New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-10-20


same general use, character, and name, may diner
greatly IN force or In acuteness, IN some quality of
substance, or of action without being thereby d.
vorced from each other In then drift toward the same
objects, and without affecting the whole method and
movement Of either Of them, to throw 1t out Of
harmony with the other. Indeed, Nature seems new
er TO repeat herself and no individual is equal IN
fact and form with any other IN the universe and II
is quite consonaDt with this principle OF creatlontha
sex should impress still different KIND OF vanety
upon all faculties feelings and vital forces, than those
OF measure and degree, simply. And If It be so, II
should rather than any other sort OF difference De
exempted from the degradation OF relative inieron-
IT, The wise and the less wise, the strong ana the
weak OF the same sex, may more justly De rahhSl
and valued against each other, for they are sum
cently alike texture quality, and mode OF actioh
to admit of comparison and relative estimate out
the essential difference OF sex refuses any IoYlca
basis for measurement, as by Weights anu scde,-
There philosophy IN balancing sht az ans neat,
love against knowledge, force against agility, or
mathematics againt Imagination, and deriving thence
sort Of feuda subordlnatlOn among the SUBJECTS OF
thescIences of chemistry, mental philosophy ana So
cial and civil government.
The differences which We admit are reciprocal
and reslly adjust the sexes to each other, ana es
tablsh mutualty where otherwise mere would De
but an aggregation OF ike to IKE, without reei 70
monotony or increase IN efficiency for, II Is only
IN ma,eralism that addition OF slmlars adds to their
value a fool is no help to a wise man In thinking
nor a coward to brave one n daring and enduring
In psychical life there Is this broad PROVISION thaI
all difference in kind is available, and, not less or
more only Is the measure OF increase out au variety
is riches. Differences IN moral and intellectual
things If regarded aDtagonlsm TO the extent OF
the inlikeness would render any consistent system
Of organization impossible Thus: Women, nom
their conceded superiority IN the family affections
would be entitled to exclusive control In the domes-
tic function her higher and more susceptible rell-
eious constitution would give her the monopoly oil
the priestlv Office and her eminent moral endow-
tneIt fit her for the rule of social life and manners,
including all those municipal laws which regulate
the relations of Men to each other IN civil society
So that the professions of Law, Theology and Med.
icne. nearly all Its branches, would belong to her
by night of special fitness, and Men. by the same
rllc, would be wholly excluded. This principle oil
distribution would leaye-What would II leave 70
the sole administration Of Men Nothing out the
ordering OF those affairs, and the cultivation OF nose
sciences for which their ruder strength OF muscle,
greater blminess of nerve and fTmer quality OF logi-
cal reasoning, If they have all these or either 81
them..qualfy them In general terms the clIliya,
ton of those physical sciences which direct IN the
use of mechanical forces, and those coaIser compe-
titions and ruder conflicts Of Men which foreign
commerce and destructive wars require, would fan
to the province of the sterner sex.
The ground and rule OF this division of the sciences
between the sexes, Is the correspondence every
where observed between internal powers and ex-
teinal instruments that's, between the mentalfacui
ties and bodily structure, and therefore we strike
the line of division among the mental quallhcanons
for various uses Just where the eminent strength OF
the masculine structure requires It, For example,
his greater physical energy demands superiority III
those sciences which are concerned III mechanics
but the same principle denies his superiority In o0ta
nv, chemistry and astronomy, unless to the extent
that mathematics or the science OF quantity, as II
NAV be called mteryeneS. But these points, De II
noticed, now made only In reference TO the pro-
position which we are examining and Tor the present
purpose In hand
that the rule of reasoning by which the present order
of things is directed, In the respects alluded TO- II
pushed to its proper consequences, must end IN over
throwing the very wrong which IS Dullt upon H. anu
.f,ax fbatt tbrnr hx an
surdty We put the whole subject therefore, upon
very different grounds. We deny that there is any
natural conflict between the parties which the preva-
lent wrong has arrayed against each other, or any
necessary vradaton rank or subordlnation, founded
in distinction of and Its inherent differences OF
constitution and, especially, we deny that either
sex must needs be restrained, or crippled, or en-
shaved to advance the welfare of either, or to MAN.
the good order Of society or to advance the des
tiny of the race
On the contrary, 1t seems to Us clear above all con-
troversy that IN the moral world the mere existence
of power or faculty is the divine warranty for It's
exercise and necessarily implies It's own night OF fun
development and free use and, consequently, that
all questions of fitness and proprey must be deter
mined by the simple fact of capablllty. skIlhul
mechanic never puts wheel. or puliy OF spring too
many in his machine nor wastes material or power
m making them too great strong for their intended
use. Human nature Is at least as wei and wisely
adjusted to us Offices and relations, and the iner
ence is irresistible that whatever Woman can do
at all she may do and should learn to do as well as
she can 1t cannot be admitted that any power given
her by her Creator was bestowed III mistake ana
must work mischief by IFS activities ana that such
mistake requires correction by the superior WISDOM
of Man
Further when the argument for restraint is rested
upon WOmans alleged incdpacitles, We might iri-
umphautly answer, that where an actual ana OBVIOUS
ipcapabilty is seen and known among Men, their
eligibility not therefore taken away, but that inca
pacity is found IN itself sufficient bar TO great abuses,
and sufficient protection OF the interests to be al
feced at least, no other Is adopted. Certain men,
ave- muitIudeS of them, are UNIT for lawyers, phy-
sicians, governors and military officers yet, the
chance and hope left freely open to all these as
well AS to the most capable without mischief andthe
world gets along well as II deserves, and as well
as 1t wishes, notwithstanding. lncompetency IN all
these cases, (and they are myrlads) Is not excluded
from office, rank, ard h0norably remunerhed ser
vice by legal impediments, or the force OF custom
and OPINION which are quite as rigorous and aoSo-
lutte In their rule Justice and consistency alike de-
mand that the avenues of hope and life snail De
opened fairly and freely 10 the excluded sex as to
the VIGOROUSLY incompetent of the other and there
can be no doubt that may be done In every depart
ment of human affairs as safely. to say the least
The common sense of the world will be as able To
protect itself IN the one case as IN the other ana
besides the Providence of Heaven Is responsible for
the safe working of all the forces which He has pro-
vided for the conduct of human life. IL women
really cannot practice medicine, law and theology
well and safely the sick, the suitOrS and the suHet-
ing sinners, will discover the fact anu there is
nothing specially put IN danger by the trial except
the llhbera opinion which refuses 1t. But TINS Cd
lection Is IN itself so weak and unwaIraned, that
may be Justly set down merely arrogant ana sell
fish Medical schools for instance, are rea4iy NOT
closed against women because they cannot acquire
the knowle of the pToieSSioN and practice " sue
cessfuly but because they do both ana threaten
very seriously to vreSt the business fron lhe kdndS
which have so long usurped IL And surely, there
is no likelihood thai the weaker sex would oetray
the science INTO greater confusion and disgrace thah
the dozen or twenty conflicting systems nave uohe
which now divide and distract the world aoou lIeH
riyal merits No, no, gentlemen theory ana prac-
tice are not so well established IN medicine As 10
prove the sole cdpablirly Of the sex "flch h@s as
nronrafed ~ authority and delivered its oraces for
the last few centure, of modern history. The word
has lost It's respect for the pompous mystery Oh the
craft and the chaos you have created where We
looked for gh, and certainly, dlSproyeS your proud
preteuson Of exclusive fitness N the sex willch
bears the responsibility. Boards and wigs have
gone So nearly into bankruptcy IN this business mai
hev cannot refuse the fresh partners and increased
capital that are wanting to repair then falling for