, 1866-01-15
THE FEMALE EMIGRATION SCHEME,
Letter from mr.. A. s. Mercer.
new YoRK, Dec. IS, 1856

Editor Chicago Tribune:
In q late pnmber Of your paper observed
a correspondence from one "Altamonte," !"
dated at San Francisco, Nov. Eth, in which
there Is an aIlusion, in most insulting terms,
to my expedition to Washington Territory.
The Inconsistency OF the mnn is quite re-
narkable. &c starts of BY calling me a "fa-
natical fool, or something thousand times
worse," meaning, no doubt, by the latter
phrase, ubertfne or blackguard. He1thcn
says: II make no charge, directly or indi-
rcctly, against 1r. Mercer, who may be the
purest and most philanthropic individual
above ground" have not the honor Of an
acquaintance with this "High up In the
mountains,'' whose finer feelings are thus
outraged, and can only repeat the old adage,
that
s.Au iusult take n no offence,
For want Of deeency 10 want Of sense."
I would not give this matter mo-
mcut's thought II 1t referred to me alone;
but 1t is due to those whore friends arc about
to accompany me to the sunset Land, that
state facts, and thus relieve them from any
embarrassment they might otherWice feel.
This Mr. A. knows nothing of the enterprise
he condemns, either in It's conception or Its
practical workings. Neither possesses he any
knowledge Of the country about which he
writes. Judging from what he writes, he
says: "From the pursuits Of the people, and
the unstable, unsettled condition Of things,
the large number Of men who do not marry
and become possessed of permanent homes,
the influx Of thousand or two of young,
unprotected females would add nothing to
the morality of the country, while the poor
girls themselves would be exposed to pesile
which no living parent or brother would be
willing to have them meet"
Here We have three statements made, all Of
which are untrue. The men Of Washington
territory do locate upon and Improve
permanent homes. Ours is an agricultural,
grazing and numbering region, not a mining
district, md the men thus engaged naturally
become lovers Of home and home surround
fngs. 1.-THE influx Of numbers OF good women
viii add nothing to the morality Of the coun-
tryp' Who ever heaTd such m idea expreased
before? True womanhood will always exert
q good influence. As the mothers hi Isreal
are The life Of The church, SO the mothers in
ffec America are the son1 of patriotism and
The centre Of morality. '1fs woman's special
work to build up the morals OF this and every
country. This Is the first time that I eyeF
heard the question ralsed-Htl good 70
man exert good ind1euces Is It possible
that this maa has lived ut such m altitude IN
The S,erras that he has overlooked and lost
sight Of woman in her sphere Of eleyating
md refining those around hery Out of his
own month comes his condemnation. He says
athe eiris Will be subjected to .perils which
no loving parent q nrothss T19ld 11 dss BE TG n s
;ected to perils unusual? Because woman's
purifying influence has been wanting. u Is evi-
dent to 81 That more women e,,ot, are oecaed On y
Tie best means Of getting them there, and
rendering them proper assistance on their
arrival As te ths question ae thS,e : room for
to make it nv special labor to: induce and
conduct as large an emigration of ladies At
one time to our Territory as we could wei
thai @ are both bo1o,ablo and satisfactory.
They do not 60 for the purpose OF getting
married, but with tho assurance Of rennaesae n9s
Everybody who joins this party does 90 At
her own option, and with the conviction
ia. while sho t0regoos many Of she elagsaces