Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-05-28
WoMAN's RIGnTs.

Mucn - Sdlu ana Wrltten now -asudyB OF
woman rights. What then are her rights?
This is not only just, but cxpedient to give
her. Man defrauds himself when he with
holds it. For is not woman to be bis con-
slant companion? Would he choose that
his companion should be destitute of ideas2
Surely not. The conversation Of an edu-
Gated woman IS perpetual feast. IF tbs
first pleasure Of life is action, the second
certainly is talk; there is almost as much
pleasure in talking about things as in do
ing them. A man wants in wife not on
~ a companion, but a councillor. No one
mind ever saw all sides Of all subjects, NOT
all sides of one subject. And the wisest
suggestions not frequently come from the
least informed, The Pytheness. Syblls,
were women, because women were always
supposed to enjoy nearer access to She
fountain Of wisdom than man
Women have right to good husbands,
because the most of them mean to do the
thing that is nearly right.--When they
marry they have right that their hus-
bands shall be men and not mere wrecks
of debauchery and dissipation Oh, it is
one of the cruelest of wrongs for pure
and innocent girl to throw herself away
upon broken down victim of licentious-
ness, who is more fit for hospital than to
preside over a family, the candidate for
premature decay and early death. The
mind and moral nature generally in such
cases is quite as much wreck as the body.
The freshness Of life is all worn off, the
gayety Of innocence is forever gone. The
life of such man is cold and hard desti-
tute of sentiment and enthusiasm. Wo-
men is cruelty wronged when she has ac-
cepted such companion.
Woman has right to the society of her
husband. Home should be his sanctuary,
and he ought to find his happiness there.
Ii he does not, there is something wrong
He has promised to be the house band
the band that keeps the houshold togeth-
er. His presence there is necessary to
all right. Ifhe wanders away heedlessly
something is apt to go wrong. His au-
thority is often wanted to maintain order,
to arrange business, to superintend labor.
His absence ought to be as few and unfre-
quent as possible. Woman has right to
this, and her rights are grossly violated
when her husband is often unnecessarily
away.
Lastly, women have right to the ear
nings Of their husbands for the support of
their families. We never PASS drinking
saloon, from the low groggery to the pre-
ponderous hotel, without saying to our
selves, here, after all is the most outra-
geous violation of woman's rights. We
sometimes get glimpse of these apart
ments, and whom did we see there2 Hus-
bands and fathers who subsist upon their
daily wages, spending one-half or perhaps
all their earnings in liquid poison to ruin
their health, spoil their temper, corrupt
their morals, make themselves odious and
loathsome vagabonds, while their wives
are at home earning, by the slender gains
of their needle, the pittance which rsscues
their mutual offspring from starvation
Oh this is too bad to be seen and suffered
in Christian country.
This outrage upon woman's rights cries
loudest of all to heaven, and if there were
particle Of chivalry in these degenerate
days, this is the first abuse in our social
economy which would be abated. Tell me
not of barbarism of the Malays or the Fe-
jee Islanders, who roast their enemies and
pick their bones. Their enemies expect
it, and would do the like in return. But
here the blackhearted cruelty is inflicted
by a friend-the one who ought to be near
est and Of all Our boasted civilization
and Christianity Of the ninteenth century
what are they2-Balim San.