The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-04-30
WOMAN I'M SOCIETY. !.

WOMAN IN SOCIETY. @
A large and intelligent congregation assem-
bied in Mr. Frothingham's church, on Forfeit
street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, New
York, on Sunday evening, to listen to his dis
course upon "Woman in Society"
Mr. Frothingham commenced by saying tina
BY society he meant the world of opinions ane
sentiments which is called by that name. The
powers which govern it are secret, but silently
| they are obeyed. Nothing may resist it. L
undertakes and .accomplishes, and confesses no
responsibility to anything This authority i.
fashion. 1t tells people what to eat and drink
and wear. Now it places lump of hair on the
back Of the neck, then it places it at the back
Of the head. To-day it does one thing, to-mor-
row it does something else. The despotism OF
fashion touches the mind and morals. Why do
women waste their time in novel-reading and
street. t.promenades? Why do they encourage
customs that are known to be detrimental to
health and morals? Because fashion DEGREES it,
and she is in league with fashion. Fashion is
the woman's world What the speaker COM
planned Of was that America has no social world
strictly American. Women are subjects in
their own world, not queens, aud they get their
orders from the other side of the Atlantic. The
power VI idSulOu III AmeflCd Is tTcmeuOOuS, Out
it is not American power. America has, there
ions represent American character or American
ideas. The speaker remembered lady who
had sought to effect reform in this direction.
Her rooms were resorted to by editors, scholars,
and other distinguished persons. She had
sought to cultivate true beauty and elegance,
and stimulate the refining forces of woman s
nature. Her entertainments were very simple;
but women were women there, although there
was never any display Of extravaganza. The
chief objection at present is that women of fash
ion have not sufficient intellectual ambition and
culture 1t was said last winter that ladies
gave receptions to each other, choosing hours
in which gentlemen could not be present. This
showed lack of confidence that :hey were ca
pasle of pleasing the opposite sex with their
conversation. According to the last census,
the males were 1000 in excrss of the females
in this country. In California there are three
males to one female; in Washington, four to
one; and in Nevada, eight to one. Surely this
disparity opens large field to women, and should
be seized The social condition of women in
this country is affected by the individual inde
pendence We all possess. A slave in the sight
of the law, woman is here mistress iu the sight
of fashion. She is granted throne in the
world of fashion, in compensation for the wrongs
and expressions she endures outside of that
world There are those who are working for
woman's dsfranchsement here 1t is demand
ed that she shall have equal social and political
equality with men. This demand that she shall
be admitted to the fields of labor seems to be
intended to dethrone her in the world of fashion
she now rules. AS we give to women their
rights, We steal from them their prestige. 1t is
we'll that women should work and move in the
world but here the faculties nourished are those
belonging to men, and We should deplore the
destruction of world which displays the genius
of woman. There is home sphere which calls
in requisitioD all her graces and arts. She has
the immortal power of beauty, and knows it,
and she uses the secrets of dress, the magic of
ring and bracelet and harmonious hues, to en-
hance it She holds the magic wand of fasci
nation over man, aud men bow to it. Why
should not American womanhooa grasp this
great prerogative? The paror-we have almost
forgotten the use of it, Our feminine lowell
ness is disspated at the theatre and the ball.
but it is no longer exerted toward bringing the
other sex into the paror for converse, instruc-
tive and profitable to both Beauty, grace, ele-
gance, dress, all these could be exerted, and if
women were to seize their opportunity they
could influence and even control men, and even
influence the political issues far more than by
having the ballot If women can do SO much
when their enthusiasm is aroused, why cannot
they do more in ordinary life? The bright wo
men in Paris terrified Napoleon more than hos
tile generals IF American women were equally
bright, adroit and intellectual, they could have
unbounded influence They could shut up the
dram,sho and render the social vice disrepu
table Women already accomplish much; what
could they not accomplish with discipline and
earnestness? 1t is shame to women that a
power so tremendous should be msused Wo-
men should be educated for the parlor as we'll
as for anything else.
There are enough women reformers and phi-
lanthropists; but where are the mistresses OF
conversation, in which they are so formed to ex-'
Gel? They should be able to discuss the arts;
they should know what ideas are abroad; SO that
their eloquence would not be expended on
buckles, belts, and slippers. The crowded
haunts of dissipation cry out against the dark
and silent parlors; and thousands of young men
are driven into dissipation, whom the fascina-
,ions of women might save. Il is not necessary
that our women should be remarkable; the
speaker would have them feminine and Amerl-
can; and would preserve to them the world
which they are so fitted to rule.