental, as
of no vital Importance at all. That It
would matter very little whether the
graduate coming out of u university
knew anything at all If he only had an
awakened mind. self acting mind, a
mind alive on every side. The whole
idea OF education is to provide self actiy-
ity In the highest nature
The multitude of men has always been
inferior and the multitude of women
will always be inferior, since they refuse
to respond to the plea for self activity.
1t is amazing how little life of the mind
is to be seen. We call ourselves civilized
but there will come an age when we will
be looked upon as barbarians.
The multitude of men are busy In
breadwinning occupations all day long,
and the women the same way, and they
come home at night and sink into stu
por, as 1t were. If they read they read
as If they knew not what else to do.
So their whole lives are lives Of mental
lethargy and intellectual somnolsnce.
That great power which God has given
us is left in allegiance. And this is not
merely true of the multitude who have
gone through the elementary schools
alone, but of those also who have
come from the schools or university