The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-11-28
yindication of Mrs. Wittenmyer.

Vtndicaaion of Mrs. Wittenmyer.
The following report of the remarks OF
Mrs. DARWIN in the Sanitary Convention
at Des Moines, we find in the Register:
Mrs. Darwin obtained the floor, and
said:
Mr.. Presidential seems to be ques-
toned here whether woman has right to
risk her life for her country. We believe
that every created intelligence has the God
given right to seek to perfect itself, to de-
velop ali it's faculties and powers in any
direction it sees fit, so long as it violates no
moral obligations, interferes with none OF
the rights Of others. If my brother prefer,
to the plough-handle, who shall say nay !?
If in like manner prefer the broom-han
die, who has the right to object? If l can
leave the peaceful pursuits of the farm or
the counting-room to engage in fierce strife
in the political arena, who shall blame me
if demand voice in the making Of those
laws by which am to be governed? If he
can grid on his sword and at the call OF his
country, rush to the deadly combat, who
shall forbid that I, actuated by the same
love of country and her brave defenders,
follow him, pick him up wounded and dy-
ing from the CORY field, and recall him to
life and his country by my assiduous care?
But it is no time to be talking of proprie-
ty. If your house is on fire, your chill
dren in danger of perishing in the flames,
do you stop to ask whether mans or a
voma,a's hand passed the bucket of water,
ere you dash it on the burning element?-
You are at sea! Your ship is laundering!
The men, weary and exhausted at the
pumps, have sunk down to rest! If wo-
man steps to the handle, do you CRY" Hold!
1t is not proper, not lady-like to be thus
engaged on this public ship" Thus it is
with us! Our glorious Ship of State,
whose deck we have ever proudly trod, and
boosted, is at sea! She is in danger! She
is sinking! To the cry, Cali hands to the
pumps! every man, woman and child
rushes to the rescue! Presently, above the
roar of the storm is heard a strange, discor-
dant voice, calling out, Estate rights! Eve
~ man take care of his own state-rOom.-
Never mind the ship!' Fools and knaves
heed the cry and act accordingly. Now,
all thickly strewn with the dead and dy-
ing, we hear the cry, ''Propriety! Don't
go in there! 1t is full of weary and worn,
needing your assistance. But don't enter.
It is mems place! Call the men from the
pumps to attend to that" Shame on the
one who uttered the cry, and burning
shame on the woman who heeds it'll What,
my SlSteTS. w ucu our ldtueTS, DIOlueIS,
husbands and sons are falling like autumn
leaves on yon battle fields, pining with dis
ease in the distant hospitals, and we would
send the little delicacy, the loving word
that is to cheer and sustain them, and re-
ceive back the dying message that is to be
our long solacein our sore bereavement,
are we to be told that a woman's hand,-a
woman's heart is not fit channel through
which to convey them? Who believes it :?
hot NH hoS NJ
her mission, will assent to it? Mother, if
you cannot go yourself to your dying boy,
would YOU not deem it rich boon if some
woman's soft hand could wipe the death
damps from his brow some gentle sympa-
thizing heart, catch his last, faint whisper,
and transmit it to you with tenderness
and delicacy that robs the painful tidings
Of half it's woe?
Iowa has such, many such, we trust,
ministering angels to her noble souls; and
let us, who cannot share their work in
camp and hospital, cheer and sustain them
by our labors, our sympathies, and our
prayers here at home, not by calling in
question the propriety of their conduct
The Great Jehovah himself has given his
sanction to woman's work. Whenever in
the great crisis of the worlds history he
has needed some undaunted, unselfish spir-
it to lead forward the nation in the path Of
freedom, Woman has been the chosen in
strument as witness Joan-of-Arc, Chariot
te Corday, and may not name our own
Annie Dickinson? for who, that has list
ened to the magic Of her eloquence does
not believe her Freedoms inspired Evan
gel?
When we heard the question asked Of
one of these noble women, to whose untir-
ing efforts Iowa doubtless owes the life of
many of her brave soldiers, why she her
self visited the hospital? why she did not
leave all to the Surgeons? we blushed that
the questioner was not woman and we
thought as we'll ask the mother why she
does not leave her sick child to the sole
care of the physician and the servant girl {!
We are glad that Iowa has daughters as
well as sons intthis war; that there is one,
at least, whom neither foes abroad, nor de-
tractors at home can drive from the path
of duty; who was early in the field; who
found our sick at Sedalia on boards and
provided comfortable beds; who was first
to present the cup of nutriment to famish-
ing lips, from the CORY fields of Shiloh |;
who stopped not for summers heat or win
ter's cold who has braved all the horrors
Of the hospital and the battlefield; whom
neither guerriilas by the river, nor shells
exploding at her feet could daunt. One, in
short, who has vindicated by her conduct
the right of woman to live, and labor, and
suffer, in her country's cause.
We rejoice in the name Of American cit
liens. We are infinitely prouder Of our
country to-day under Abraham Lincoln,
though she be all mangled, marred and
bleeding, than four years since under Mr..
Buchanan. We glory in the noble band