Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-02-16
THE ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.
From the Portland Transcript.
Woman,

The lecture last week before the Anti
Slavery Lyceum, was by Miss Lucy STONE,
of Boston. Her subject was Woman, her
social position and rights, which she discus
sed with considerable ability, and created
not a little pleasantly by her sarcastic filings
at the lords of creation She maintained
that woman's sphere was just what the Gus
toms of society where chance had put her,
made it. Her nature did not prescribe for
her the sphere which the customs of New
England Society has assigned her. The |
lecturer reviewed womnn's history, as show
ing her position at different periods, and in |
different countries. In China at the present |
time, woman is yoked with the ass, and
made TO plow. Yet this is woman's sphere
in China. Among the Indians of the Rocky
Mountains, she is made beast of BURDEN
In India she is n slave. In this country she
is assigned another sphere, but as the lec-
turer contended, not allowed proper freedom
and rights. Here her abilities are underra-
! ted. The opportunities of acquiring the
| higher elements of an education are denied
her; there being no colleges, theological,
law or medical schools open to her. The
customs of society made rules of propriety
which conficted with her health and comfort.
AT about the age of II, she must primp
up, wnlk an unnatural gait, with her head
fixed, and cease to swing her hands. When
about IL she finishes her education, and
SHOULD the lecturer say it)-'gets ready to DO
courted.' Her brothers at this age are Just
entering college-ust beginning to educate
themselves for the business Of life, while she
can go no higher and here the lecturer
said what no doubt is TOO true, that, women
have no object in life but TO get married.
There are no pursuits open to them, In the
State they are nothing. The professions do
not invite them. For them to 20 into any
kind of business which would promise them
n fair remuneration, would be to 20 out of
their sphere-would be an impropriety.-
For doing precisely the same labor they are
paid but from one quarter to one half the
same price that men are. Finding this the
case, she seeks for a maintenance 10y getting
married. This becomes with woman the
great end and aim of life, and her chief
theme of conversation. This was the source
of many evils. Let woman have proper OBJ
jects of pursuit and the higher branches OF
education, and it would no longer exist.
The right of n maintenance was all the
wife could claim, on being married. The
law said she and hor husband We're one
and some body else has said that he hus-
band was that one-the wife nothing.
In the church, women are not looked up.
on as equal to the malo members. They
must not vote, in some churches. 1t was
part of the creed of some, that woman's
place was TO keep silence. Scripture would
be quoted for this, and yet the women would
be sent into the choir to sing.
The laws did not give her her natural
rights. 1t allowed the husband the disposal
of her children.
The lecturer made divers other complaints
against the established order of things, ant
probably made the ladies present think they
were greatly abused aud neglected in mat
tiers OF which they never thought before.
The lecture, taking it altogether, was
novel one, and not without its interest.
was delivered in a very agreeable tone an,
% manner, evincing on the part of the speaker
an intimate acquaintance with her suliec
and sincere wish TO be instrumental o
good to her sex.