Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1850-08-07
G. O M M u UNICATION.
For the Times.

-
For the Times
Mr.. EDITOR: trust you will grant me
the favor of giving publicity, through the
medium of your columns, to this commu-
nicalion relative to
WOMAN'S RIGHTS,
which were discussed in a correspondence
contained in your paper few weeks since,
with the signature "EoUALIrY" Affixed
My purpose is not to consider and replv to
all the arguments adduced by him in his
communication in favor of Woman's Rights
to assume and retain political equality
with man, but TO attend 10 those only which
apper'ain Immediately to the subject under
consideration. Ii would be needless as we'll
as suPerf1uous TO consume time and space
,in dwelling upon mere assertions devoid of
proof and wanting the broad sanction of
reason and experience TO substantia,e them
Instead Of its being "esrablshed beyond
doubt that the mind Of woman is equally as
vigorous IN eUery respect as that Of mans, ;"
II is an admitted and indubilable fact, that
in real depth Of intellect, great strength of
mind, and in powers of investigation and
A Physiologiss would perhaps state the
case thus in man the brain is larger
than i'll woman and the physical system
more vigorous and strongly developed and
capable of more severe and longer ac,ivi-
ty. In woman, philoprogenitiveness ad-
hesveness, caution and veneralion are grea-
ter than in man. In man, love Of power,
self-esteem. causalty, frmness and the in
lellectual faculties generally predominant
over the same faculty ia woman. This
comparative inferiority in woman seems to
be the result of organization. In support of
this opinion may be adduced the fact, that
more women are educated in painting and
music than men, yet among the former we
find no Mozarts, Handels, Raphaels or
Guidos. Why is it that the greatest and
most difficult discoveries have alone been
reserved to man? Was woman the first to
discover and demonstrate the laws Of uni
versal attraction and gravila,ion Was she
the first to explain the laws which govern
the solar system or investigate the proper
ties and powers of electricity? By whose
ingenuity, skill and unwearied energy was
that seemingly intelligent machine. the
steam engine, invented and rendered subser-
vien. to mans use T.? And lastly, to whom
is due that most wonderful Of all discove-
lies, the telegraph, by the agency of which
we are enabled, as it were, TO annihilale dis
lance and establish that communication OF
thought which has done and is doing so
much TO improve the condition of man In
view Of all these facts, may we not safely
conclude that women, in the higher mental
attributes, are intended TO be subordinate
to men?
Let us now inquire whether woman has
actually demonstrated to the world capaci-
ties and pow ers Of governing equal 10 those
Of man, as is boldly asserted by Equality"
If she has, | respectfully ask when and
where? Does the history Of nations either
ancient or modern, afford us instances and
examples of distinguished and celebrated
females, in whose character were happily
blended all those features and attributes
which so peculiarly characterize and digni-
fy the legislator and statesman,-and which
have entitled them 10 rank and vie with a
Solon or Lycurgus, Washington or Adams?
No! But admitting (for the sake of argu-
menD the views and opinions entertained
by "Equaity" to be correct, viz: that wo
man, in consequence of mans usurpa.ion
and wanton abuse of power, his violation
of every moral principle, and his utter dis
regard of ri ghl and justice, has held sub
ordinate position in society; tha. she has
been deprived of her natural and inherent
rights and privileges, and subjected to op-
preston and injustice, say admitting these
views to be correc. which is certainly not
the case,) how, ask, occupying such po-
siton under such circumstances, laboring
under such disadvantages and subjected TO
such high-handed injustice, could she have
demonstrated her capacities and powers of
governing, though possessing them in the
highest degree of perfection. The incon-
sistency and absurdi'y of such an argument,
if il deserves that name, are at once evident
10 every rejecting mind. 1t is libel; ii is
fierce satire on the male portion of the
community. Willis. considering this part
Of the subject, propose TO inquire whether
man is actually guilty of injustice TO wo-
man, and whether, under his laws and le-
gisla,ion, she is actually wronged, as is en-
phatically affirmed. In pursuing this in
quiry the question presents itself, What is
injustice? II may be defined to be Uio-
lation of another's rights. Granting this to
be a correct definition, it cannot be correct
Iy argued that the rights of women are vio-
lated in the exercise of the elective privilege
by man, when they as body have never
claimed that as right-have never mani
| tested desire TO exercise 1t as privilege
and would not exercise it Tomorrow if in
vited to do so. The object of government
is to perform the office of protection to all
| If then the combination of woman's facul
ties leads rather 10 desire for protection
than The crecutton Of tiff she, from hel
.l.I L IL. 1 |. 1