The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-11-01
WOMAN,S RIGHTS.

nj public meeting closing the recent
lwoman's Rights Convention at Boston,
Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered an appro.
pirate oraiion, for report of which we are
indebted TO the Boston Traveller The oralion
was full of mythic grandeur and nonsense,
but redeemed by passages of great beauty
and brilliancy. On the whole, it told far
more against The ca use, than for il. To al
tempt an abstract, for which alone, we should
have space at disposal to-day, would be to
10 injustice alike TO the lecturer and his
theme. He said that he shared in The belief
OF the Anglo Saxon Race, that woman has
rational nature, that they are more delicate
than men, and as The more impressionable
they are The best index of the coming hour.
As more delieate Mercuries of imponderable
influences, what they say and think were
the shadows Of future events. Man was will,
woman was sentiment. Ia the ship Of hu-
manity: will was the rudder, sentiment the
sail; and when woman attempts to steer, the
rudder was only a masked sail. The life of
the affections was primary 10 them, so that
there is really no employment or career, they
will not with their own applause, or that of
society, quit for suitable marriage. (Laugh-
ter) They cast all their fortunes on the die,
and lose themselves entirely in The glory of
their husbands children, while man stood
bewildered by magnauimily which he
could not attain TO. II was tue (said Mr..
Emerson,) that in painting, poetry AMI sculp-
ture. woman had not ye, produced master /;
and he then proceeded 10 pom; out The re-
spects in which lay their peculiar excellence.
The first OF these were the powers of CONVEX
sa,ion. They furnished society with man.
ners. The second attribute was their cere.
monial nature. They embellished irifes.-
An OK ran TO The wafer when thirsty, or TO
his corl, regardless OF obstacles, and said no
thanks: but man delays /; he paints the de-
sired object all over with forms; he invent
ed majesty, etiquette, courts, drawing-rooms,
architecture, dress, elegance, privacy he
created dignities, The union of sexes; aud
how should we better measure the eulph
between the best intercourse of mar, in old
Athens, London, or our American capitals
between that and the hedgehog existence of
the diggers oil worms and caters of offal-
than by sisnalizing just this departmen, of
taste and comeness yet herein woman
was lhe prime genius and ordainer. There
was no e'ace taught BY the master of man
mere, no style adopted in the etiquette of
courts, but was first the action OF some brill
isn,, who charmed the beholders by this
new expression, which man copied; and he
taught that we should magnify their ritual
manners There was no Advantage without
compensation. Woman was more vulnera.
BILE, more infirm than man. They could not
be ssch elegant artists in lie element of fan.
ey If they did NOT give themselves to it,
They were poets who believed their own
posiry-ihey dwell more than man in the
zingdom of Illusion They admitted into
their atmosphere waves over waves of col.
ored light, and they saw all objects through
those warm tinted inists which envelope
them. But the'slarry crown of woman. the
throne Of her affection and sentiment, and
the infinite enlargement 10 which they lead,
was the passion of love-painter and adorn-
or OF ne y and early life but nons suspected,
in lie blushes and tremors, what tragedies
and immorali,ies were beyond il. Mr.. En-
erson then went on to show that as society
had progressed, so had woman's position
changed and improved; and concluded by
saying that he did not think II yet appeared
that women wish an eqnal share in public
affairs. But il was they, and not we, who
were TO deiermne it. (Applause.) If we
refused them vote, we should refuse TO tax
them; according to our Teuonic principles,
no representation. no tax. AT all events, this
appearing OF new opinions in many minds,
was . wonderful fact. Whatever is popular
is important as showing the spontaneous
sense Of the hour, for the aspiration of this
century will be the code ofthe next. A mas
culine woman was moi strong, but lady is.
Tha loneliesi thought, the poorest prayer, is
rushing TO be The history OF a thousand years.
Let us have the true woman, the adorner,
the ceremonial, the hospilable, the religious
heart; and no lawyer need be called in to
write the stipulalions with cunning clauses
Of provisions and strong instruments. Then,
be ought 10 say, be though, il impossible to
separate the education and interests of the
sexes. Improve and refine the men, and
you do the same by the woman, whether you
viii or no. The slavery OF woman began
when men were the slaves of kings. The
anelioraiion of manners had brought wom-
ans smelioralion, Of course hence this
huge desire OF better laws. This new move
msnt, he said, Ia conclusion, be looked al as
atie shared by the spinIs Of men and women,
and they might proceed in faith, that what
sver woman's heart was prompted 10 desire,
msn's mind was siniultaue ousIy prompted 10
accomplish, (Applause.l