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

fanny rs II OF the highest value in Government.
What them Why, that both Man and Woman
should govern, and neither sex should assume con-
troll over the other. Nature herself has har-
monized the sexes, provided the ambition Of Man
and the yielding servil ty of Woman do not disturb
this harmony. But now under the sway Of Man
alone, what have we p! Slavery monopoly, op-
preston and knavery of all kinds-the most prom
lnent OF all the masculine qualities. charge the
continuance Of despOtism in the Old World and of
oppression in the New to this divorce Of the mas
culne and the feminine in human legislation The
affections aIe truly feminine. Tell me whetherslave-
ny could exist If Woman had been permitted to en-
| throne philanthropy in the empire of the world
Woman loves her children and possesses all the
domestic affections in far amper development
than Man. Tell me if the laws of any State Of this
! Union would now tolerate a separation of husband
and wife, parents and children to crafty the ava
nee OF Mana passion that is generally foreign to
| WOman-had she been permitted full and equal
voice in the legislation OF this country Woman
loves home and all its delicate AMI holy associa-
| tons--lOyes them far better than she loves gold
| Tell me If the earth would rot long since have
| bee held sacred to home, to labor and to human
happiness, had not Woman continued disfran-
cbsed No; these denominations could not have
continued under the harmonious union of the mas
cuiDe and the feminine elements in Government.
Religion and beDeyOlence are essential stirnu-
lants TO the investigation Of truth. When we de-
sire proposition to be true, we are more than
half converted. When the philosopher is a phi
lantbrepist also, he very readily embraces those
humaniary truths which are deepi:ed by the old
feminine element from Philosophy has kept the
great question of Human Rights wrapped in dark
ness-and, consequently, when Woman has
regned, she has been ali untaUght in these great
est OF Questiuns-Or rather the as Of her educa-
ton has been in opposition to Freedom and Equal
ity.
Thus we see bow the divorce of the two ele-
r,arts in philoeonhy has concealed tho pnIa
rights of man from general observation and thus,
also we discern how the exclusion Of the female
element from government has aggravated the evil,
and kept the great human world in letters. This
ton becomes, therefore, vital one and the
more consider it, the more profoundly are we
imprt ssed with the Importance of this reform in
the Political relations Of the sexes.
see clearly, says my conservative friend, that
if this theory be true-and it cannot be Disputed
that Woman must be permitted to vote. OF
course. Our Government is in the hands of the
People-that is the White Male portion of them
and the only way in which the feminine element
can be introduced, is to give Woman the privilege
OF expressing herself through this only channel by
which each voter speaks at Washington, and CO.
lumbus, whence the echo Of his voice is heard
again through the length and breadth Of the land.
This concludes one branch of the argument. |
proceed to another demonstration:
III. All forms OF Government that ever existed
grew out of the Marriage Relation. The first OF
all institutions, social, political, or religious, is
that of the Family. At first there was no other
gorernment-but this has existed ever since the
Creator put Adam to sleep. IN order that Woman
might he formed bone OF his bone and flesh of his
ilesh. Then the Family was organized, and so
as it grew into several branches, the Patriarchal
age commenced. The Husband and Wife, Father
and Mother, were sovereign by the natural order
of things. The principal facts we have on this
subject arc recorded i'll the Old Testament, though
the historian has transmitted faint glimmerngs of
the same institution as the first stage in the de-
velOpment of all the primitive nations. While the
wants oimen were few and Their manners simple
there was no occasion for the breaking up of kim
bred. Several generations OF children remained in
the same family, acknowledging, by virtue of his
gIay experience the venerable old patriarch as the
heed and governor. Ii, Of course, required but
little exercise of authority in the peaceful pursuits
of the shepherd or the herdsnan, upon the objects
of whose care all subssted. Previous TO the in
PRODUCTION of Agriculture, the family which some
times assumed the dignity OF a tribe moved fom
place to place to find new pasture for their hocks
and herds After the introduction of Agriculture,
permanent habatlons were necessary. The fam
ily was div ided-lands parceltd to each--many
different families settled, for convenience in the
same vicinity, and, there a necessity for
sOme general understanding as 30 the determina-
tion OF all disputes that might arise, in order that
harmony might be preserved, COVE rnment assumed
wider scope, and Dcmocracits aud Republics
d
primitive DemOcIacies.
But when the community was composed OF only
the branches OF the same family having separate
homes, farms and pursuits, il usually happened
that the Old Patriarch retained his authority and
some of his family, nearest TO him in affection
and counsel, succeeded to his power at his death.
Thus did Monarchy originate. From these two
elementary forms have been derived all the other
forms of government War prevailed from the first
contact of different tribes or families and the VIC
tor enabled to extend his empire, and great
nations were founded
Thus we discover how all governments Origina-
ted in and out of the Family. This is not mere
speculation of my own: it is the teaching of those
who have given the most attention to human his
tory. The celebrated lleeren, that industrious
German, whose patient researches are invaluable,
gives this idea in detail and truly contends that
government did not originate in the social compact
as Rousseau taught, and as our statesmen yet be-
lieve, but that it grew up insensbly, and without
any theory, the necessities of the times demand
ed. Ii was only after governments were estab-
lished that philosophers began TO theOriZe and
speculate on the subject of politics. quote now
the language of Heeren:
1--WE do not consider the formation of such societies
to be The II Of formal social copathe very idea
Of which IL at variance ih the condition of people
sl in their infancy nor do we think that anything
ike discovery Of constitution took place different
period but believe II TO have grown insensbly
OF the eSgepcies and passions of mankind. All this
was 20 lar from otng the result OF theory, that II Is
probable the notion OF theory entered the heads
OF the fret founders OF States, whsever may have been
The ught of subsequent
II it be true that the Family was the first social
and political institution can readily discover
how any error here would give rise 10 injurious
regulations in more extended governments. A
wrong at the foundation carries itself upward
through the whole supeIstructure. We are now
prtpa ed for the assertion that all human despot-
isms originated in family despotism. Al human
l.S of sla IN tho
Cops( quently, family government must be perfect
ed before the superstIucture can be ndeed per-
fecty symmetrical and harmonious. On this point
let us turn again to the historian already quoted:
"AmOhg lar nations, tne husband Is always
tie od Of lis We and lis children long as the lat
n, and p.