New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-02
THE WOMAN QUESTION.
BROOKLYN WOMAN'S CLUB.
woMAN'S "sELF- REIIANCE"-MADAME DE sE
vIGNE-WOMEN AS VOTERS


| yIGNE-wOMEN AS VOTERS.
| The regular fortnightly meeting was held
Yesterday afternoon At the Board meeting several
members were admitted and Miss Nelly Hutchinson
elected Corresponding Secretary. report refer
ence to the renting of Club House read and it
determined TO let the matter rest until next Autumn.
large rnmbor OF ladies present.
Mrs Laura Curtis Billiard gave an essay "Sef Re.
lance" which was enthusiastically received self
Reliance" said Mrs. Billiard. sis a trait which women
generally lack, and many women are actually proud OF
| not possessing It, 1t is uncommon thing TO hear
women boast OF their inability do anything useful.
There who could not think Of going upon Q
journey unattended by masculine escort Others as
sure you that they could by any possibility earn
their own living II kind Providence had not furnished
them with one two OF the masculine gender to supply
| them with food and raiment, they must inevitably
perish Who has not heard all this in substance. If not
| in these precise words, fall from the lips
Of women who, while utoring such nonsense evidently
considered themselves most charmngy feminine.
These women have been dwarfed in their faculties and
energies by false training In moral ideas we are
largely the creatures OF circumstance. There IA sub
tile public sentiment pervadng every community which
affects to greater less degree every member OF It,
How many good and pous women fully believed
that the institution OF Slavery was most natural
and justifable one Why, then should it surprise
that sensible people accept the prevalent idea that to be
helpless and good for nothing but ornament TO be truly
womanlyi That this is the general opinion thought
full will deny. If loses her nearest male
relatives the remark is that she has lost her
natural protectors and she is pitied pity little
family OF young and helpless orphans. But who ever
heard OF sympathy for young man expressed on any
such terms For serellance society exacts OF man.
Weak dependence is mcanness; ones very Instinct
rebels against It, II Is CALLING thing for any one
possessing a particle OF self-respec and nothing
but physical or mental lncapacty can justify
"a
of a In the matter of dependence the same
fruits produced IN the character Of man and woman
alike In both find the same cringing servily, and
the petty meanness which must always follow the
loss Of selfrespec Helpless dependence Is almost as
bad IN its effect upon the character a. slavery. The
human parasite has no longer an Individuality OF MS
own. How many women, the wives OF wealthy men,
their husbands sanctioni In how many homes
is the wife the regulator Of the household ex-
fSaet pecunaTy resources Of her husbandi But, say
you. how many women are ft for these responsibilities
little respect for her judgment and quite right in his
estimate of her character The remedy we would sug
daughters for active participation in the duties OF NE
earning money to know value and understand how
spend iudciously. Women must first be reused to
habits OF sereance and then taught the best methods
of cultivalng this most desirable quality The
But, alas! how unsKillfuly the most
conscientious of us perform our task. IL would seem
that their time in the youth or Their
children in uniting them for all usefulness; IN repress-
their individuality, IN destroying their power
for scfhep" Mrs Billiard thought that the children
OF the rich suffer the from these foes and weak
nurses to be waited on and he made "cured darlngs
Miss Virginia Townsend the PeLe hO'Tist, feau q
zone lays down these wonderful letters OF the witty
Frenchwoman." said she, with a smile aud sigh
seethng, rOublOus tunes IN which she yed mat
marvellous of Louis XIV. was then III the morning
glow OF It's pride and spendor. In its enchanted am0s-
phere amid the most brilliant men and women OF Tue
court Mime DE seyigne moved one OF us most ghefin
int arcs
has historical value. They are living, breathing men
and women here. and share their JOYS and sorrows
There something beside dancing to flutes in those
days even. There was Fonquct, poor Fonguet, Louss
Then there was La Valiierc, young beautiful, gracious.
tender Martin says truly enough of her, she
What pathetic history hers is, followed
TO its sad close IN the Garmee Gonye rem:
woman, calm, smooth. dignihel, never rufied never
perplexed, is battling study How the RAPID lines OF
wit! They have kept their fine lay9r Ike old wine
she yes us " great historic characters With ali her
vvacity and sweetness, intellect. the wit like
The Them also Of had not Tor the heart
aeSeng she worped the Of Ioas and
in the divine right Of kngs We can afford to smile at
Tnllia his young wife, who followed his fortunes with
such brave devotion And through all those stormy
times the Fates quietly spinning such different
patterns from Nine DE seygn6's fancies. Times have
changed then This after all is the great lesson
mpd mirror to our own days with Ions dra Sn breath
tankfuness that the ne" times are better
than the old"
An extract from Miss Edgartons lecture was read the
President rearkug that she had taken her ideas OF the
uupotical associations from Mrs CrOys Parliament IL
those desirable results mentioned by Miss l.. without
stormIpg the citadel for the vote. member said that
women can't be in the political arena with men ana at
Der of apparent suffrage sympahes, desired TO Know
why, If girls were educated to become wives
be husbands aud fathers. The President inquired
what was be done with the women who VIII never Dc
wives and mothers. She felt anxious about them: a
bright poetic dame said that she and her husband held
different political opinions, and that they continually
tried each other She had never succeeded III
influencing him but That was when she Iectured
him the Chicago platform until he heard Tue pianhs
crack, and then he voted for Lincoln.