, 1870-05-28
WOMEN.
Mr. Mill and MIR. Ruskin ON Woaen,a
R1Rhtk and TDusfe@

Mr. Mill and MIR Ruskin ON Wouacu,a
Rights and Duties.
Mr, Mill, writing to thank Nile. Daubie for
copy Of her book, entitled la Condition
MoTdR dc Ia Femme, Paurre du 19eme Steele,
sasa: 49,.
beginning to end By all men and all women Of
tho eo-cAlled enlightened classes. I belieyo It
would cause many Of them to bo ashamcd Of
Their culpable inaction in the presence Of such
ir1ghtful evils and such monstrous injustice.
DntortunatelF, France is far from possessing
that bad pre-eninence which you attribute to
IT,. social reformers arc always prone to
believe that other countries a!o in ad
vance OF their own. Unhappily, the dif-
ference ia too frequently more apparent
than real. You bcstow, in many paasage5.
praisea upon England, to which it has no right
upon the subject in question; while, again,
taose in England who would uphold tho cause
OF women frequently inslat thst their condition
is much better in France. Unhappily, both
are mistaken As to the beginning which hss
been made hero, with view to the regulation
Of prostitution, and whichit is being attempted
TO extend, your book is sufficient to condemn
i without appeal. The attempt has excited
ton OF women, some OF whom are highly dis
tinguished; las been formed to excite pub
lie opinion against this deplorable sys-
tenn. They are well seconded BY men. and
there is reason to hope that not only will tho
system be not puahed further, but that what
Lae been done will necessarily be undbner
a1r. Huskin, at the close Of recent lecture
On war, addressed to tho Royal Military Col
legc, WoolNich, made the following remarks
to the ladies present:
"Yon may wonder, perhaps, that I have
spoken this night IN praise Of war; Yet
join the cadence Of ha1nmer.atrokes that
should beat swords into plowshaSes;
and that this cannot be is not the
fault Of us men. It is your fault. Wholly
yours. Only BY your command, OF by your
PERMISSION, can any contest take place among
poverty, misery, and rage Of battle throughout
Europe, is simply that you women, however
good and religions, however self-sacrihcingfor
those Hhom you love, are too selfish and
thoughtless to take pains for any creature out
Of your immediate circles. You fancy that you
tell yo1 this: that il the usual course |
Of war, instead Of unroofing peasants'
houses and Favaging peasAnts' fields, merely
broke China upon your own drawing-room
tahles, no war in civilized countries would last
= week. tell yon more, that, at Whatever
you could do it with leas trouble than you take
any day to go out to dinner. You know, OF at
least you might know, il you would think, that
every battle you hear OF has made many
orphans and widows. We hive none OF us
heart enough truly to mourn with these;
but, at least, we might put on the outer sym
bols Of mourning with them. Let hut every
Christian lady who has conscience toward God
VOW that she will mourn, at least outwardiy,
for His killed creatures. Your praying is use
less, and your church going mere mockery OF
God, il you have not plain obedience in you to
your conscience. Let every lady in tho happy
classes OF civilized Europe simply vow tfat,
" lille any cruel war proceeds, she will wear
black mutes black-with no Jewel, no or
no excuse for an invasion into pratti-
ness. 1tell you, no war would last week"