Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-06-26
American Women.

DeuTNIlCcS 10, hIncIIChu w OtHCH OCttCI OiIi
and much better treated, than those of any
other country upon the face of the earth.
You never saw woman trundling wheel
barrow in America, or bearing heavy burdens
upon her back, or head; or dragging a
plough, or laborne in the fields with the men,
bare footed and swarthy, as you may in Eng
land, or France, or Germany, and almost every
where else on earth, any day in the year, and
every hour in the day; doing the work Of q
man, ard the pay of II man.
You never sec her living and dying here un-
der lock and key; nor crippled and shut out
with wells from head to foot, or forbidden to
breathe the pure air, to look up into the blue
sky until she is ready to bc burnt alive, or TO
acknowledge her prcfcrcnces-Or even to feel
a preference for the man who is appointed to
be her husband-a slave and plnything-an
ovcrdresscd baby, garlanded for the sacrifice
and anxious only to please her mastcr-as
in Turkey, India, China, Persia, France, Italy
or Portugal.
AS H0meh, therefore. and for no other reason,
the females of this country, take them to-
gether, young and old, black and white, hand
some and ugly, and whether rich or poor, en-.
joy consideration, which is never allowed
them anywhere else; and which they arc so
familiar with from their very birth, that they
never dream OF acknowledging it, much less
of being iattcred 10y it.--tOrintO q public as
scmbly Unto the crowded strccts-churches
-thcatres--ahywhcrc and that which if said
or done to man, would pass for n joke, or be
laughed at, as no more than people who wear
hats, are bound 10 putHp with, II said or done
to II woman-whatcver else she might be
would provoke Il general burst of indignation
from the widest and vilcst mob that ever
ragged in our country.
But do they deserve ite Do our women de-
serve to be better treated than their sisters are
throughout the worldY We answer no-no
Loving and lovablc, trustworthy, good-tcm-
pcrcd, constant, long-suffcring, and to sny all
in n word, rOmdniy as they are, under all the
changes and trials Of life, they arc indolcnt
beyond the women Of any other nation on
earth. They read more and study less; think
exercise vulgar, and usefulness proof of low
breeding. In short, they arc much too easily
satisfied with themselves, and with their posi-
ton in the scale Of social life. We talk q
great deal iIorc about Woman's rights than
about Woman's dutics-and while wrangling
about the privilege Of voting, forget to bring
up our sons that they may protect us by using
their prerogativcs judiciousy. We do not SO
much want new rights rs just understand
ing Of those we already posSess-a solemn
sense Of duty. The mighty presence of that
which makes woman a guardian angel to-
wards her otlspring-a wise and watchlul
tenderness, looking ever to the future,a
We do not mean to say that all have these
faults; or that all have these virtues, and are
alike worthy Of love. For, on every side, there
are magnificent exccptions---wOMen remark
able for diligence, foresight, and wise thrift
incSs-womcn who would not only die for
their children Qor that every American mother
will doD but who are willing to lire for them /;
women who would not only toll and wrestle
for them, day and night, oil their lives long,
through hardship and shame, and sickness,
and want, and sorrow-for oil these are the
familiar household virtues of an American
mother--but who wOuld qualify themselves
for trimming their children to o loftier growth
Of manhood-and Of womanhood who would
labor with them, as well as for them; and
play with them, too, whenever playing were
better than toll. 20 i,
Such women exist among us, even with the
beauty and fashion Of great city, as many a
beautiful instance Of trial has proved; for fc-
male greatness as often belongs to the upper
tcndum as to n lower rank Of life. 10 be rich
and distinguished, is not always to be useless
and unfcclng. The fault We speak ofbclongs
to all classes.
But is there natural deficiency Of under
standing with our wOIhenp.' Are they created
for nothing better! Are they to be only what
they now are-and that for ever and eyer
We say no-no; and yet it must depend upon
themselves. If they arc not made sensible Of
their faults if they are wholly satisfied with
the childish Difference men pay to them every
where as HOmeh-and for no other reason-
there will not be one in thousand of them,
after few years, worthy to become a mother
Of statesmen, or Of those honest men who give
statesmen their strength. The homage which
men extend to us SO lavishly has more of
compliment to the sex by far than Of homage
to the individual. This is why women receive
It so thanklcssly. 1t is duty which every
gentleman owes to himself rather than to the
individual, and she knows it.
So far as appearances 90, VIC have said so
far as the outward, empty manifestations of n
feeling which, however they may regard it, is
at the best earthly, and but homage to the SEX
after all, instead of homage to the soul, or
mind, or heart, or principles, our women arc
better oil and better trcated--morc kindly and
rcvcrcntially that iS-than are the women Of
any other people upon the face Of the EARTH
But when you look for something beyond
edIdRccs-ior something hOlicr, lolticr, and
deepcr-worthcr and more lasting-how is it
then?
Look at the cmplcyments vouchsafed to our
women. How few they arc, how scanty, and
how worthless That which no man ofspirit
will touch is always goodenough for woman.
Look at their pay, when they labor diligently
and faithfully all their lives long, poor Great
urcs, in the hope Of saving little for the day
Of sorrow that they may not be obliged to
marry, while the bloom is upon their lip, and
the sunshine is not wholly cxtinguished from
their eyes. And these cmploymcnts arc vouch-
safcd; and these prices are paid by men, and
among men-men who would have the women
Of their country believe that they have
hearty desire to promote the welfare, tue COM
fort and the goodness Of Woman! God for
give thcml
Some day when the men of America find
out how much Of rOmdnIy excellence lies
Smothered under the dead rose leaves they
shower upon us, they will be ashamed offeed-
ing us with foam, and vouchsaie that true
homage which makes us wise and good.
F- , ------~-S~~S---A-y .:
7. AStOry with,a Moral a
E,kx, laws as.Na vwn AoN A. -.