Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-01-26
MAN NOT THE LORD OF THE
CREATION.

IL would seem TO be q canon of the
knuck Of writing now 50 much in vogue,
that every light article should commence
with paradoX-an assertion involving a
contradiction. ! should be sorry to lose
my small chance of popularity by too stern
n contempt for such a custom, and | will!
therefore boldly conform to the fashionable
absurdity, by at oacn asserting that the
Ladies are the Lords of the Creation. -
This Of course | mean to prove, even
though it involves contradiction Of the
convictions Of ages. 10 an era OF rcvou
lions n few more or less are u triflc--at
least in the Imagination of youthful
philosopher.
From the time when Eve lost her equal
i'y by leading Adam into tina, sin which
cost us Paradise, woman has heen strug-
Cling to regain her natural position in the
creation She has passed from n condition
of positive slavery through all the inter-
mediate stages up 10 her present high
advancement.- And she is still progressing.
Whether or not the act Of the first woman
forfeited the right Of her female descend.
ants to an equality of advantages as well
as Of punishment is a question on which
the world is djviCed, The majority, if we
consult the population tables, being deci
dedly on the side Of the softer sex. By
the way, ami par parenheses, does not the
fact of the decided prepondcrnnce Of fcmae
over male births furnish strong argument
in favor Of polygamy, and not marrying
widows' If it d cs, then are the Turks
much abused nation, and the existence Of
old maids is a social anomaly, caused BY
our neglect Of a palpable hint Of nature
to multiply the blessings of connubialry,
These are very shocking conclusions, no
doubt, but truth is tru,h.-at least it always
has been so until within these very few
years.
Clear it is, however, that woman passed
through all the stages Of subsection until
she arrived at kind Of surrep,i,ious free,
dom, dependant sometimes on the capri.
cioUs kincs and sometimes on the fears Of
her companion, accordingly as he might
happen to be ferocions or foolish. And it
is asa curious fact that, until within a
late p Rod, when the rights and virtues Of
the sex first came TO DO really comprehend
ed. she has owed her influence (whcn it
eSs'ed) to arts and Establishments very
similar 10 those which led to her first
slavery and our ruin; for che has been, in
most instances, content to exert the power
Of her charms when she ought to have
known and shown the charms Of her mind.
The present age, however, if distinguished
for nothing else, would be distinguished
for having first seen the true rights of
women, and for having admitted them to q
well founded and legitimate authority in
society.
Now it seems TO me that in society, as
in politics, the inevitable consequence OF
tyranny is revolution and that in proper
ton to the hitherto forced degradation Of
woman will be their future elevation. By
having too vigorously denied them a,.y
rights, we shall have pqued them on as.
serting all their rights; and assurcdIy, if
they once proceed to those lengths, we
shall at once sink disgracefuly in the com
parson, To such an extreme does my
enthusiasm carry me, that though I would
not, naiuve having made me man, monk.
ify myself, as do the dandies of the day, by
ENGRAVING on the coarseness of the stock
the manners, and-as nearly as can be-
The dress, OF the other sex, yet have even
gone the length of wishing myself born a
woman. But alas, that cannot be nature
has designed me as an inferior animal, and
man must remain.
To come back to the point bowevor T
repeat that fee! satisfied that not only
Will woman shew herself the equal of man,
but also his superior. In personal charms
there can be no comparison, save to the
dlsparngemont Of man. Even under the
disadvantage Of sedentary habits, look at
the difference between a milloer and n
tailor! The former is assuredly more
often nine women in one than is the other
even the ninth OF man. Then, too in
cooking. You may talk of your men.
cooks-l deny their superiority. They
may be good cooks for epicures; but let a
woman cook for man. We don't want
science, we want heart. There is plump
ness, lucinhss a naiuxnl cnunurinncS