New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-12

4
| tNII government and secure the blessingDf hb-
| eity IN their broadcast muDfcence we mus COM
| pietely emencIpate Woman and harmonic tn mas
| culine and the feminine elements. IL is he OBJ
| lect OF this reform TO overcome despotismn the
household where il Is Graded. Purify thefoun-
TAM and all the streams will flow sparkling and
| bright. In tyraDnlzing over his wife, Man beomes
tyrant over his fellow men, and he who SUI tains
the legal prohibition of Woman from the ujoy
meDt OF political privileges, does so because he has
not yet drawn full inspiration of libeIty-lartly
on account of the prejudices of custom and lartly
because he stIil has tlncture of aristocrry IN
his blood. lie despises the civil equality q all,
without distinction of sex. But let all su / con-
suit history, and If they would be considered the
true friends Of liberty, desiring to cut up depot
ism by the roots, they must look TO the family,
and there strike it down.
The great evil arising from the Acknowledgement
OF Woman consists in perpetuating that lordshp in
ire family which humlates the mother, reuiers
the Children servle, and cOrrupts the very incense
offered up on the altar Of marriage. Family des-
potsm and political tyranny thus react upon each
other. We would go TO the first cause of the
evil, while others content themselves by attempts
10 remove here and there a branch of the deadly
tree.
so much for the historical argument.
III. Let us now consult Democracy, read her
teachings, and work out the same problem in al
other form.
What is Democracy II is self-sOvereignty.
The man who is the master of himselfi depo-
crat, provided he Is cOntented with being the mas
ter OF himself But if he desires not only to be his
own but the master also OF other persons, he is no
democrat; he is an arstocrat. This 10 the idea
OF aristOcracy-the control viii Ii one man desires
and possesses over his fellows.
That every man was designed to govern him
all A denial of this truth would be to Justify all
the forms of serVitude and slavery which exist or
ever were knOwn-would be TO justify the right of
one TO dispose OF the liberty and lives Of others at
his pleasure. Every right that one is entitled to
belongs equally to another. Each has right to
manifest al his powers, both mental and physical
under the directio2 of his own will, subject only
to that limitation necessary to enable every other
one to exercise all his powers. This is the law
Of human progress. and all violations OF this law
are most hHrtiul To the welfare and harmony Of
the race. No restraint il usti6able which cannot
be shown TO be absolutely essential to the peace
Of society. To hold otherwise, would be to justify
any restraints upon human freedom, until the
sound would die in an echo, and not a principle of
liberty would survive.
These propositions are admitted by ALL and
need no leng thened argument. But it seems that
philosophers and political economists have not re-
cOpnjZed Woman as entitled to any democratic
consideration. They have talked only of mas
cune democracy. Not of the democratic
Republican Governments Ofthe United States has
acknowledged the freedom Ofwoinan. In the Con-
sttutiOnal Convention OF Ohio believe the propo-
siton to make woman a democratic republican
was sustained by only six delegates. large ma
jority of this Convention had done nothing for
many years Of a political character without send
ing up a shout in the name of democracy
they could not recognize woman worthy a
place in her temple. 1t is true that some poet long
since asked,
"Can man be free while woman Ia a slave I"
but this seems to be regarded as merely poetic
fancy, which contained no truth, and was uttered
only tor the amusement of mankind.
One party is called democratic and delights to
sing hOsannas to democracy the ether party,
though not caring the democratic certificate of
none is extremely anxious to be considered as
faithful to democracy any other party.
Gentlemen OF both schools, aword with you. BY
what authority do you read e-haf of our great
humanity out of the democratic ranks J BY what
logic do you prove that Woman has no right to be
a democrat! BY what means can you satisfy us
that democracy is entirely masculine in is char.
acter While it is clear that philosophy, religion,
science and government are III their perfection both
masculine and feminine, why should not democracy
also be so considered lfgOyernment is perfect
only when both the man ana woman are permitted
to share It's duties and responsibilities of course
democracy cannot be truly such until 1t embraces
all mankind without distinction OF sex.
element necessary to government. Let us
argue with them from another point of view You
admit that human freedom should be restricted
only 10 tar as the peace of society demands. You
admit that all persons should be entirely free
within the bounds of righteous action at least no
one should be restricted as long as he or she does
not infringe upon the rights of Others To allow
Man this freedom and deny it TO Woman is to cast
her ehtnely out Of the temple of liberty and deny
her all rights whatsoever. If YOU begin to restrain
Woman, where viii you stop!
But YOU say that the sphere of Woman is clearly
defined, and government, democracy and politics do.
not belong TO that sphere. All, indeed and by what
mathematical or philosophical calculation did you
define this feminine sphere There is no mode by
which you can determine what Woman has a right
to do, except by considering her desires and capa-
cities. Ii Is the essence of liberty that each one
be free TO do whatsoever he or she pleases subject
only TO the limitations of social necessity. Woman
has de sired to be queen as much as man a king,
and some politics have permitted her to reign. In
this country some women at least desire to vote,
but none OF our governments permit her to ID this
act, which is the soul OF social freedom. Is not the
right of suffrage then, withnt the sphere of Woman
I hat is the sphere of each person, male or female
what he or she desires to do, and can be nnocently
performed. Though there may be some, however
who may not desire 10 vote exercise any poltti-
cal privileges, yet this is not the case with all and
restrained. Some men do not desire TO
vote but are made to vote by interested poll
ticians. Why, gentlemen, do you not make
a distinction among men, defining the sphere
of each class according 10 the desires of the
males Simply because you would undertake
an mpossibihty you could not fix boundaries be-
tween classes of men according to desiroand ca
pscity. giving one political rights and Withholding
them flOm the other Neither can this be done
with respect 10 women; for some do de sire those
rights, and, according to the argument, ought to
ENJOY thtm,-but freedom cannot be secured 10
those who desire II, without securing il to all
leaving each at liberty tn accept the privilege
OF not at her pleasure. The very fact that the
word male is inserted in the constitutional quail
fcauon OF a voter presuppOses the conviction of
the trainers that some women desire or NAV desire
TO vote. What, then, have those democratic con-
sthution.makeIs done BY inserting this quaiica-
ton They have assumed ali unwarrantcd aU-
tnortV over the lnnOceHt desires of a nortOn of