Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-22
A Lesson for Women and their Cor.
respondents.
From the New York Star, l5th.l

From the New York Star. l5th.I
The letters in the Mcfarland Richard
son case are history in themselves, and
carry lesson which it would be well for
both men and women to heed. To wo-
men especially, the teaching commends
itself, and we do not mind for once using
our columns to give a bit of advice to
those who evidently need it. Women
not only express themselves in all mat
ters more fully and unreservedly than
men, but they have, in some affairs a
sort of recklessness peculiar to them
selves, being seldom found among men.
The tendency seems to arise partly from
lack of the faculty of foresight, and
partly from blind belief in the honor
of the person to whom the letter or com
munication is addressed They do not
take contingencies, which may throw
their written thoughts into the hands of
third parties, into consideration. They
know, or think they know, that they can
trust their correspondent, and there this
thought ends; they "gush" They inno-
Gently, and, perhaps, with the purest mo-
tives, compromise themselves not only,
but their correspondents also We can
not take up the room at present that
would be required to show explicitly
wherein we think the origin of the evil
lies, but will be satisfied in pointing out
the radical reasons, and let our readers
Judge whether we are right, by their own
observations or researches. Women are
not educated to the practical affairs of
life as they should be- If they were,
they would deal more with things as they
actually are, and not invest them with
vain imaginings or false sentiment Wo-
men are very much, indeed altogether,
what men have made them, and when
thrown out into more independent and
personally responsible positions, either by
our faithlessness or misfortune, are not
always equal to the burden imposed.
We criticise Mrs. Calhoun's letters, not
so much as the letters of woman, as
letters. In this world, so full of human
mot good nature, such unreserved
thought should never be committed to
paper; if expressed at all, it should be
only in the spoken and unwitnessed con-
fidence of friend with friend 1t is bet
ter never to write, beyond the merest
business, any thought we are not willing
should be bruited worldwide. On the
other hand, let MS say chat strict ad-
herence to the first principles of honor
will always determine the cause of the
person in receipt of such letters. ANY
letter containing the cordial confidence
of another should, when once its contents
are received, be committed TO the flames.
The thing revealed in secresy may
appear trivial, but to the writer
it may involve much. We do not know
what day may bring forth. Death may
give to the world things innocent in
themselves which, viewed through the
jaundieed eyes of envy, or covetousness,
or even idle gossip, would damn an in
nocent man or woman. No doubt there
are lessons regarding the sanctity of
marriage, the dangerous influence Of
busy-bodies, wretched hallucinations of
free love and Fourierite teachings to be
learned from the testimony thus far
evolved. But this little matter of honor
and correspondence strikes us as being
particularly appropriate just now, and
we say; When you speak to the man or
woman you speak to them alone; when
you put your pen in ink apd give your
thoughts to paper, you babble to the
world.