The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-10-25
Harriet Martineau ON Womens' RiAyhts,

great Womens' Rights Convention was held
at Worcester, Mass, on the 18th instant III ere
was the usual quantity of queer sayings and doing
but the feature Of the occasion was the reading o
the following letter from the celebrated Miss Mar
tineau ~
CRoUN. England, Aus. g. 1851.
Mrs. Dapis-My Dear Madam beg to thank
you heartily for your kindness in sending me the
report of the proceedings of your Womshs' Rights
Convention. had gathered what / could from
the newspapers concerning it, but was gratfsd
at being able to read 10 collected FORM addresses
30 full OF earnestness and sound truth, as found
most of the speeches to be. hope you are aware
of the interest excited in this country by that
vention the strongest proof of which the appear
ance of an article, on the subject, in the Westmn-
ster Review, for July, thorough going as any of
your own addresses, and from the pen lat least SO
il is understood here) of one Of our very first men,
Mr.. John S. Mill am not without hone that this
article will materially strengthen your hands; and
am sure II cannot but cheer your hearts, As for
me, my thoughts and best wishes will be with
you, when you meet in October.
cannot accept your hearty invitation to attend
Tiny leaving my own country. But you may be
assured of my warm and Unrestricted sympathy.
Ever since | became capable of thinking for N.Y.
self, have clearly seen, and have said it till my
listeners and readers probably tired of hearing
it, that there can be but one true method in the
color, and under any outward circumstances--tO
ascertain what are the powers of that being, Ia
cultivate them to the utmost, and then, to see what
action they will find for themselves. This has
probably never been done for man, unless in some
individual cases. 1t has certainly never been
done for woman and, till it is done, all debating
about what woman's intellect is, all speculation OF
laying down the law as to what woman's sphere 10
is mere beating of the air.
priort exceptions have long been found worth.
less in physical md nothiuor
- effected till the experimental method was clearly
made out and strictly applied in prastice, and the
same principle holds, most certainly, through the
whole range Of moral science, whether we regard
the physical fact of what women are able to do, OIL
the mo al fact OF what women ought to do, it i,
equally necessary to abstain from taking any deci
sion prior to experiment We see painly enough
the waste Of time and thought among the mer
who once talked Of nature abhorring vacuum, O.
disputed at great length to whether angels coult
go from end to end without going through the mid
die; and the day will come when it will appear 4
be no less absurd to have argued, as men ant
women are arguing now, about what women ough
to do, before it was ascertained what can do
Let us once see hundred women educated NJ
to the highest point that education at presen
reaches-let them be supplied with such knowledg
their faculties are found to crave, and let then
free to use, apply and increase their knowledg
their faculties shall investigate, and it wi
presently appear what is the sphere of each Of tn
hundred. One may be discovering comets, lik
Miss Herschell; one may be laying open tn
mathematical structure Of the universe, like Mr.
Somerville; another may be analyzing the chem
cal solutions of nature in the laboratory; anotht
may be penetrating the mysteries of physiology
others may be investigating the cause of soc,
relations, bearing the great natural laws unds
which society, like every thing ese proceed,
others, again, may be actively carrying out ii
- social arrangements which have been found und
Those laws; and others may be chiefly occupied
family business-in the duties of the wife ar
mother, andSSe ruler Of household.
If, amonsHfie hundred women, a great diversi
of powers should appear, (which have no dou
will be The case,) there will always be plenty
scope and material for the greatest amount Of v
rieiy of person that can be brought out If not
if it should appear that women fall below man
I all but the domestic function, then it will be III
the experiment has been tried and The trial b
better go forever-that woman's sphere NAV
ever determine itself to the satisfaction of eve
body. II is clear that education, TO be wi
demand on behalf Of women, must be intended
issue in active life. A mans medical educati
would be worth little if it was not preparati
for practice. The astronomer and the chem
- would put little force into their studies, if it
certain that they must leave off in four or
years, and do nothing for the rest Of their liv
and no man could possibly feel much interest
political and social morals if he knew that he mi
all his life long, pay taxes, but neither speak
4 move about public affairs.
4 Women, like men, must be educated with vi
4 to action or their studies cannot be called edu
ton and nojudgement can be formed of The SC
of their faculties. The pursuit must be the il
business, or it will be mere pastime or irksome d
This was always my point of difference with
who carefully cherished a reverence for woma
L~IRhe late DR.. Channing. How much we spoke
wrote of the old controversy-Infiuence Us Off
- He would have any woman study anything
her faculties led her to, whether physical scie
! or law, government and political economy bu
would have had her stop at the study from the
ment she entered the hospital, as physician and
1 nurse !: from the moment she took her place
court Of Justice, in the jury box and not the wit
box from the moment she brought her mind