New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-07
MAN AND WOMAN

erful and popular essay on woman ana 'ho
.vom,n's Noyement,'" which is by far the
most liberal and did of any we have reado on
the conservative side OF the question. Ii Tue
writer had only begun by ascertaining what 1t
is that he is opposing-if he had deigned even
70 ouore from any address or manifesto IN be-
half of the 'Woman's Movement asynopslso oil
its aims and demahds-if he had seen tit to con-
sider what is desirable and necessary for NO
man. instead of looking st the subject as If the
only point to be considered were how Woman
shall render herself most bewitchins and ser
viceable TO Man-his stately rhetoric and tOrci-
Bile dialectics would have been far better
welded than they are. In order to SHOW
wherein be fails TO do justice to the question
after misapprehending it and sometimes ar
guing one point and deciding another-we will
exhibit the matter in the form of Dialogue
between Man and Woman, sometimes quoting
passages from the Putnam essay on behalf OF
Man. and sometimes giving the substance only
Of the argument against the Woman's Move
ment, viz:
Vom0n-Please, Sir. demand my rights.
Man-Adorable angel what rights can you
have or desire that you do not now possess !
Homdn-I ask TO be regarded as human
being. and as such entitled to equal rights with
other human beings II laws are to exist by
which men and women are to be equally bound,
D r &c e NH
equally punished, ask an equal voice in max
ing or modifying them. IflabOr is required for
/ the common good Of men and women-say, In
/ Educating. Manufacturing. &c.-then L ask
/ that uen and women be equally compensated
according to their relative ability and efficiency.
/ If school. for instance, is taught in winter by
a man and in summer by woman OF equal ca
pacity, then insist that the womans monthly
pay shall be equal to she mans In short,
demand equal and free access to all pursuits
and educational advantages and | especially
protest against the tyranny which cOmpels mo
to employ masculine lawyer, priest or physi-
clan, when / should greatly prefer the ministra-
tons of my own sex, had women been allowed
free access to the seminaries where only may
the requisite knowledge be obtained.
Man--Impossible In the circumstance
of her exclusion from the learned professions,
see proof of their contrsriety to her essen
tial nature and habits"
Woman.-Ah do you Then why not
trust to 81 her essential nature and habits in
stead OF shutting the doors of colleges, lecture
rooms. and schools of Law Physic aud Divin-
ity against her.
Man-Because " We are told by the sober
est of our judges that if Woman be admitted
to forer sic practice, it would soon be next to
impossible to get righteous decision from the
bench, 20 inevitable bias must her advocacy
Of any cause produce on the judicial mind.
Woman-NY, Sir if her appearance in
court as an adroeate would have so disturbing
and so disastrous an effect, why should not
her appearance there as party or leading 'ot-
ness prove equally baleful She is nop at
liberty 10 appear there to plead her OnH cause;
and if she would crer be dangerous to the poise
Of Justice, why not in that case Yet you
permit her (being single) to sue and be sued,
to lose and recover, to be witness for another
or an advocate for herself and perceive no bad
result. Why should her appearing in aAotaer's
cause so pertUrb and distort the judgment
when il has no such effect in her own
Man" Democracy in breaking down the
wall of partition between the professions and
the laity, has destroyed the peculiar dignity of
those professions, and so renders the female
aspiration in that direction absurd You act
unwisely in making professional distinctions so
prominent an element of your remedial treat
ment for Womans grievances"
Homen.-Nay, Sir you persist in misap-
pretending us. We have claimed access to
the professions not from any exaggerated no.
tons of their responsibility or our lack Of it.
What We seek is FREEDOW TO serve Ga and
Human ty wheresoeyer We may DO so most
usefully. We protest against the artificial and
arbitrary barriers which hem US in on this side
and on that, because tiey are barriers, and be-
cause We deny the right of Man to enact OF
erect such arbitrary limitations 10 the sphere
Of Woman Though no woman should ever.
more desire to enter one of the professions
! We should nevertheless resist any arbitrary
mandate shutting us ont OF them.
Mca.--" Il is an undcniable msconception
of Woman 10 suppose her capable Of entering
into rivalry with Man,-capable of competing
with him for ecclesiastical and political dis
tinction.'
WomSa-But, Sir you just now objected tC
our appearing at the Bar on the assumption
that We should win all our causes now you vir