Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-09-25
A QUESTION ANswsas,.

The EnglishUomdrs Reuie,o, in
very kind and fraternal notice of the
ADVOCATE, noticing our romarks on
tho course Of the English and Amcri-
can Press, says; ~,
lit would appear that the laudablc
effort to procure a higher female oc'
cupation In looked upon rather coldiy
oven in tho United States Have
we, then, been mistaken in supposing
that "woman's rights" are more no
atty in the Republic than they are
with us2'
No, you have not been mistaken 10
such supposition. We inherited
tho English law, and the code and
practices OF England are yet stamped
upon our statute books and our court
records, but the always expanding
and libcralixing influences OF broad
and unoccupiod lands, TO which
oppressed people may neo from the
ready reach OF oppression, the adopt
ion of popular form ofgovornment,
whore tho voice Of the people could
DO made to bear directly on tho law
makers, and tho advantage In intelli-
genco, which we have gained In our
Tree states, by our excellent common
school system, has led 10 a more gen-
oral diffusion Of knowledge than in
England. and through these liberali-
zing influences tho laws in many oil
tho States, have boon 90 improved
within few years, as 10 place "tho re.
atty Of woman g rights" OF property
far ahoad Of those OF England. These
arc substantial rights and We arc not
disposed TO treat thcm as Of minor
Importance. Among thom arc the
rights of separate propo.ty, the equal
rights of tho vito 10 bring suits tor
divorce for tho same causes that mon
may bring them, theright OF thewiie
TO engage in separate business anu
receive tho results Of that business,
and many othors, mono OF Which We
believe tho lawso England yet allow.
All these improvements weapprociate.
But while our lawmakers have
kept mp 10 public sentiment, and IN
some cases have COMO In advance oil
II, in this respect, the great mass OF
tho people, both men aud women, are
not alive 70 tho subject of onlargin q
tho boundaries prescribed az y sphere
for women, who are obliged 70 depend
upon thor own resources for the
means of support. Hero IN philadel'
phia, for instance, there 10 ~ bittcrop'
position to female competitors, This
comes mainly from printers who ioar
! they arc 10 be driven from tho fold
Others (andamong those u largo mum
bor of fashionable, though silly wo'
mcn) arc mortified nc tho idea Of our
female Medical Colleges, and think i
degrading instoad OF olevatlng, iot
woman 10 become good physician
80 we might 20 through The list OF
all omploymonts and professions moi
now common 20 women, There IL q
! great four Of wo Loi's getting out Of
! ier sphcro," aud even our great uor'
ace Mann, who N President Of Anti
och College, Ohio, whore Young men
and women are said 10 have an equal
chance for education. once said Ia u
lecture that "the proper sphere Of wo'
! man WINS revolving round a dlnne'
not" II Ia such a worehipof dlnners
! and such determination that women
shall be Alavee 20 mans etomach that
We complain Of II IL tho fact that
our newspapers are too much afraid
OF their partlzap standing 70 apeak
10 they think on tho subject, that
eads ua 10 say that they are behind
tho English press, IN Independence
We undoubtedly have more papers
which express sympathy for tho We
mans movement than England, but
papers of all kinds are much more
: num crouA. leaving loss proportion
( OF favorable ones hero than there ia
We mentioned dp 90 article o.
which tho Roviow copied q portion)
ono paper, as having copied and ap'
proved oftbo English women 9 move.
ments. Tho mention was merely in
cidoutal, and not because any partlc'
ular Importance was attached 10 that
Journal, which is not known 10 one
| in q thousand of our readers, and
which 10 not Q predominant light IN
en- HswSpspsr world. selpl