Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-08-01
For the Enquirer,
MIs5IUE AND DUTIES OF WOMAN AT TIE EAk'
SENT CHIsIS.

mIssrtjlE AND DUTIES OF WOMAN AT THE PRE-.
SENT CBIsIs.
Mrssrs. Ep,ross: In o city which justly
boasts. as Richmond does, of learned, elegant
ACCOMPLISHED and pious danes, IN al! the oi-
ferent churches, it might seem invlaious "
single out one ofthem rs pre-eth,nGh'iS 80
If newsnaner notice, nor shall subject my
self to such 4 reproach but | was mnch
strpck With n discourse which heard last
| Sabbath from the Rev. DIR. Sealy, OF the
Mrst Eant;st Church, on The Mission anu
| n,t;ee of Woman nj the Present Crisis IL
seems n have been suggested by the times
and by the extraordinary patriotism. phiian-
throphy and Christian sympathy eNl,ioiseu a.
most everywhere by the women Oh tile oouth'
70 those who hive been contending, in the
field, for our Constitutional r,sh'S anu hoei-
ties M, only contributing, as far as they we're
able, to the defrnccS OF the country, ana IN
furnishing clothing to the Soio,e'S pu' III
visiting the hospitals, where !ne slch anu
wounded are temporarily domiciled, and III
ministcring to their wants. ana aiieFlatihs
their sufferings with the utmost tenderness
and assiduity.
| Thus, the fearful war that has lot some time
past been raging between the Nofth anu
South, has afforded us opportunity tor new
development OF the female character III us
| most amiahle and praisew oithy aspects or
rather for its development ON larger scale'
and under more CONSPICUOUS lghts than any
circumstances in our previous history, unless
| il may be those of the old Revolution, nave
thus lar supplied. DR.. Scaly did well TO Sclze
| on the occasion and the subject, and While
| treating the latter with refined taste AMI
| scholarly ability, 10 iind, i'll the new sphere
thus open to the genial hcnevolence OF wo-
man, additional evidence oil the powerful lnhu-
ence cxerted by purely Christian sentiments
lie made 10 attempt to champion Wha'' II,
| modern lirucs. has been rociierously an
| nouncrd Us s.W omau's Rights" He was even
doubtful, he said, as to the prnprlety OF speak
ing about wouan mission; but would Use
the word rs Convenient, AMI Will CERTAIN
qualifications. lie Was hot disposed |"
touch the question, wh!ch htd oeeA -
uuixoticalIv discussed ny t'ie debating
clubs. rs to the equality o! I'll" Sexes.
| II should, he sad, never lave been
| raised, because the constitutional differences
between man and woman were So a!fefse' Atr'
SO strongly marked, As to ru,der COMPARE
son between them vain and puerIi2 III the ~
| IRENE. Cases III which wU!hcn had governed
| kingdoms, commanded armies, and even E;s'i-
gated the seas, might bc cited, int tiiey were
exceptional cases in the history 81 thc'Se%.--~
Such masculine functions, hy the common YER
dict of the world i'll the ages, tr;1tSccnaca lief
| proper sphere. Intellectual man was l!Ie
| fountain of hur, but loving Woman cScrtctt an
| influence more powerful than man, bat when
| WAS of so mysterious nature, thas "e iniS''
rs well attempt to define the aroma "i Il Vow
or, as explain its meaning ur iathom It's uepltiS
| In the earlier ages OF the world, and even
among the polished Greeks and Romans, the
| influence Of woman WAS confined wholly 10
the domestic sphere, where II was most
benclically felt, especially III the proper tram
ING Of her Offspring. 1t WAS Impossible, the
! Reverend gentleman said, To appreciate, IL It's
| full extent the advantage she had Conferred
upon the world i'll tins war. Eut Christianity
! had extended the sphere OF h:: operations ty
| indiciing her into the Church. ana, through
| the Church. enabling her to act directly upon
| society rs Il hcnctactur and lnoialisl. II
| was now well understood that society, IN MI
| its circles, derived its moral tone from the
| wizard influence Of WOMAN, and this influence,
among the refined and justly thinking OF the
sex, was sngularly hnmanizing and clcrating
| Women were not, and Shou!d not be, dogma
tic teachers of theology, but, without irpul-
sivc Ictation, "thcy might point the way 10
Heaven and lead the way" In this respect
they might be, and he was happy 10 say, they
often were fearless champions Of Christianity,
and. in their own career, shining examples OF
the controlling influences Of its preceptsi and
| In no aye ur country had women Of noble
rank ana humble circumstances distinguished
themselves more tor their practical beneti-
cence than had the women Of the South i'll the
| present cvcnlful crisis Of our affairs. The
pulpit was happy to acknowledge the fac,
| and the future historian of these times would
doubtless d, Justice to their achievements III
| thu great cause III humanity.