The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-12-04
For Tie Cecn Wig.
WCMAN'S RIGHTS.

A distinctive feature Of the present age, and
one that more than all Others marks the progress
aud triumphS of intelligence, is ioierutiom. both
OF deed and thought. Actions which halfa CEN
fury ago would have drawn from the dark COW
erls Of prejudice whole leg ions Of iniolerant
bigols armed cup pie, and ready TO hail TO
prison and to death the perpetrators, are now
committed in open day with attention; at least
withoN opposition. And, in like manner,
theories whose propagation would Lave so
shocked the moral scnsibiilies of those conserv-
aliycS as 10 make them utter forth aroanS both
deep and loud, are now heraldcd from the house
top. without, SO far as we have evidence visible
OF audible. causing single qualm.
Perhaps to no innovation of latter days has
prejudice Yielded more than TO that Of u omaM's
Rights. When, amid the dark ages, her gentle
voirc was raised in importation 10 her lord, that
he Wuul somewhat Tighten her burdens, and
admit her TO comparative social equality, tho
That were bat 10 share his most ordinary plea
surrs. and be h0nored with but meagre por-
=
date, bestowed with brutal inSulcncr, TO toll on
Ia isHr "pr"pcr sphere" step by step, how
ever, as The HIGHT OF truth threw lis ray ino the
chaotic maze c! ignorance. error and barbarism,
woman has gradually advanced in the scale o.
SociM equality, unjl now her sovereign no
longer cnieayUrS 10 maintain obedience by force.
but charms her into submission By Tie Syren
song ct prospect for her mora! purity" albeit,
her dcgra'iatlon, inicHecpnhy, is little less than
IL The days when she followed her ilocks and
herd. from pasture 10 pasture, or drew them
water from the well b. the wa!>idc.
Man no longer replies by harshness when
woman asserts hrf cqu nlny, and claims her right
to all the privileges aud dlgniics OF an intcllec-
,ual being. He has ceased TO descanl, as in
days ACNE, of her ''mcntal inls,iorly,' and
now seeks to hold by staia9cm that supremacy
which brute force alone was unable to maintain.
CROWN" gradually more conf Ient,a one GO ices
slOu after another has been wrung from the hand
Of her 81 II constituted sovereign. woman, in this,
1ilc mi;i!ic Of the nineteenth century, goadcd on
ly the consc lOuSncSS If her duty to God'as the
pUs,c>>or Of certain talents, given 10 her. not 10
be- bGrci in The ground, but that she might
thereby aid other Ia cntS 10 them, has dared 10
say To man: 81 ain your equal, an Intellectual
being even as yon are, and you may not doom
me TO /, nj YOUR locAS and herds nor even dress
and feed nc solely to minister 10 your plea
surrS." Man hears this declaration. aye more.
feels its truth. and because 1t Is truth darcs not
lii his ana potent though it might b., 10 crush
1t. Brl, unwilling sill 10 yiell his supremacy,
he buys a truce with conscience, and for tribute
coucrdrs ~ woman Il cooperate sphere.' Tax
ing his powers Of rloqncNce to the utmost cN-
tent he acpics the hagrcuneSs Of his own do
main the hurcs OF SHla@r> hy which it is lniest-
cd, and The moral miasma which peIvahes its
atmosphere; while upon the other hand, in
striking Contrast. he dw.ils upon the beauty o!
that terrestrial Alden the proper abode Of his
temporal houi.
Let us pause here for time and examine this
land flowing with mill, and honcy-but which,
alas, to too many proves but a land OF promise--
they after forty years Of wandering reaching not
even any Pissah whence they can look and be-
hold il-or in other wor.i>, laying aside all
SMILES and figures. let US look into this much
talked of"wonan' is sphere and see if lis duties
alc such as To command the attention Of the in
tclleciua faculties; It's aims, proper objects OF
aspiration for the soul. By woman's .'proper
sphere' we understand her position as a wife
and mother. Here, il properly qualified, we
admit she may exert powerful influence. To
assist her husband in the discharge Of his duties
as Il member Of society in diiluslng light and
truth where moral atkness and error hang like
mantle of night over the souls of men-to
rear her children for usefulness in the world
and send them forth missionaries in the cause Of
universal love, teaching men that they are
hlolhers; these are indeed glorious employ
mcnis, and worthy even of woman's attention.
But where do we find this to exist! That there
arc occasional instances Of this sort we admit;
but they are not the general rule, only the eX-
ceptions thereto. In majority of cases is not
the wife and mother solely occupied in mere
household affairs? Is not her duty TO her hus-
band considered done and well done ifshc keep
his house in order, and meet him with smile
when he rclurns TO his home? Though he be
a very champion in the cause of truth, ever
striving to lit men from the slough of igno-
rance and degradation 10 a proper appreciation
OF their immortal destiny, she cares nothing for
these things. Her world lies within the four
walls Of her house, and the most she can do is to
charm him from such contemplation bid him
leave the wrctched in their gloon--thc cold and
unfcelns in their chilling selfshness, and live
for the time in the light OF her smiles, and the
genial warmth of her love. Tcnnyson has sue
ceeded in drawing beautiful picture of domeS-
tic felicity in the following lines-if indeed we
can call thai scene beautiful where an intel