Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-06

pFujtSSUY w UV uHtcefSty, tnt iattef Has only
:. the general view of society the former, the
" to combine with those general ideas and to
I" take into his consideration. Circumstances
"are infinite, are infinitely combined, are va
"riable aud transient and hes Mo does not
stake them into consideration, is not erronr-
"ous, but stark mad dat opcrdm ut cum ra.
" tone tasdniat-he is netaphysically mad.
" A statesman, De,rr losing sight of prnc.
" piles, is IL be guided by circumstances; and
Judging contrary Ia the exgrncics Of the
" moment, he may ruin his country forever.
/" never govern myself-no rational man
!" ever did govern himself by distractions and
" uni, ersas. Crude, unronnrcted truths are
sin the world Of practice what lalsehoods are
" in theory"
Accordingly the first modification of this
great principle is The Indispensable qualiica-
tion Of Il certain age i'm the party claiming TO
exercise the right OF suffrage. He who Is
Judged unfit to b. trusted with the manage
ment of his own u fairs has been rightly deem
&c unfit In manage those Of the cuminou-
wealth, and the right of suffrage and eligibility
have always heen considered as convertible
TERMS Fancy, strictly speaking, is incapa-
bic; The line must be drawn somewhere. Tn.
next modification, almost universally admit
ted, is that of sex. Politics have been wisely
put out of the province Of women in every
well regulated state. And wherever women
are complmented With share in public bnsi
ness, il Is al the expense of their proper n0u
eH;;c IN society. Accordingly, Madame de
Stael observes thai there is no civilized co,n
try in the world where wemrn are treat, d
with less rea! difference than in Franco, where
they are permitted, by the state of manners.
10 take share ia all sorts of business. The
Wanted liberty Of the sex in Paris, that spa
| radise of wompn,"* as il was called, she de-
clares TO be the result Of Indifference on the part
OF the men: adding with her usual talent for
Illustration, aud characteristic depth thought
"the Turk who shuts up his wife, proves at
F" least by that very conduct, how necessary
!, +" she is 10 happiness | will venture to say,
contrary To the received opinion that France.
9 has been that country of the world where
women are the least happy at heart" When
they become the rivals of men, and mix in ba-
sness, they will fare like men What Gun
dHcted Madame Roland To the scafiold? The
wrctched women engaged in the riots of Lon
don in 1880 we're not respected on account of
their Sex. Women consult their safety as
well as their character, and consequently their
happiness III being removed from the posslhi-
iify of guilt of high trea ar libel. !, is in
these cases, where politics mingle with law,
that the sword of justice is welded Too often
by passion that spares neither age nor sex,
nor its own blood. A lady would look no
where to greater disadvantage than i'm the
piilory, and man, the tyraut man, will not al
low her tn usurp his privileges, and at the
| same time plfad her own. Our Virginian ma
irons and their fair daughters will be the last
OF the descendants of Eve To murmur at an
exclusion which is indeed high and honour
able privilege. They would az soon claim {;
right tn bear arms, and serve their country in
| the Held. They can confide in their husbands
and fathers, and sons and brothers. Politics
and war they leave to men. that they may
discharge duties, Incompatible with these pur-
| suits, hut not less important to the well being
OF society. So long as our matrons and
maidens are content to he fine women, and do
not try 10 be fine ladies, so long will
+" Domestic happiness, the only bliss
OF Paradise that has survival tho fall
he oGr envcd lot. But if boarding schools
and accomplishments that is To say, draw
ing hdeonsiy, playing on the piano, or harp
vilely, dancing in awkward imitation of IA fgu-
rante OF the opera, aud chattering n pntoiS
under the name of French il these should
supersede the mothcriy education and the
hons hoIddutics, thenii " i'll matter little under
what form OF government we live for the
virtue that Should uphold the commonwealth
will have fed from its last refuge-thc female
bosom. Would To God that all our dangers
were equally remote. Our ladies will never
| lay aside The needle to shoulder the musket
ar exchange the smile " before " hich world
is weak" for the meretricious ants OF a J.zc-
bel.
| Il is not pretended that there are not some
women filter to preside in council, or head an
army, than some statesmen and generals thai
The world has seeu--so there are many minor:
more capable of conducting private or publ,
business than many men of fall age, who ne
YER arrive at years Of discretion The bust
ness OF the politician, however, is not like that
OF the mathematician Ia arrive al absolute GER
tainiy-it is enough for him ifhis rule be good
in the general in the far greater number OF
cases. He aims at good average. So court.
of law INSTEAD of deciding each case upon IFS
merits, lay down certain rules, drawn from
prev ions decisions, which are applied, whether
or pot thry exactly fit the case in hand %
| thcrwise the law Itself general rule, not a
dapf"d To extreme, or even particular cases
would lie at the arbitrary discretion of The
Judge.
The next qualification to which with us1
| the broad abstract principle of natural right
must submit, is that Of colour. Perhaps il
ought to have been stated first, and so would
have been, but that Infancy in the strict sense
Of the term, is physically incapable of excrcis-
ing the right of suffrage, and the sex lal,ouI
under moral and physical disability almost
as great and II Was more CONVENIENT to class
minors and women together. On This branch
OF the subject, argument will be considered al
most An insult TO the understanding of a
| VlrgiDian, whatcver practices may prevail
elsew here To state this question is TO settle it.
| The professors Of The mctapby steal school
! of politics have made, some more, others less,
abatement Of the proud unbrnding claims Of
! tb tract natural right residence, bearing
arms, citizenship, contribution To the public
| To-. r