Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-04-04
have felt toward her in the ike circum.


TO be cheerful. reproached hcr for want of
sympathy with my troubles. For awhile
| tried 10 procure employment. but could
not silt myself was 100 proud or TOO
indolen: 10 labor: and then | gave up TO
hypochondria, and became plague spot
upon society. Then Your poor mother
took in work and so earned living. not
only for herself and little ones. but for me
who had condemned her advice. thrown
away her property, and added 10 these
every kind of abuse. let saw no merit
in all this because she was a ,cofsan. II
would have been strange if she lad acted
otherwise Ii amid her tolls and cruel
privatons, she had replied to my bitter
tauntings. by speaking the truth-that
had brought her TO all that by my wi,ful
acknowledgement of her property, she
would have been an abusive creature. an
undu,itul wife, a vrago. and every other
hateful thing. which tyranny has invented
as hugbears to frighten woman from re-
bellion
AT length your poor mother fell sick.
Then | reused myself. obtained employ
ment at good wages. and we were soon
comfortable and thriving. But my poor
wife S heart was broken. and as she faded
away. patiently enduring still. and putting
forth every energy to educate and train her
children. learned to think. TO reflect. to
reason and TO analvze: and thank God,
became wiser and a better man. But
this wisdom was dearly brought. even by
long wears of widowed loneliness. and
bitter unavaiing remorse. | would save
you from these suierings, my son.
would have YOU become wise. without
passing under the rod of experience. the
lashes of which leave wounds that never
can be healed.
Now, mark me, John. all the errors and
suilerings of my life sprung from my hav
ing imblbed the false and wicked notion Of
woman's mental interority. a notion which
some men. and writer's Of the present day,
are eXerting themselves (Heaven only
knows whv.) 10 establish and maintain.
But such men are. in my opinion. either
actuated by mean jealousy of female
rivalry in the walks of literature. or hav-
ing matched themselves with under witted
women, deem all the sex Of the same class.
| Who but foolish or bad-hearted man
could thus condemn one full half or Gods
creatures. having never given them oppor-
tunitv to prove themselves above the i'm
putation! Look around you, John. Be
gin with your own children. and widen
the search as far as your knowledge ex-
tends. Are the boys. as general rule.
superior in intellect to the girls! You ad-
girls; but philosophers say girls are hof
capable of as great attalnments as men.
This remains to be proved. If girls. in
stead of being made wives and mothers
Of the ages of from fifteen to eighteen.
when boys are barely deemed capable OF
being apprentccd to trades or sent to aca-
denies we're allowed to continue in the
halls OF science, mans boasted superiorl-
~ would soon be at an end perchance-
but bound as she is 70 domestic drudgery.
and the care and attendance Of our child
rem, the eminence. to which woman does
sometimes attain. is wonderful, and proof
of wonderful abilities.
The world is making great noise
about female notwithstanding semin-
aries aud publishing books expressly for
that purpose; thus giving small smatter-
ing of science, and few snowy accom-
plishments, mixed up with mass OF false
doctrines and fastidious nonsense. |
would have women study as men study.
Books which are not fit for her eye. are
only fit for the fire. 1t is assumed to be
Unnecessary for her to be versed in natural
history. theology. political economy. or the
arts-but who should comprehend the
laws Of nature if not they, who are to be
the mothers of all future life! Who should
have knowledge of God. if not they who
are TO plant the seeds of immortal piety
in all future intellect! Who should be
yersed in the economy Of civil govern
nent. if not they who are destined to farm
the minds of all the sages. patriots, heroes,
poets. orators. and statesmen of futurlty |!
Who should be read it the arts, if not they
who are to give the first impulse to the
aoricul,urist the mechanic, and artisan 10
the end of time, I'll tell you what: man
may boast as he pleases. but woman sus-
teins the weight of the world. Permit her
to enjoy the benefits of sound and liberal
education. and barbarism, blgotry. and
superstition will never more Pollufe the
earth with their foot prints OF blood fre'
and ashes.
, Il once heard an old man remark-'the
, less woman knows. the better wife she
isl and | believe all slave holders preach
the same doctrine. and the present dePior-
, able condition Of the human race is wholly
owing TO the incapacity of the mothers OF
the past and present world to educate their
children Alright An incapacity charge
able not on them. but on the tyranny which
has KEEP, them chained to its footstool
.Of late phrenologv has attempted 10
: mark difference between the male and
, female head, and 50 establish woman 5
inferiori,y. But this attempt is hardly
worthy Of notice. as any person. having
r .yo ewes and common sense. can look a
1 the heads of his or her own family. OF
= neichbors. or any assembly OF the two
5 sexes. and satisfy themselves at once thai
!. God or nature has made no such dis'inc.
: tion-that women. taken as class. have
r heads as large in proportion to their bodies
i as men have. and tina, taking given mum
n her OF each, there are as many 'in;e!lec
,ual heads amongst the women as the
= men. >,
a y am aware that this is unfashionable
L.. r,,t,St h. r.raached and Wi