The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-11-14
I" Southern Women.
BY E. B. C.


the immortal Forney, gives US an article on
Southern women"
From the time the war commenced up to
the present date, this gallant gentleman has
selected for the object of his yituperative abiI-
tiles +" the fair of the south. Afraid to fight
/ their fathers and brothers amidst the smoke of
Manassas, he contented himself with the easier
task Of cudgeling the women, at safe dis
lance, and did battle with an energy which
would have made some show before Rich
mond, amid the flying of banners and waving
of plumes.
He commenced his glorious career with an
attack upon the patriotic regent of the :" Mt.
Vernon association - and with cowardly mall
ice assaed the fair name of lady whom the
whole country delights to honor. Far away
in her Carolina home, she had no opportunity
of seeing the SANDER, or of indicating herself
before the people of the United States. x x =
The Press goes on to say
:" 1t has aIseady gone into history that no
other class on either side manifested during the
rebellion anything like their fanaticism. Be-
tween the roar Of the first gun and the shrek
of the last victim, they displayed an indomita
bic energy, fertility of resource, a boundless
enthusiasm, contempt for danger, hatred to
the north and a devotion 10 the south which
found no parallel among the stelnest who
mounted the deadly breach OF aimed the dead
lier shot. If political meeting was called
and only three attended, one was a woman x
if praises, prayers and blessings were required
women performed the pleasing duty, with a
feeling and pathos that were exceiled in feryor
only by the curses they showered on their OPP
ponents and faint-hearted countrymen; from
the beardless youth to the gray haired SIRE
there was none able to resist their ora cious-
ness, their charms their smiles, their tears, their
loves. but above all their scorn, sarcasm and
contempt-with what results? All went forth
to welcome the foe to hospitable graves, which
yawncd for them instead, together with the
hopes, happiness and hearts OF those who sent
them; hardly a village or town escaped the
fearful ravages; hardly a home but missed
forever some once familiar face; and from all
the land, from the valleys, plains and noun
tain-slopes, there rose to heaven from tortured
spirits and broken hearts an universal cry of
agony, sorrow and wondrous desolation
'Was it for this God made woman How
can any land, how can any people, ever hope
to prosper or to receive from the Almighty
blessings daily prayed for when His last and
best great gift to man is perverted from its
holy office of peace maker and comforter to
be a creator Of strife and begetter of endless
woe o.
Yes, there did arise through the whole south
one long, agonised wall. Who caused the
dreadful woes that made Niobe Of anaton
that changed our happy southern mothers into
grief-strcken Rachels, weeping for their chill
dren? Not the southern women themselves,
surely. Let that party which the Press repre-
SCENTS look uponits hands, and it will there find
"flthy witness" which all 'the perfumes Of
Araby" can never sweeten, or all the waters
of reconstruction" wash away.
Recrimnation is both useless and unwise
but the truth, however unpaIatabIe, should
be told at all times. We are aware of no law
civil or military, which cIaps a muzzle on
southern mouths, making it an offence to speak
in ones own defence. Sensible people are sick
of this everlasting TRADE against southern
women; it is unmanIy, unmannerly and-ut-
terly false. Why, the concentrated " curses"
Of the women of the whole south, which the
Press talks about cannot equal in strength,
one oath from the lips of that strong minded
young female ycleped Anna Dickinson. We
could not, if we tried, oyertop that aspiring
damsel
We have read a great deal about the won
der(ul ferocity of the southern women, but
have failed to discover even one exhibition of
it. Ardent, enthusiastic, earnest in what they
believed the right; self-sacrifcing, self-for-
getting in the cause of southern liberty, the
southern women tookno weapons in their hands
went on no lecturing tours to arouse the lion
spirit of their country, mounted no pulpits to
preach battle and bioodshed bat took their
place beside the sufferer of the hospital, in the
work-room where the busy needle was piled
for the soldier, beside the spinning wheel, and
on their knees, in Gods temple, praying the
God of battles, not to take vengeance on their
enemies, but to protect their darliDgs who had
gone forth to defend from invasion their sunny
homes. This was the work of southern women
during the war, and they had nothing to blush
for when the recording angel noted down in
60 the book Of remembrance their deeds.
#NorE.-A mistake-the women of the south never
attend political meetings.
A ROMANTIC SUIcIDE.-The Paris Temps
gives the following account of an extraordina
ry suicide, committed by a young English girl
in France
NJ and madame S, residing in the Rue du
faubourg st. Honoroe, engaged as goveness
for two young daughters, an orphan girl, Lucy
B., native of Liverpool. She was well ac-
quainted with the English and French Ian
guages, drawing and music. Possessing a
sweet temperament and engaging manners,
she was greatly respected and beloved by N.
and madame S. When they went 10 their
country seat in the beginning of summer, she
went with them. There she became quite mel
ancholy, and though every means were en-
ployed to divert her, she continued in this
state, and refused to give any reason for it.
At length she attempted to commit suicide
with the fumes of charcoal, but she was dis
covered in time to prevent the completion of
her design. A physician was called in, who
directed that she should be carefully watched.
This was done, but one day Lucy B. sud
denly disappeared, and no one was able to tell
where she had gone. Fifteen days passed
from the period Of her disappearance. Attic
end of that time disagreeable smell was no
nod IN o,,l 70