Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-02-17
WGMANS SPHERE.
s(From the Chicago Tribune. }


The leading traits in the character Of
the most perfect human being ever known
on earth, IL Is generally admitted, were
rather feminine than n masculine. The
gentleness, meekaess and tenderness Of
that nature, its lowliness aud purity, and
us loving submission and forgiVing spirit,
cherlshing no hate and using no guile,
form character ofteuer seen in woman
than IL man What is bold, command
Ing and even heroic in character, and
considered more especially masculine, to
demand right, claim precedence and Gu
fore authority, is not characteristic Of the
highest type Of human nature. 1t is, on
the contrary spirit that returns good
Tor evil, that finds it more blessed to give
than receive, that chooses rather to min
lister than to be miniStered unto, that
seeks not it's own, but that Of others, and
IS ever. self-denyng and self sacrificing
| These traits form that highest type of hu
man nature, and women are said to be
superior to men, and are so, because they
| oftener exhibit in their lives more of Thu
nobler nature Indeed, it is not to be
denied that this ideal manhood is not
often found in the lives, or cherished in
the hearts, of the men Of our day. To
| be. and to play the man, it is understood.
is to be full of elf-assertion, selfseekinr
and self-vaunting it is to push aside. or
push over all others, in the fierce rush
and struggle for wealth, place and power;
it is to grab and hold fast, to take and
give blows, to keep all you have got and
get all you can, and to be every man for
himself and devil take the hindmost.
Now, in so far as woman, either by the
finer nature or social custom, is kept
aIoof from this fierce and desperate strug-
gle, in which all the raeaner passions and
baser impulses of our nature are in full
activity, so far is she better and superior
to man. It is an inestimabIe blessing to
society that there are established usages
and opinions which keep large part Of
the race out of this debasing and heart
less scramble for pelf and power. Socie,
ty Is more pure, and generous, and every
way better that this has been so, and any
movement by which woman is to be eman-
cipated, as the saying is, from the bonds
UlluL dfC AAGiLk ICI bIGhs anu kept ner
from plunging into this gulf boiling with
passion and greed, and casting UP mire
and dirt, is preparing the way for her
/ degradation, and will infictlasting harm
on society. 1t is the fear that woman
may forsake the higher region where she
has walked IN lpurity and love, always
holding up before man a better life than
! hue hot oil hi,D,
see this truer ideal as shown in the life
Of woman; he feels noble pride in it;
| the world is made to him by better and
more sacred place, and he must dread anV
measures that threaten to drag woman
from this elevation down 70 the lower
! level on which men WrangIe and worry
out their lives.
The complaint that woman has net her
due influence, and is not allowed the fair
exercise of her powers, seems to us to
overlook some very obvious facts. The
| greatest influence on earth to-day, the
power felt in more hearts and lives and
| that makes and moulGS more institu ions
and laws than any and all others, is the
power of that life in which was embodied
all that is most distinctive in the best
female character. If women seeks \
power that shall be felt longer, and reach
wider in It's sway, than the power Of
throne or sceptre, she has the mode for
attaining 1t long since pointed out to her.
The very worst way by which she can
seek power is to pursue it after the fash
ion Of man. The highest example and
precept bids US not to seek for place or
| precedence; not to strive for seats of au-
| thorItY and teaches that he who is Mas
ter IN the highest sense chose to be ser
want of all. The throne and seeptre of
woman, her more than imperial power.
he in her mode8ty, purity, gentenes8, and
love. If she but holds fast to her faith
IN these, and does not in some hour of
folly throw them aside, dazzled by the
! false glitter offs how and parade, or from
a poor ambition 10 rival the worse sex in
It's low pursuits, she will find her power
| reslstleSs, and to the extent Of her in
huence no limit. The love of sta.e ex-
hIbltlon and star performing is ? vulgar
passion, and We have too much trust in
the native modesty and good sense of true
women to think they can be led a8tray
by such false glare. The besetting temp
tation to woman, and her greatest danger,
is that she may lose her faith in simple
purity and goodness. There is no power
on earth like the power q these, aud of
these woman is the chosen possessor
To her this kingdom and power have been
given, and it lies with her to hold fast
and WELD this sceptre, and with it sway
all hearts and rule all lives, or in madness
to break it in pieces and cast it from her.
NAPOLEON NOT a GREAT MAN
NJ. Pierart, Frenchman, has just pub
| llshed a book the object Of which IS 10