West-Jersey pioneer., 1869-06-18
woMAN's MORAL POWER.

We at once proclaim as an axiom,
"that woman is mans superior in moral
hover" That is to say, her affections
are more intense; her conscience more
acutely sensitive; her ideas of absolute
right and wrong more correct and vivid;
her influence in forming character more
universal and permanent, than on the
male side.
We might very readily enforce these
statements by numerous examples Of con-
jugal, maternal and sisterly affection; of
the tenacity with which woman clings to
the ties of friendship; of her varied exer-
cises of benevolent feelings; and of her
almost boundless influence over those upon
whom her love and truth are brought to
bear These are all worldwide facts,
however, not requiring proof SO much as
intelligent application The striking
words of Coleridge here apply with great
force He says: "Truths, of all others
the most awful and interesting, are too
often considered as so true that they lose
all the power of truth, and lie bedridden
in the dormitory of the soul, side by side
with the most despised and exploded er-
rors." These words hold especially true
when considered in relation to woman
The peculiarity of her character, and its
power over theirs, have been taken for
granted SO long that they have not yielded
the lesson they were capable of afording
We admit that woman is inferior to man
in physical and mental power-a truth
long acknowledged, and alas! used with
bitter wrath against her; but we have
not sufficiently appreciated the depth of
power and usefulness that underlies the
great fact of her moral superiority. For
what does it suggest? Nothing less than
that she wields power more potent, uni
versal and permanent than brute force or
intellectual vigor; that while man moulds
matter, woman moulds mind; while man
builds systems, woman builds characters;
while man attacks the judgment, woman
wins the heart; and while man is lord of
the outward world, woman sways an i'm
movable sceptre over the inward world.
Between male and female there is a
difference Of kind only, not Degree Man
is strong; woman is beautiful. Man is
daring and confident; woman is difhdent
and unassuming. Man is great in action;
woman, in suffering. Man shines abroad;
woman, at home Man talks to convince;
woman, to persuade. Man has rugged
heart; woman, soft and tender one
Man prevents misery; woman relieves it.
Man has science; woman, taste. Man has
Judgment; woman, sensibility. Man is
being of justice; woman, an angel of
mercy. These comparative characters
tics represent man as the head; woman as
the heart; or, man the intellect, woman
the affection. And in SO doing, we sub
init that no position derogatory TO woman
is involved therein. We are, as simple
fact, more influenced by our hearts than
our heads; by our love than our convic-
tion. While physical and mental endow-
ments make more forcible appeal to the
senses, yet it is susceptible of experiment
tai proof that moral power really controls
and decides the fate of the world; and as
it is in this latter particular that woman
preeminently shines. we should contend,
so far from her being mans inferior, that
she is, at present at least, his decided su-
perior, and of which we have given SO
many instances in these pages. With
this view of their relative position before
us, we shall be the better able to definitely
calculate the value Of the sexes to each
other.-Home Journal