Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-10-14
A Ship-Ioad of Women for Wash.
ingtOn Territory.

A Mr.. Mercer is now in New York load
ing ship with young ladies, whom he pro-
poses to take to Washington territory. He
has already 700, and wishes to get 1000, when
his capacities for accommodation will be
exhausted, and the ship will sail for the
Pacific slope. In noticing this movement,
New York newspaper says:
Between 700 and 900 young women have
agreed to emigrate, and are now awaiting
the time for the steamship to sail. About
two-thirds of them are from Massachusetts
mainly from Boston and LOwel-and the
remainder from other New England States
and New York, with few from Ohio, Illi-
nois and other Western States. The pas
sengers include a number of men-shoe-
makers, machinists, and other mechanics
and few families; but the ladies are so
greatly in the preponderance that the en-
terprise may be regarded solely as directly
affecting the softer SEX"
Somebody skilled in splitting hairs will
perhaps be kind enough to inform us the
exact moral difference between shipping
several hundred women from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, and selling half-dozen or
more young niggers in Virginia for the
New Orleans market. True, there is no
flesh and blood embodiment which drives
these young women away, but there is an
immaterial, although equally inexorable
a1ctioneer, named Necessity, who drags
them from their homes and families.
The tears that have been shed in the
North over the sundering of negro families
is sufficient to furnish perpetual water pow
er, If collected, for the manufactures of all
Massachusetts,. Necessity, like brutal
slave-owner, has seized upon several hun
dred beautiful white girls in the Bay State,
has torn them from their families, and will
cell them to the highest bidders in Wash
'ington territory, thousands of miles away.
Who will weep over this rude violation of
the family circle? No one. Philanthropy
gazes complacently on the transaction and
says nothing, because the matter has no.
votes. ~ sfi.,s Grs..f.rlr
But aside from the political aspects of
the case, there is no reason why any one
should not wish these adventurous damsels
success. We learn that fallen women are
rigidly excluded, although we are not In
formed as to the manner in which Mr..
Mercer distinguishes between one who is
"fallen" and one who is not. His recipe
for ascertaining such differences in advance,
If put into this market, would find a ready
sale. ,.
But, as we said, we wish these young
women success. They will get, what they
cannot have in achusetts-husbands
There is large surplus of virginity in that
State, which the men cannot attend to, for
the reason, probably, that they have other
ends to care for. They prefer to propagate
Puritanism rather than themselves, and
hence these young women have to emigrate
in order to secure their natural dues. They
90 In search Of what Massachusetts, lacks
men; and they win probably get them. They
are right in leaving Massachusetts. 1t lis an
unmanly, impotent concern. No other
State would allow its young women to go
abroad in search ofmen. Itwould be serv-
ing the enervated male population of that
State Just right if every woman in it would
emigrate. In such case the men would
be no worse than now, while the women
would be better. ~
The masculine population of Washington
is to be envied. The consignment of youth
and beauty being made, to them is A No. l.
Nothing fractured or damaged in the least
is to be forwarded. The Washington man
will need no other guarantee of his intend
eds immaculateness and purity than the
THAT sbep epossesses passage icketsigned
by Mr.. Mercer. Wewish these ladies safe,
speedy passage, aud all the ct ceteras which
will follow their arrival. 7eiI