Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-03-26
From the Christian Press.
Rights and Wrongs Of Women.


Although not n member Of your Associa-
ton, You have kindly invited nc TO express
my views on Woman's Rights, or rather on
the inequalities of the sexes and disability
of woman; and 90 so the more rendily
since il is to me subject of serious aud
earnest inierest-one in no respect inferior
in importance to negro slavery, aud in many
respects strikngly analogous to il, since il is
the same uninlightened public opinion, aud
the same uulounded love of power which
in Christian community tuleraics either
Not that suppose every woman necessarily
bora TO Degradation and inerioiity, even in
the present state Of society, or that every
Que who murrics diicnjs secures TO herself
tyranny aud oppression. We know ii is not
so, but that women often assume to them
selves position of dependence, and that
many OF our laws assign such TO theln
which honorable aud intelligent men urc
ashamed %, and never permit their wives to
hold. We more often hear women Object
to the discussion of this subject us indecorous,
Than men aud think we may fairly esi-
mite the character of a rnan, in this respect,
when we hear wife utter her convictions
in his presence us though she were not
afraid OF what was coming behind the
scenes.
The theme is so extensive, aud we are
met at tic very threshold 10y difficulties
which long established custom, the deep
rooted prrjudccs Of some, aud the thorough
seliislness of others, throw around rs, that
although we know we are right, yet we
hardly know where first to begin, to induce
others to think so too. The right Of suffrage,
the right to equal education, and the right
to hold properly belong as innliennbly TO us
us TO men, aud are only withheld from us by
usurpalion, or the right OF the STRONGEST
perhaps however only until the wrong of it
shall have been faithfully presented. But
these have often been discussed 10y more
able advocates, and | pass to two other
points, equally important, which should he
pressed on the consideration OF women, and
which must, and will, in time bo adopted,
before they can become what they seek TO
be--lhe fall representatives OF what God
formed NJ the companion aud mate for man (;
mem Self Dependence, aud, as n cOnse-
quence, Mglurer Marriages. Early in life,
long before ever heard tho disabilities to
which women are subjected spoken of us
anything but Blue iedchng, this weighed
heavily on my spirit, aud used To wonder
why II wus that women must always he de-
pendent on somebody, aud whether there
wns no possibility of their each doing soule-
thing, as men did, by which they might earn
their own bread. No matter what wo-
mans capability is, no matter what amount
of labor she performs in her fathers house
or her own, she has and can have no pecun-
inry independence, She must still receive
as favor, however gladly or kindly bes-
towed, everything she uses, everything she
has. 1t is a gyt, not a remuneration for
value received, Nothing is her own.
am told by some lhat this is delightful,
Just what they like. Bul why do they like
n? Why do women like it better than
men? Because they have not had their
minds awakeded to the nobleness of self
dependence; because, like the poor slave,
they have been taught from birth that they
could mol take care Of themselves, and thus
contracting their mental sphere, produce
Just the helpless dolls we see, called ,Oomen
1t always reminds me of those free blacks
who say they think Southern slavery right