The Opelousas courier., 1869-07-03
About womeu-Are They Better
yhan Men?

are go much better than men, their votes
would be ruled by purer morality !; no
bad men would be chosen into Office
and so, of course, no bad laws could find
any place ON the statute book.
When Henry Ward ,Beecher was writ
ing ont the above doctrine the other day
for publication, I wonder ii it passed
through his mind that in the number of
times he had performed the marriage
service there had been instances when
he had doue it with sadness and fear,
knowing that he was binding a trusting
innocent girl to a heartiess. unprincipled
man If such a case has ever come with
in the circle of his experience, will Mr.
Beecher explain what would have pre-
vented that bride from voting that man
into Office had he asked her ballot in
stead of her hand! Again, has not Mr..
Beeeher declared a couple man and wife
when he knew that the WOMAN sold her
self for gold; and does he believe the
woman who wonld sell her person would
feel any deiicacy in selling her vote
The morality Of women is, no doubt.
different from that of men; but that it
is better or higher, under circumstances
Of eaual temptation, yet remains to be
proved.
The eagerness with which women hare
aought for office during the last few
months seems to show q great similarity
to men in personal. selfish ambition !;
and there is no evidence that the under
lying motive in the one sex is .purer than
in the other.
The readiness with which bad men
find women Of good moral standing in
society who are willing to marry them,
wonld seem to imply that bad men mi ghs
find plenty OF women who would be will
ing to vote FOR rhem. The frequency
with -vh,, Il sc lind women swtsying their
own households with foolish and bad
laws is certainly l. reason for suppesing
that similar laws ght govern the Ma
ton if theT were installed as legislators.
Men of good intentions err through
mistaken judgement: women of good in
tentions err through mistaken feeling.
One is just as liable TO err as the other !:
but the errors of feeling arc more dam
gerous than those OF. Judgement, because
they are 80 much less under the control
ofreasou. It in an axiom of science that
reason was given us to correct the mis-
takes of the senses. and it is equally
true that it was given to correct the mis-
takes Of the sensibiEities.
When women decry the moral sense
of men they should bear in mind that
most men owe their morality to the In
fiuenee and instructions Of their moth
ers. While we may be fond af claiming
homer to our sex for the influence good
aad wise mothers have exerted in the
trimming of sozne of the great men Of the
world, let us net forget that bad men
owe their traits to their mothers lust as
certainly. We have No right to boast OF
the mother of the Grscchi unless We are
willing also to take shame I'd ourselves
on account of the mother of Nero. We
are just as responsible for the vices or
fotlies of the mothers Of thieves, mur-
derers and traitors of the land, aa for
the virtue and the wisdom Of tho moth
ers of the seints and tho paEriots.
The per&,ns who are discussing the
woman question at the present time talk
as it women sBers 90 faithfnl 10 the origi-
nal law of night, sAas they cauld not be
sverved from the true path by ideas af
expedieney which do often. mtsIead sneu.
Rat when we ebseEve h0w ea4ily o.; wo-
mans affections are perverted through
her vanity In her relations with the other
sex, and how often her love for her chill
dren ia mainly shown in thafDolish de-
light with whieh she pamperB their sell
ftshness, iFdnlges their passions and
stimulates their pride, IL ID. difapult TO
understand svhy ahs ss0aid bouors wise
IN the usanazsassaS of fruhlie AlEairs sian
in tti0as OF her prIxaia atntses,. ...s
There 4is o thserys that pelifieaI lifa In
tn regsnaHaAa wuasam By aaIvine taaens
soznething nnsre diRnffI6d ss tisisiF of
than the hfvulitiea 0f dfess ana sOcieky