The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-12-17
Woman Suffrage No. 5.
Richmond, IND, Dec. Is. 1870,

Editor Palladium -
As the pleasures Of madness are said
to be known only TO madnen, and the
delights Of ignorance, only TO The tho't
less, so the FELICITY @ cf such OF wo-
man kind, as in their self conplaisance
fiattcr their credulity by seeming 10 be-
lieve that the present time is witness
ing the light OF their millennium glory,
can only be fairly appreciated by them
selves and by kindred spirits of the otis
er sex.
philosophers there are who try to
make themselves believe that woman's
life is happy. but they believe it only
while saying it, and never yet produced
conviction in a single mind: she whom
want OF words, or images sunk into ST.
!ence, still thinks as he thought before,
that pIlvauon of rights and of rational
pleasures, can never please, and that con-
tent IS not to be much envied, when it
has no other principle than ignorance OF
gOCd.'
Our women>protesters should, and no
doubt would if they were aware of the
kindness, return thanks and felicitate
themselves that they have powerful o.
aiders and sympathisers, and some who
warm up into eloquence, as witness IL e
following from q recent essay on the 'wo-
man question: published in one Of our
city papers. l may change the context
little. but believe the meaning is pre-
served:
The prosperic, idealistic. ETHEREAL,
spiritualistic, utility, OF the phaptas,na-
goria Of woman suffrage, OF Of any other
similar means OF substantially lettering
woman's condition, is so visionary and is
advocated with such epecurian by periodic
extravaganza. as to produce ineffible dis
gust, especially to such persons as ex-
perleDce sensation OF pain whenever an
attic npt is made to expel some etfete, ex
ploded notion from their heads, or TO get
new ideas into them.
The above quotation is only one of the
many gems with which that production
i'll question abounds. 1t is superfuous
to remind your readers, MIR. Editor, that
the extract is in sentiment and in style,
sublimity-Iof the ridiculous)- ard that
the meaning issclear and transparent-(as
brick)
l am not certain that fully compre>
bend the English Of many parts OF the
communication, and with all proper diff
iidence | venture upon translation. Ii
| fail TO give the authors meaning I
trust the failure may be attributed to the
: want Of ability and moi to the absence OF
will, and if it shall! be insisted that the
true sense of the original is not retained,
all have to say is, so much the worse
for the original.
There are in some individuals-op>
posed to all change, all progress-a per-
ception of harmony, and a sensibility of
perfection, which touch the finer fibres
of the mental texture, and before reason
can descend from her throne, to pass her
sentence upon the things compared drive
them toward the object proportioned to
their faculties, by an impulse gentle, yet
irresistible; for the harmonic system Of
the universe, and the reciprocal magnets
ISM Of similar natures, are always opera
Ting towards conformity and union; nor
can the p2wers of their soul cease from
being agitated and pa ned at the contem-
Plation of any project that looks q dis
turbing the present fixed conditions OF
things, till they find the downy pillows
ofiEdolence and folly On which to repose
their stupid heads
But l must fulfil my promise to our
Oberlin sisters land give them a hearing
18th. We feel ouI present duties fiji up
the whole measure of our time and abili>
ties, and that they are such as none but
ourselves can perform.
| have been very credibly informed
that the women 10 question are very re-
spectacle, and most of them al least above
the average of intelligence. How many
of them signed the protest because 9TH
ers did-how many o; them had fully
examined the subject, AID how many
were moved thereto by the approving
smiles of man. have no means of ascer-
tanning neither are we able to know,
with any degree of certainty, VI hat their
duties were that requii ed ALL their time,
and called INFO exeIcis all their abilities
we are bound, however, to give them
credit for being unusually INDUSTRIOUS
n ore so than we general y find women.
Most women, like all men, have time on
their hands that is idled away in worse
than useless listlcssness, and there are
few indeed of either sex, hat cannot spend
one hour each year. in depositng little
piece Of paper in q ballot box-neither
are we adv ised what the fearful and oner-
Gus duties are which none but they could
lerforn. We ar. also compelled to be-
lleve that they are supremacy happy in
the conte nplation of their present st ate
nor is their any question, that the
wives OF the Red men OF the forest-tbe
women of ancient Rome, whose very
lives were at the disposal Of their hus~
bands, and even the millions Of really
enslaved females of China and Of other
parts Of Asia, could have most feeliuglv
joined With our protesting sisters in sins
ilarly fol ci;ating themselves.
5th. "Their importance requires us to
protest against all efforts to compel US to
assume those obligations which cannot
be separated from suffrage; but which
cannot be performed by Us, without the
sacrifice of the happ:est interests of our
families and of society,"
Our amiable friends look with unne-
cessary dread at the ballot. They sufe-
ly need net fear ii at when women get to
voting, all OF them will be uncere minely
thrust into Office They should calm
their apprehension on that head; and
ahen. it is not proposed, when women
oh all have secured the ballot, that all gal
lantry, all chivalry, all generosity, all
magnanimity, shall be obiiterated from
man. lie will, 6oubtless, as of old be
very willing to relieve any faint-hearted
woman. of any official duties. There is
not the least cause of alarm SO that they
will have ample time, if properly itnpro
we'd. to attend to all the required duties
10 their families and to society after vo-
ting.
It is clear that these ladies' are labor
ing under a mistaken apprehension Of