The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-10-13
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
ON THE CONDITION OF woMEn.

taat tue fpirlt OF the American revolution mas
in fome degree denroyed that unjut inequality,
which the laws of England have created between
the fexes. The fuperiority which was info
lsntly afTumed by the male fex, has almof en-
tirey vaniihed before the light of reafon, while
the Legislature of oar fate, by the Jingle act of
annihilatihg the right Of the eldef fon to inhe-
rt all the property of his father, and of dividing
It equally ainongf all his children, has blafed
the germ of family pride, and foemnly recog-
nized the principle, that the male and female
fex are equal. But although we have done fome-
thing in favour of the Tex, yet an impartial obs
fcrver Of our manners and laws, will perhaps
find as much to blame as to commend. SO far
from being able to boat that our women are
the favourites of the laws, we mutt be compel
led to acknowledge that very unjuft partiahty
is exhibited by them in, favour of the men, and
that our manners are not better calculated to
eXat the fair to that point in the fcae of focie-
ty, to which they are defined to rife.
Let it not be fuppofed that / am an advocate
for the unlirnited sxtenGon of political rights to
women, or that with to cucumber them with
improper duties. j am aware that nature has
eitablilhed broad ditinction between the fex-
eS; that there are certain fpheres of action 10
which females can never move, and boundaries
which they can never with propriety overleap.
Mature has not endowed them with the irength
of the warriors arm, and although in the hitory
"a pat tibCS, hbSiS lt(LiC XIV iuttduCCS Oi
heroines, who have conducted armies to yicto-
~, yet thefe are to be confidered as mcteors,
Whole appearance defes the efforts of cacula-
ton. Circumstances ALTO of an obvious kind,
2 mutt neceffarily exclude them from apartici-
patton in the cares and duties of political az
femblies. And although many cogent reafons
may with great propriety be urged in favor of
an txtenfion ofthe elective franchde TO the fe-
male Tex, yet ] do not mean at this time TO adj
,l,,tn f.,fta
All that at prefent contend for is, that the wo-
men ought to have the fame civil rights as the
men, and that the Legislature ought to extend
the fame opportunities of intellectual improve
ment to the one fex as to the other.
One would fuppofe, from the total ilence of
the laws of Virginia on the fiIbjea of female
education, that our general ahembly had either
adopted the Mahometan notion, that women
Dave no fouls, or the fill more romantic opini-
on, that nature has infpired them with fnch an
over-proportion of genius that the labour of the
teacher is to them matter of fupererogation
Ii is unfortunately TOO true, that great deal of
fupineneis is difcoverable throughout the fate
on the fubied of public fchools, even for the
male lex. Many of,our young men are fent to
diitant univerhties TO acquire the elements of
fcience, and all of thofe who are defined to Be-
come members or the medical protection, will i'm
vain iearch for medical fchool in any part of
Virginia. But we have not been totally regard
lefs of the education of our young men. We
have few colleges, one of which will not yield
to her northern filters in the requirements of
her protectors, or in the number of men OF Ia
Tents who have iaued from her walls. Our;
ftatute hook alto abeunds with laws effablilhing
academies, at which the dead and living langua-
ges may be acquired byyoung men but there
isnot to be found iiasle public ieninary. and
hardly private one, il.which the female mind
is furnifhed with an opportunity of increafing
its flores of knowledge.
! cannot fhppofe that this apathy of the Vir-
ginians towards female education, can proceed
from an opinion of their infsriority. The hifto.
~ of Europe, and each mans perfonal obferva-
tion muf convince him, that flCh an opinion is
not founded ontl1ith. We often fee in the fame
family, the girl equally quick in apprehension
with the boy; her memory as retentiye, & her
imagination perhaps more alive to the beauties
of nature. In early life, there is fcarcely any
difference between them, and in thofe families m
which educationi:not an object of attention, the
equality continues through life bur in family
OF different defcriptioD, the pride & partiality
OF the father ioop begin TO ditplay the1felves iii
the different conduct obierved towards his ION
and daughter. The fon mutt be prepared for
one of the learned predictions, and already the
phantom of glory begins to fire the imagination
of the fond father. he already anticipates the
period, when his fon ihaIl be hailed as the de-
fender OF freedom in the fenate, or when The lif-
teniug croud Glall be delighted with his elo-
ouencc in the forum. He accordingly fpares
no expence to frcugthen, improve, and polifh
the mind of his fOn, who, from the age of feven
TO twcnty-two,- is conttaplly employedin draw
ing knowledge from the fountain of ancient Ii
terasure, or modern f-ience. In the mean time
the mind of his daughter is alnof entirely ne
elected it becomes barren waite, in which
if flower Mould now and then fpring up, it Wi
Tiers and perihes for want of the care and Kill
of an afiiduous clltivator. For her no teacher
holds up the map OF fcience; to her view know
ledge does " ne'er unroll her ample page" THE
fermentation of Gray is perhaps more applicable
to the Virginia women, than to the inhabitants
of an Eughib bamlet:
" Full many a flower is born to BLUM unfeen,
+" And waste its lweesnes on the deiart air !"
tits Education not Nature which creates the
difference between the fexes. II IS perhaps not
nece6ary to dwell on the propriety and impOr-
tancc of Improving the female mind. Although
they cannot be warriors, legislators, judge, or
executive officers, there no situation IN life in
which an improved understanding is not an ife-
full and delightful companion. Improve the
minds of your daughters, and they viii make
their fons heroes and patriots. They will ava
ken the crricfty of their infant minds, and iB-