The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1867-07-11
The Wrongs Of :Womsn.

4
siderable. attention In Eoglsnd. heoauss
tof the able advoeates that have, 10 si
present in hand. The Westminster Re-
view, free from all prejudice In favor of The
established order Of things. aud devoid oi
al reverence for mere antiquity, has thrown
lite Pages open 10 the earnest pleading for
woman outrage Mr.. John Stuart Min, one
OF the abiest men in Englsnd. and perhaps
the only philosopher in her Parliament In
pursuits OF oPiaion long entertained. and
without the fear or oppression or ridieule
presented bis views recently In Parliament,
in the shape, OF an amendment to Mr., Dis
raeli's reform bill. moving to substitute for
"male perspnss simply "persons." rsa.a,
The debate took place on the evening oi
the Goth ult., and. ;at the hour when mem
bers are In tho habit Of going into the re
,freshment foom.g Disraeli, it is said. had
privately promised Mr.. Mill that he was not
opposed to the. measure. and though he
might not Mt present be able to vote for Il
he would SEQ that he should have every
opportunity to bring the question fairly
before the House and accordingly Disraeli,
and several other members Of the Govern.
ment sat out the discussion, and some Of
them even participated In IL. Mr. Glad
stone was all attention. Mr. Bright looked
skeptics}; the Ladies' Gallery was crowded.
One who was present writes, "The House
was still as death, when Mr.. Mill arose.
His solemn clear voice struck deep chord
IN tho House at once. He never before
made SO grand q speech. either in matter or
manner He began his address In thin
House but when it was announced in the
refrsshment room that he was speaking,
chops and eteaks were hurried down, and a
continuous file OF members began to stream
in until the seats were 'woll filled." Mr..
Mile earnestness and his style will be seen
from the following passages, which we take
from the report Of the debate in the London
Tinros Of the 2lst. He was speaking Of the
relations between the sexes In an era long
gone by, in which men and women were
separated in every respect:
"Then the man spent his hours Of leisure
among men all his friendships, all his real
intimaeies were with men with men alone
did he converse on any serious subject; the
wife was either n plaything or an uprer
servant All this among the educated
classes is changed; men no longer give up
their spare time to outdoor exercises and
boisterous conviviality with male associ.
ates; the home has acquired the ascendency.
The two sexes now really pass their lives
together. The women of The family are the
mans haLitual society; the wife is his chief
associate. bis most confidential friend, and
often h's most trusted counsellor" b.
This brought down the house as we'll as
the galleries. ...... ..
"Nor does q man." continued the speak.
er, wish 10 have for his nearest companion,
linked 30 closely with himself, and whose
wishes and preferences have so strong
claim upon him, one whose thouhts are
alien from those which occupy his own
mind-one who can give neither help, nor
comfort, nor sur port to his noblest feelings
and purposes" ' ~"
"Sir. the time has come when, II women
are not raised to the level Of men, men will
be put down 10 theirs. The women Of q
mans family are either stimulus end
support TO his higher aspirations, or drag
upon them. You may keep them ignorant
Of politics, but you cannot keep them from
concerning Themselves with the least re-
spectacle part OF politics-its personalities
IL they do not understand, and cannot enter
into the mans feelings Of public duty. they
do care about his private interests. and tha,
IL the scale into which their weight is Ger
tain to be thrown. They are an influence
always at hand. cooperating with his sel6sl
promptings. watching and taking advan,
tage Of every moment OF moral irresolution
and doubling the strength Of every tempta
tion. Even II they maintain a modest
neutrality, their mere absence OF sympathy
hangs dead weight upon his moral ener
gies, and makes him averse 10 incur 81 cri
fees which they will feel. and to foregc
worldly successes and advantages in which
they would share. for the sake Of object,
| which they cannot appreciate"
Il was notable that throughout the speech
there was IN absence Of that laughter will
which some had prophesied the whole mat
ter was to be laughed down. There wer,
laughs. indeed; but they were ELECTED BY
the hits with which the speaker brought Z.
the dust some Of the traditiopai absurditie
that haunt peoples minds on the subject-
as when he said: 'Under an idle motion
that The beauties Of character Of the tw.
sexes are mutually incompatible. men ar
afraid Of manly women but those VIII
have reflected or the nature and power O