New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-04-23


Mayors lecture in Lyceum Hall, last evening. The
high repute of the lecturer, and the subject Of his
lecture, Woman in the Nineteenth Century" were
evidently strong attractions as the cold wind and
dust that prevailed in the streets chilling and blind
ing all who ventured out would have prevented a
large attendance under ordinary circumstances.
Mr.. Mayer was accompanied upon the stage by the
Lyceum ard Library Committee of the School Board,
and introduced to the audience by DR.. Lindsay, the
President. He began by paying the tribute to the
ladies', which the occasion required. If there was
point he said, upon which the sterner SEX with all
their dissensions and qaibblngs, might agree it was
that of respect and admiration for the ladies' H.
The first branch of the lecture was in reference to
the womens rights excitements that have been so
conspicuous feature in the Northern States of late
years. The speaker described the Womens Rights
Conventions as sittings Of old maids and other dis
contented women, who had never had chance to
marry and whose ncubations were a series OF reso-
buttons and addresses, which shared the fate of all
other spring chickens, in the hands of the remorse
less cooks of the daily press. He claimed that the
male sex had equal grounds of complaint and attrib-
uted the womens rights cutlery to dscontented vanity
and an unnatural stranng after equality. The great
principle of nature, he sad consists in no two things
being equal every thing has its proper sphere and
the faacy of the strong minded females lies in bat
ting for equality where it is not needed aud cannot
exist.
If women were the equals of men in their sphere,
ms the strong minded women would have them, what
would become of love? Who ever heard of man
adoring man, or of a woman pining after woman :!
What woman, strong-minded otherwise, would not
feel scorn and contempt for the man who would in
wade her sphere by DOMINIC the gown and working
at the spinning wheel? The lecturer concluded this
branch of his subject, by showing that the wisdom
and benecence of the Creator are illustrated in the
difference between man and woman one the type OF
power, the other of gracetwo parts of heaven-de-
signed unity, whose opposing qualities are in equi-
poise-and whose union, in marriage, is a type of
mortal perfectiblity.
The lecturer next passed briefly over the conditions
of woman in the different ages of the world from the
earliest times down to the present-as passive
slave to sensuaty in the early Egyptian age as a
dignilied wife and matron in the Roman age an
idoized dollbaby in the Chiyalric age, and
painted and powdered firt and wanton in the more
modern age Of Charles H. of England and the Louises
of France-taking always the centers of civilization
for his estimates. In the age last spoken Of however,
the characteristics of the ladies of the courts by
no means those of womanknd in general. During
the lcentious reign of Charles there prevailed beyond
the circle of the court and its communicating fashions
some Of the good oldfashioned virtue of the earlier
times and from this pure stock sprang the first cviliz
alton of the American continent.
The present, Mr.. Mayer characterized as the COM
mercal age. and he proceeded to contrast the cond
ton of society in America and in Europe. In Europe
the great feature of fashionable society is its ocaz
tion-that is its adherence to the ancient customs
and traditions of the particular centers from which
the circles of fashion spread IN America, where no
such limitations eXist-with all the advantages of
freedom, in education, thought, and acton-and with
the profound respect of the under all conditions
and circumstances-wonan has a better chance to
show what she is made of, than she had in any
other country or age of the world
The difference between fashionable life and true
life was next set forth in an entertaining manner
Policy and cash. said the lecturer, the controlling
influences nowadays not virtue and the will Of God
He reprobated the subservency of America to the
fashions of Europe England must give US the key
to our libraries-Franee the key to our wardrobes-
and this prevents the development of a healthy
American progress The ollies of fashionable educa
ton, and the exclusion of married people from gay
society," were next shown up, in strong satirical
light The debut of the boarding school miss in the
ballroom the tender agonies of the fortune hunting
mamma the indifference of the father etc, were dis
played with proper force. Fashion he said, is
celent thing when directed in behalf of good but
in the hands Of tradespeople, it is waste of time
destroyer of correct fancy and blight upon pros.
perity.
The ridicuIe that now attaches to old fashions,
he al of Mt all times
follower of fashion nowadays can look at the pictures
Of the legofmutton sleeves big bonnets, and other
peculiarities of dress in 1S3O- period within the
collection of most of us-without laughing heartily
The fashion of 1880 is now voted monstrous but the
fashion of 1857 is equally monsrous, and will pos
terity decide. What picture will the fashions of
1857 make in the magazines of 1877 Should an in
habitant of some distant orb by chance drop down
our planet and see one of our bellies in fashionable
promenading costume, pile of gorgeous dress trail
ing the ground loaded with founces and expanded
with crinoline- hgh-heeled shoes clicking beneath
and bare head protruding from the top, with a
sprnkng of velvet shreds and flowers on it, called Il
bonnet--would he take her for fellow mortal? No
He would rather imagine her a gigantic bird of para
disc, butterfly, or a bit of rainbow tumbed from
the heavens.
Ine ZONES OF INC Dali room were next
upon in u strain of satire which the dancing portion
OF the audience could well afford to excuse for it
hunor. One question which the lecturer asked, was
| if refinement was never offended, delicacy neve
shocked, upon behoding the embraces which fashion
toerates in the ballroom waltz and polka but which
would not be countenanced in any other place. He dix
not wish to be understood bearing upon all classe
of society he alluded only to what he termed thu
dancing-schoo society of the present day, and rep
rotated in particular its exclusion of married people
from its circle He showed the brlliancy of saloor
life in the capitals of Europe to he owing to the in
tercourse of the cultivated and refined ntellects
both sexes without reference to their married sin
| gle condition.
| The speaker next made forcibe and eloquent ad
dress to the their propher sphere,
| showing them how feeble they are when on thu
wrong track, and how powerful when on the right
| The mission of woman, said he, is to create hom
| for man. Let woman hut cultivate herself for thu
| duties of the home freside, and she will rende
"hoine' in America word more respected THAI
| that of Plymouth Rock. Home without wife is a
! impossible as circle without center. Mr.. Maye
concluded his address with smile illustrative OF TIN
inequalities which make up the grand harmony 0
creation particularly the inequality of the il
the human hranch-the beauty Of which we will no
| mar nv attpmntinr to cOndenSc