The New York herald., 1851-10-02
Novelty! Why, novelty, especially in mat
karr ahion the great ohiaof Of ona half OF

Novelty Why, novelty, espeoiauy In mat
tsu Of fashion, was the great object Of half Of
society. In the name of conscience, let not thing
be degraded for its novelty. Wouldit not DO wiser
to inquire whether thing was meritorious or useful
leaving the question of novelty to idlers and simple
folk /? She would remind the N that there were, at
the present time, millions of women who had never
any eher female dress than trousers and short
petticsas, so that their lords and masters in this
country, must not look on the new dress as an IL
legal encroachment. The women of Georgia, Cir
cassia, the Burman empire-in a word, one-half Of
the human race-had from time mmemorial worn
trousers, SO that there would be no danger of her
lars Dexter) standing solitary monument Of
trousers daughter and cheers She was quite sure
there would be more difficulty in convincing the
ladies that their errors in dress demanded reform
thaa IN convincing the gentlemen that it was their
duty 10 persuade them to assent to the change,
daughter She was also quite sure that such views
ss she desired to convey, would be EN- braced only
by those who had good hearts and happy DISPOSE
tions (hear, hear) The question in America was
what right had men to wear trousers at all (great
laughter.) In China, the men now wore petticoats
and the women trousers (renewed laughter.) In the
dress in which she was now endeavoring to enlist
their interest, there was nothing inconycnient,
becoming, or unsightly (cheers.) or its comfort,
she could speak from experience, and with
regard to its appearance, she would leave
the audience to cOntras. Il with its COM
petitors (hear, hear.) Some ladies thought she had
taken bold stand in endeavoring to Introduce so
indelicate fashion. She allowed she had taken a
bold stand. She was the first, she believed, who
ventured to appear in Londen 10 the reformed cos
tune, and whether it was adopted or not, by ladies
in general she intended to continue it. (Applause)
But she had yet to learn that b0ldness was neces-
sarily criminal She felt, on the contrary that she
had done nothing unfeminine in adopting or In ad-
vocating the change of dress. She had felt the ad-
vantages Of it, and she should have considered her
self as desering her duty if she had refused, when
requested, to appear publicly in its favor. That
the fashion was an indelicate one, she altogether
denied--on the contrary, the great recommendation
n the cOatuma n N macmillan ode stv
Persons who strained at gnat would often swal-
low camel. She appealed to any gentleman who
had had occasion to walk behind a lady caught in
summer shower in the streets of this metropolis,
whether the present style of dress had any claim to
regard on the score of decency! (Hear). Up to
the age Of fourteen, the female dress which call
ed immodest was worn with impunity; but, arrived
at that age, the dress which was worn one day
was characterized rs unbeooming on the next. She
(Mrs. Dexter) thought it was high time that the
investigating spirit Of philosophy which marked the
present day should be applied to the principles of
easy to show that the male costume involved
many absurdties. Ca laugh) The dress she
(Mrs Dexter) wore would soon to be
singular. She was the first who had dared pub
licy to call attention to it in this metropolis.
She had, therefore, been subject to many jeers. A
young man, for instance, unaware of her presence
had asked whether she would complete the outrage
on masculine attire by appearing at the lecture in
whiskers "a laugh)? Another had offered to pre-
sent her with a box of segars She thanked him,
but she had no desire to commit an outrage on ma
ture; she wished rather to strengthen than to de-
bilitate her Through foolish servility to
the dictates of fahion women had been deprived of
choice in matters of Dress and in order to maintain
their rights it had consequently become necessary
to set on foot an agitation as active as any political
one. IL ladies chose to wear long dresses indoors
in carriages, where they were protected from
mud and mire, it not her business to interfere
What she asked was, that she might not be SUBJ
jected to annoyance or insulting remarks because
she differed from those about her in matters of
costume. From the male sex she had never been
treated with insult when she appeared in the re-
formed costume. On the contrary, they had ever
received her with respect and dignifed politeness
"a lsugb). She could not say as much of her own
sex. She called on nen, in conclusion, as the
natural protectors of women in time of need, to
shield those Of Ger sex who might follow her ex-
ample in adopting the costume she then wore from
gratuitous and vulgar insult.
Mrs. Dexter then withdrew, amid expressions
of general applause, mingled with some faint
laughter.