The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-03-14
SUFFRAGE.
Lecture by the AIeV. Henry Ward
neecher before the Brooklyn
Fraternity. 1s n,
coNcLUsLoN.

~.
o.. & CONCLUSION. lieF H'
| This brings us to the question-W What
was the custom Of the Greeks respect
ing womenY Iwill tell you. II was
just what the most barbarous church
custom is to-day. The Greeks held that
woman was not only not equal to man,
but contehiptbly below him. They not
only considered that they should not
appear openly in the street, but that it
was shame forsawohah to stand in
the door of her house to receive her hus-
band returning homes Not only was
she not equal in the household, but it
was considered a. stigma and disgrace
for women to seem intelligent. This
may seem exaggerated, but is not ex-
aggeFated@ In Greece IL was ~uhder-
stood that a. a.yirtuous woman must of
course be a drudge, and ignorant, stay
ing at home, Not to know. anything
was a sign that She was virt1ous; and
what was still more extraordinary, the
accomplishments we most eagerly seek
for our daughters, the knowledge of
history, philosophy, music, dancing, and
all that is graceful and beautiful within
and without-these things could be
purchased then by woman only at the
price of her reputation. The ''Heterai''
were the only class of Greek women
who could acquire an education; and
they were universallyre egarded as,denu-
ded of morals. They were obliged to
be to get the privileges of material and
intellectual development. y Otherclasses
were virtuous, and were understood to
be SO because they didnot know enough
to be anything else, 4 Laughter. Now
in a nation where to be a virtuous
woman meant to be a fool, and to be a
wise woman meant to be harlot, con-
verts were developed under the preach
ing of the Apostles, and .heardthat they
were new and free in Christ Jesus,
neither bond or slave, neither circum-
cised or uncircumsized; that all, bond
and free, Jew and Gentle, were one in
Christ Jesus; and the first impulse I'm.
der this new liberty was for woman to
stand up and say, | will no more wear
the veil of woman in the street or any
where else will take the position
that l conceive woman ought to hold.
What was the answer Of the Apostle
Paul to those Greek converts? Z? 1t was
simply this, that he told them that
Christianity1did not set aside the Gus
toms and Institutions of the nations in
which they lived. If the custom Of
their nation was that woman should be
modest and should not speak in the
meetings, he said that that should con-
tinue. That was just the ground taken
on the subject of slavery That was
Just the ground taken with regard 10
civil liberty. Agreat many have seen
who were conscience bound upon the
subject of a woman's speaking in the
church, but ! never yet found one Of
them who was conscience bound on the
subject of monarchy; and yet the Ian.
guage of the New Pestamentis Just as
strong upon the subject Of monarchy a:
upon the propriety of woman's keeping
silence in the churches, He says thai
Christianity is not to interfere with the
customs or prejudices that may prevail
around us, aud where you can find one
passage with reference to woman's po-
sition, you will find Others that use the
same language with reference to the
King. They are both to receive the
same construction; 1T defines the posi-
ton Of the woman no more than that oI
the King. But it is said that If woman
should exercise the right of suffrage, il
4 would destroy her deIicacy, 1t would
certainly correct the indeIicacy of man
| But what is the effect of enlarged intel.
ligence and enlarged action7 lido noI
ask that woman, on stepping into the
whole realm Of art, into the whole king
dom of literature, into the whole PROV
4 ince of religion, and into the domain O.
the suffrage, i do not ask that sht
should undertake to be a man. w
have got enough Of men. The whoIt
of my plea depends upon this, that thu
woman is to come to these yariou,
tasks, bringing her woman's nature! /
is, that added to the virile tendencies 0
woman will help to make the tertiun
qud, the true man of the future. ShC
is to GOMEZ to the work, not bringing
strength3 IL is fitness we want moi
bringing passion; it is sentiment W,
want; not bringing fire and edg,
thrusts; we want influence. We wan
in woman that which she brings To III,
school-she goes there as woman
that which she carries to the church,
she is there as a woman; that whicl
she carried to the camp lis there
/ place which, if anywhere, would utterl,
4 deteriorate woman more than the camp
Tell me, ye who have sent sisters ther'
I'VE that when horrid war was resting
on the land, sent down these minister
!, of mercy to cheer the homesick, to bint
up the wounds and take care .ofthe sick
to minister to the wants-of our SON
and brothers who were patrioticall,
standing for the flag and for the natiol
/ did woman detefiorate and becom,
nnre6ned in those ministrations7 ordic