Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-06-05
VOL. 7.


reverence for Truth and the Right gladly
grasp and acknowledge them everywhere, is
the vulgnr fear Of being ruled by woman"
unknown. And so low in the scale has tho
idea Of woman fallen practically, through
this legal social, and ecclesiastical classificn-
ton aud valuation OF her; that the veiiest
sot or vagabond, having either by natural or
legal ties become the father, husband, BROTH
er or son OF woman who may be immeasu-
rably his superior, may caprlciously torment
and annoy her to the verge of tile grave,
may be the heartless and faithless steward Of
all her rights, her selfconstituted representa-
/ tive and legislator, or may squander her hard
earned gains upon his nppetites, and all by
mere virtue of manhood which he has ut
/ terly degraded and disgraced until he has
/ forfeited all claim to its title. Or, in other
/ cuscs, assuming no tic, but weaving insidu-
= ously iAroGgh all her being, that strongest Of
oil bonds, a love that will sacrifice friends
and honor, body and soul TO the beloved,
may spurn her ut last with loathiug TO utter
neglect and untimely death; and for ull this,
there is neither the shadow of prevention,
nor tribunal of redress. And yet, his is the
"nngep of the rhymer, the divinity OF the
lover, and the bettcr-half" of mankind
/ in The abstract But alas alas, exposed to
/ the arts of the stranger without hope or help
CIR, well may she exclain, Heaven shield
me from my friends !" aud he pardoned il
she sometimes turns Indignantly from the
homage of sex which defy her with words,
but deny aud stlne her humanity, aud turn
from her in her need.
| These grant 10 be extreme cases, but tho
greater includes the less, and these will serve
TO suggest those which may, aud must oc-
cur with various notifications of severity
/ mir
so, il seems best 20 me that we do not urge
any one right MS prominent, hut going to the
root of the matter, direct our efforts first TO n
correction of that false estimate OF woman
which virtually denies her humanity its true
aud full expression any aud everywhere, i'll
sisting, that II womdn be a human being, she
| have recognition MS such, aud il not, II be
said manlully, and that so nnother's shall he
| hcncel0rth the guidance of her reason not
only, but the responsibility of her action
Whatever shall bc the decision of the long
mootcd question of the mental equally of tho
sexes, that of the rights of woman MS hu-
man being is not 1T all effected thereby. In
regard to the first, il will be prejuGgng the
case altogether. To- assert her inftriOrity until
al least u fair field shall he given her for the
trial. While in regard TO the second, we
take Our stand upon the broad ground OF her
humanity, aud claim by virtue of that, her
right to an individual representation, social-
ly, politically, and regi0usy aud To tie full,
unhindcred cultivation and use Of nll the.
faculties with which she has been gifted
equally in kind it not in degree, with man.,
The degree affects not at all her title TO tho
right, else would many lord of creation be
shorn of his; and if her dcvclopcmcnt be.
now n weaker one, il may he well to enquire
whether man would hive reached n higher
degree, under SO partial aud enervniing n
training and every way 20 adverse circunl-
stances.
And upon herself the reaction of sucl,
public sentiment has been iearlully nIaniles-
ted, creating of necessity in most cases tho
very abcct, weak, superficial creature men,
tally and physically, who is niterwurd with
such nngnnnimous consistency refused her
proper position us untitled for il How
should she be otherwise than unified? Are
not all the motives To pure ambition, and a
holy striving denied her? why should sllo
cultivate the powers that may have no full
individual expression? Since she is expected
TO be vain aud pucrilc, aud but half develop
ed, aud since this sullices 10 secure life of
present case, why should she put forth use
less efforts? especially, since all such etforts
are certain TO bring upon her the reproach Of
being obliged TO labor for livelihood, and
with that, but the poor compensation of n
miserable moiety of whit any man beneath
her might earn? Or if not that, the taunt of
n masculine nature, and perchnnce with utter
loss of caste. Is it marvel that under all
these and kindred discourugemenls she
should sink into apathy, and so few now are
found who ever dream OF better fate, or
yearn for u fuller aud higher life? Aud is
it logical to argue from the content of tho
many, that there can he no wrong involved |?
The slaves upon a southern plantation may
not be conscious of their letters, or unhappy
under their bondage and is freedom there
fore not desirable to them, not right above,
aud irrespective of all considerations? Such
apathy 10 woes that are deeper aud darker
than mere physical evil, is, TO the just and
compassionate, louder aud more inperiouR
call for knowledge and freedom.
We do not claim that the present position
of woman is iraught with unpiired evil to all;
we know there are many excellent wives
aud mothers living up to the full measure Of
their duties as such, rs fur as manifest TO
them, and many of them desiring nothing
more. And while we honor such, and while
we acknowledge the beauty of all these re-
laiions, aud would not annul one of them,
we also know that there is large class who
can lie all this and much more, who would
give TO these relations broader scope and
deeper significance, or, untitled for them,,
would adorn and brighten life in other ways.
We know too, that already many Of these,.
overcoming the restraints Of their own timi-
dity, and the opposition of the world about
them, have won u name, and achieved posi-
ton above the biting pains of poverty updi
the consraint of custom. But they only
know the sharpness of the conflict and the,
bitterness of the struggle. And we plead
for those others, the timid ones, who lnger
under burdens they can lily bear, fearing to.
rush to others that they know not of-those