New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-18


third and mllder dominion secured nO' by oIo"s'
nor by locks and bars, bat by setulous lncGicd,
ton on the mind feelings also OF kIniness' aA'
ideas Of duty, such a superior owes 70 lhisilots
under his protection, became more ana more III
VOWED IN The relation. Ba. Il did not Tor many
aces become a relation of cOmpaniolshlp, even
between unequals the lives OF he Two persons
were apart The wife was part OF the iGTnli-Io
OF home. of the restlng-place 10 which ne man
returned from business or pleasure. Ms VDCu-
patlons were, as they still are among men ~
pleasures and excltemenis also WERE ~. ~, ~
most part, among men-amonz ms eqiA-'- ~
was a patriarch and 4 despot within tour vans
and irresponsible power had Its effect, greater or
loss according 70 his disposition, IN rendering
him donneerlng, exactlng selworshlpihg'
when not caprlclOusly or brdtaly tyranmcdl
But if the neral part OF his nature suffered IL
was not necessarily 50, IN the same degree WIN
the intellectual or the active portion. Tie migh,
have as much vIgOr OF mind and energy oil
character as his nature enabled HIM, ana as tn'
circumstances Of his times allowed lie might
write the " Paradise Lost or WIN the battle OF
Marengo This was the condition OF the UietAs
and Romans, and OF the moderns unlil a reTeh'
date Their relations with their domestic suooi-
dinates occupied mere corner though cneT-
ished one of their lives. Their educdtloh "a
men the formation OF their character and iacnl-
ties. depended mainly on q different class OF m
fuenccs.
IL Is otherwise now. Inc progress " iilAipNC-
ment has imposed on all pOssessOrs OF power, and
of domestic power among the rest, an increased
and increasing sense OF cOrrelatlve obllgallon
No man now thinks that his wife has no claim
upon his actions but such as he may accord TO
| her All men Of any conscience believe tha'
their duty to their wives is one OF the most Dhu-
| ing ftbeir obligations. Nor IS IT supposed to
consist solely in protection which, IN the present
state of civilization, women have almost ceased
TO need it involves care for their happiness and
consideration OF their wishes, with a not unire
quent sacrifice of their own to them. The powerOf
| husbands has reached the stage which the power
| of kings had arrived at, when opinion did not
vet question the rightfulness OF arbitrary power
but IN theory and to a certain extent IN practice
| condemned the selfish use of II. This improve
| ment in the moral sentiments OF mankind. and
increased sense of the consideration due by every
! man to those who have no one but himself 10
| lock to- has tended TO make home more and more
the center of interest, and domestic crcum
stances and society a larger and larger par. OF
life and of It's pursuits and pleasures. The ten
| dencv has been strengthened by the changes OF
| tastes and manners which have so remarkably
distinguished the last two or three generations.
| In DAYS not far distant, men found their excite
| ment and filed up their time IN violent bodily
| exercises, noisy merrlnent, and lntempeIdnce
| They have now IN all but the very poorest class
es lost their inclination for these things, and tor
! the coarser pleasures generally. they have now
| scarcely any tastes but those which they have III
| common with women, and, for the first time IN
| the world men and women are really compan-
! ions most beneficial change, If the cOmpau-
! ionship were between equals but being between
| unequals IT Produces what good observers have
| noticed, though without perceNmg MS cause, a
| progressive deterioration among mcnm what had
| hitherto been considered the masculine excel
| lences Those who are 50 careful that women
| should not become men, do not see that men are
\ hot
! should be-are falling into the teebeness which
| they have so long cultivated IN their companions.
Those who are associated IN their lives, tend 10
| become assImllaed III charaster. In the present
clOseness of association between the sexes, men
cannot retain manness unless women acquire H.
There Is hardly any situation more unayorable
| TO the maintenance OF elevation OF character or
force of intellect, than to 1.-Two ia tho society and
! seek by preference the sympathy, OF interiors IN
| mental endowments Why IS 1t that we con-
| stantlv see In life so much intellectual ana moral
| prom,se followed by such inadequate perform
| ance, but because the aSpirant has compared
| himself only with those below himself, and has
! not sought improvement or stimulus from meas
uring himself with has equals or superlors In
the present state of social lie, this Is becoming
| the general condition of men Ihcy care less
| and less for any sympathcS. and are less and
less under any personal influences, but those OF
the domestic root Not TO bo misunderstood, 1t
is necessary that we should distinctly dlSclalln
the belief that women are even now inferior IN
intellect to men There are women who are the
equals IN intellect OF any men who ever lNed
and comparing ordinary women with ordinary
men. the varied though petty details winch com
pose the occupation of most women call forth
probably a. much at mental ability as the UNI
form routine of the pursuits which are the ha-
bitual occupation of a large majority OF men IL
Is from nothing IN the faculties themselves, but
from the petty subjects and interests on which
~. a
of women, such az their present circumstances
make them, 50 often exercises dlssolvent niiu-
ence ON high faculties and aspirations IN men. II
one of the two has no knowledge and no care
about the great ideas and purposes which dignity
lie, OF about any Of It's practical concerns save
personal interests and personal YanlilCS, her con-
sClous. and still more her unconscious influence,
Will, except III rare cases, reduce 10 a secondary
place IN his mind, If not entirely eXtngush, those
interests which she cannot or does not share
/ Our argument here brings us INTO collision
with what may be termed the moderate reform
erS of The education of women a sort OF persons
who cross the path OF improvement Oh all great
questions those who would maintain the Old
bad principles, mitigating their consequences
These say that women should not be slaves, nor
servants, but companions aud educated for that
office (they do not say that men should he cdu-
Gated TO he the companions OF Women) But
since uncultivated women are not suitable COM
panlonS for cultivated men. aud a man who feels
interest IN things above and beyond the family
circle wishes that his companion should sympa-
thZe with HIM IN that interest. they therefore
say, LEI women improve their understanding and
taste, acquire general knowledge, cultivate po-
etry, ART, even coQuei with science, and some
stretch their lberalIty tar a. to say inform
themselves on politics not as pursuits, but sufil-
cientlN To feel an interest IN the subjects. and 10
| be capable of holding a conversation on them
! with the husband, or al least OF understanding
and mblbing his wisdom Very agreeable 10
| HIM, no doubt but unfortunately the reverse OF
| improving II Is nom having intellectual com
| munlQn only with those tn whom they Law