The Duty of American Women to Their CountryBeecher, Catharine Esther
History
The Duty of American Women to Their Country
Beecher, Catharine Esther
Education; Education -- United States; Women teachers -- United States
In the first place, an effort could be made to secure committees of
ladies, of each denomination, in all our principal cities, who shall
agree to act simultaneously, on some uniform plan, and, if need be, keep
up a correspondence in order to secure this result. Such committees might
exert themselves in one, or all of the following ways:
They could, firstly, aim to secure the aid and co-operation of the
conductors of the periodical press, literary, political, and religious.
The gentleman who engages in this enterprise, could write, or cause
others to write, articles calculated to arouse the public mind in regard
to popular education. These articles could be transmitted to all the
affiliated committees in every part of our land, and by their influence,
be inserted in most of the newspapers, or other periodicals within their
reach. Thus a steady and most powerful influence would be brought to
bear on the public mind. _The people_ would be aroused, and through the
people, the _legislatures_ might be led to energetic and appropriate
action. And then, as fast as schools are formed, female teachers will be
in demand.
These committees, if it is deemed proper, might also address private
letters to clergymen of their several denominations, asking aid and
advice. Next to the press, the pulpit is the most effective engine of
moral power, and, happily, the clergy of this nation have ever been among
the most ardent and active friends of education, and the warm supporters
of almost every benevolent enterprise. An appeal to them for aid must
secure happy results.
Another method, which such committees could adopt, would be, to make
personal appeals, both to ladies of large means and to those, also, of
smaller ability, for subscriptions to aid in educating and locating
female missionary teachers. Such subscriptions, however, cannot be
successfully sought until some body is organized, consisting of gentlemen
of various denominations, who possess public confidence, and who shall be
properly authorized to receive and appropriate subscriptions.
Another and most important measure could be prosecuted by these
committees. At the East, where there is a superabundance of teachers,
and of women who could speedily be qualified to teach, such committees
could act in selecting the most suitable women of their own denomination
to receive the aid provided; and the _number_ might be regulated by the
relative amount of subscriptions in each denomination.
At the West, such committees could aid in providing schools for those
sent out, a suitable escort, a proper home, and the advice, sympathy, and
aid that would be needed by a stranger in a strange land.
Were such committees known to be in existence at _the East_, they
speedily would be addressed by multitudes of intelligent and benevolent
women, seeking aid in their efforts to gain opportunities to impart
knowledge and salvation to the perishing _heathen_ children in our own
land.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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