The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-05-08

H4G4.l o.L4 :. .G.s.2.t

At 4 recent meeting at which no ladies
We're present, in responding to the toast on
NV oman a speaker dWelt almost solely
on che lrailty OF the sex, claiming that the
best among them were little better than tin
worst, the chief difference being in the sur
~r0undin"S. At the conclusion otthc speech
Il gentleman present rose to his feet and
said:
II trust the gentleman, in the application
Of has Remarks, refers to hi, own mother and
sisters, and mt to ours.'
The effect OF this most just and timely
rehukc was "vcrwhclminy-thc maligner OF
woman Was covered with confusion an
>hAnr.
This incident serves IN excellent purpose
in I'rctaciny Il few words which We have for
1 long time had it IN our mind to say. Of
all the evils prevailing anreny young men,
We know of none more blighting in its moral
effects than the tendency to speak slight
inGlv OF the virtue Of women. Nor is there
anything in which young men are 50
Thoroughly mistaken as the low estimate
they form Of the integrity of woman--not
Of their OWE mothers and sisters, thank God,
bnt Of others, who they forget are Somebody
clSe'S mothers and sisters.
As a rule, no person who surrcnders to
this dehaSin~ habit is safe to be trusted with
any enterprise requiring integrity Of char
ac,er. Plain words should be spoken on
this point, for the evil is a general one, and
deep rooted. II young men are sometimes
thrown into the society Of the t~hOughticSS,
they have no more right to measure other
women by what they see of these than they
would have to estimate the character of
honest and respectable citizens by the
developments Of crime in our police courts.
Let young men remember that their
chief happiness in life depends upon their
utter faith in woman. No worldly wisdom,
no mi>anthropic philosophy, no generallza
ton, can cover or weaken this fundamental
truth. It stands like the It, ord of God
himself-for it is nothing more than this
and should put a seal upon lips that are
wont to speak sli5htingly of women.-PacA-
arts -N0nthly.
The sentiments expressed in the above
extract from Packard's Monthly will meet
the emphatic approval of every right think
ing mind.
The habit Of dccrying the virtue Of wo-
mcn is chicfely confined to smart young
men prelnaturely hardened to vice, and to
a class of older men who being conscious
Of the lack of it themselves, affect to doubt
the possession of virtue by any living be-
my. When men permit themselves to
utter such things, they, in one word, COM
NIT a crime and utter a falSchood against
the sex.
Women rs a class are defcnsclcss, and
men are their natural plotectors-a thous-
and-fold more sacred becomes the obliga-
ton when the tie Of husband, brother, son
or father, is involved-and every man,
young or old, who makes sweeping asscr-
tons against the virtue of women is no
better than the obscene bird that bcfouls
it's W nest. Such ntterancts are utterly
false and unfounded, as every man reflect
ing that his own household is a counter.
part OF those who make up the community
can demonstrate to himself. Argument
however is out Of place, and nothing can
the deprayjty and moral treason of
the class to which we refer, unless the
the scriptures give the true reason "thev
darkness rather than light"
We suggest to our exchanges to give
room to the above extract as a seasonable
to the class of offenders referred to,
if they have any in such their midst.