Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-06-26
MRS. TOwNsEND's REPLY.

We publish in another column letter
from Mrs. Townsend, in reply to our re.
marks upon the Convention at Stowe We
are at loss to see how she could end in
those remarks any spirit of unkindness, or
desire to treat her severely. We doubt if
she were ever more kindly criticised. She
asks us to apply the law of Intention to
ourselves, and ask whether our own short.
comiDgs in life have been the result of
bad intentions, or whether they have
been the result of circumstances. We
very willingly make this application per-
sonal and acknowledge that it is just we
should. Circumstances may, and undoub-
tedly have much to do with our actions
but not always. and in the degree Mrs.
Townsend seems to suppose. We have
been conscious of doing wrong, when VIC
were not compelled by circumstances and
wher we could have done better, and we
believe there are few persons in the world
who should not make the same acknowl.
edgement. But we do not now, and here,
propose to enter into the philosophy of
this subject.
We only wished to say 10 Mrs. Towns b
end, that we believe we have as much t.
kindness of feeling towards her as she I;
has towards us and the rest of mankind. Ii
Feeling thus kindly towards her, we say b
that, in our opinion, she has put herself tt
in position to have her private affairs m
made public property. Having devoted II
herself to the reformation of mankind, by dc
forsaking what for all time has been held or
to be the proper sphere of her sex, wher- 'o
ever she appears to reprove the world, it oil
loiH be inquired, is she in all ner rela- an
lions in life, without reproach. We have ow
10 doubt the inquiry would result very pre-
aVorably to her; but if the inquiry we
Wounds her feminine constituencies, we COZ
ear she makes mistake in provoking it. Jec
he talks, In general terms, to be sure, in enc
90 PLAIN manner in her public lectures aho
bout her own private griefs, to expect ms
Tiers to be very sensitive about asking lin
'r particulars. A lady who can stand our
etore large mixed assembly and dis. sui.
urse in masculine phrase upon subjects
'ually considered improper even for men
discuss, will not pass among those who !
not know her intimately, for lady of ton
traordinary sels,tiveEess and before Tres
ey will believe Ter philosophy they chle
III inquire if she can live it herself. If peoE
# friend chooses this sphere, she must seVe
cept 1t with its known natural and ratb ME-
dlsagreeable incidents AS to the WISH
'spel ministers whom she calls to &C. ueVo
ant, we leave them to answer for them. 'ear'
YES No considerable number of that II u
r'hy persuasion have ever required us "0ul
become responsible for them ; and there wi
IN old saw atout offered service which
will not quote. ;, ~
We think Mrs. Townsend breaches "
philosophy and would much rather =.
would not preach it. Her philosophy 'p'
uld set all things adrift upon the great so
an of chance But yesterday, while. reo
J. Banks was visiting, with the Presi. :.
t, the School Ship in Boston harbor, ~ y
said to the scholars: "You will be ''''u
nts in the world for good or evil. ''''
atcver you choose, you will be. 1t is ~
to the adveniti Gus advantages of wy
b. education and fortune that men owe wv
power and their position in life"
Such philosophy holds man to his '"'
responsibility, and we like it much
sr than the loose conceptions of this r.,
sect, of which our friend is an able
n. '"s "
testim