The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-02

Within thy beams, 0 sun? or who could find,
w hist fly, and leaf, and insect stood reveafd,
That to such countless Orbs thou mad'st US
blindl
Why do We. then, shun death with anxious
strife
Hishss md Wrssss sr Women.
BY MRS. PERCY SINNErT-N THE PEG
PIES JOURNAL.
1T is no very easy matter to discuss in
an impartial spirit question in which, as
it concerns the whole human race, every one
must necessarily appear, as plaintiff or de-
PENDANT. A cause can hardly be fairly
tried for which no unbiased Judge can be
found, and in which the utmost the weaker
party can attempt is an appeal to the sense
of justice or the compassion Of the strong
er; and it is not surprising that such cause
should be long time in settling, or that,
when decision has been given, the unsuc-
cessful sutton has been continually tempted
TO move for new trial.
But is there not sometimes q mistake in
the point Of view in which the matter has
been placed? The very phrase of the
,crongs Of women implies not merely dis
advantages, under which they still labor
evils perhaps temporary and inevitable in
the progress Of the race; but encroachments
and infections Of wilful and deliberate in
Justice. Women-or, as the favorite phrase
is in these cases, p0mdn--has been some.
times called upon to assert boldly her
claims, to resist the tyranny Of her ''mast-
er, and 90 forth; but it is to be feared that
no very stout battle will ever be made with
forces so disaffected, whose sympathies are
often more on the enemy's side than their
own.
But whatever may be the grievances that
women still have to complain Of, no DELHI
crate attempt has probably ever been made
TO impose on women generally, any further
restrictions, than seemed at the time to all
parties Just and lawful
Among men of certain order of mind,
something like feeling Of petty jealousy
OF the claims of women may sometimes be
observed; and unfortunately in individual
cases, among the lower classes especially,
there are instances enough Of the ''natural
protector" becoming the unnatural Cypress
or-but these are merely exceptional. The
wrongs Of women" have not originated in
any conspiracy among men of any age,
class or country, to subject them to what
they knew to be injustice. The American
Indian really believes that women are by
nature better fitted to endure labor and pri.
walton; and other than American Indians
have possibly believed what they have as
serted-that, however deficient in pugna.
cious capabilities, women are by nature
more able to endure with patience the pains
of bodily disease mistaking for necessary
truth mere fact of experience-like GER
tain financial Spectators, who have declared
FIVE per cent. to be the natural interest of
money.
One OF the worst consequences Of the
floods OF well-meaning nonsense that have
been poured out upon the subject of the So
cial position of women, without any at
tempt to bring a distinct question "betore
the house" has been to weary people to no
purpose--to lead them to regard the whole
affair as "bore"-a thing to be dismissed
with smile, and shrug Of the shoulder,
and to create doubt whether the "wropes
of women" are not, after all, purely imaei.
nary. But is it not a notorious fact that
even in those classes of society where there
is no consideration Of heirs-seeing that
there is nothing TO inherit-there is ALWAYS
more Joy when ga man child is born
the world" than when the new lr.c
that sex which is, We are ~ ,omer is o
IN possession ot an did, nevertb eles.
ness isHn" dual chance for happi
Of dsuph' no,orous that large famil,
''' ....ers is looked upon as an inflictior
..,er than q blessing? yet the testimony
of most parents will go to prove that in &
majority of cases the flial Piety Of daugh
tiers /. more to be relied on than that o.
sons. Why, then, do most parents wish
for sons? Because they say, and say truly
it is 50 difficult to provide for daughters
Here, then, We have distinct grievance
meeting woman at the very threshold Of hel
entrance into life.
Why, We may ask, should it be 50 much
more difficult? In rude state Of society
when most occupations partake more OF
less of the nature Of warfare, there may ap
pear to be some real occasion for such {,
difficulty, since the inequality Of physi
cal strength between the sexes seems to
place the weaker at real disadvantage
But in modern civilized life, by far the great
er number of occupations and pursuits by
which social existence is maintained are
custom and prejudice apart, as well adaptee
to one sex as the other; and the nature O
many Of the occupations actually exercised by
women in the lower orders ofsociety, make
it evident that the principle Of selection ha'
not been that Of the avoidance of physical
hardship.*
One fact, however, is worthy OF notice
wherever male and female labor are brought
into competition. the woman has scarcely
ever an equal chance Of that grand desidera
tuna fair days wages for fair day.
work." From the poor toiling creature,
whom il is pain to think Of, who make
shirts for twopence-half penny piece. up
to the tutor and the governess, the same in
-M'Adam, IL is said, gave a. one advantage Of
his roads, that they would give employment to