The Portland daily press., 1870-05-11

Whatever may be said of Woman's Rights
| or Woman's Wrongs, it must be acknowledp.
! ed that Mr.. Elwell, of the Transcript, is more
than half right himself Perhaps he may be
persuaded to take another step, and be wholly
| right.
| $50 far says he, ''as this movement seeks
to give woman all the legal rights necessary to
| her protection, the right to her own property,
and the right to pursue any profession in
which she can achiere success, every fair mind
| ed man must bid her God speed" Heari hearl
| But why legal rights only? She has them
| now IN maine. Though not mistress of herself
nor OF her children, she is of her own earnings
and her own property. But why refuse her
ciril and political rights? Are they of less val
| ue tban legal rights?
And why allow her to pursue that nprofes-
| sion only in which she can achieue s,tccess?''
Why such a limitation for woman and not for
man? And how is she to know, until she has
tried, over and over again, it may he, whether
she can dchiece success?
"And as to the ballot he says, without any
| apparent misgiving, and with most amusing
selfcomplacency, sin the first place. women
as as class-do not seek the ballot, aud we doubt
Indeed! And so that question is disposed of,
| is il?
Everything depends upon what Mr. Elwen
| means by class" Does be mean all women
or part only; and if part, how many? Are
| women to be uuanimous?-That were absurd
and helpless. Must there be a majority, before
ANYTHING is done for their relief? And il a mi
nOrlty, HOW large &c minority? iu other words
how nauy shalt oonstitutaa a clelse N,
How would men-pettioners like TO have the
same reasoning applied to them? Do men ''as
a class" ever seek the ballot, or anything else?
Did the slaves? Do our uneducated or unpre-
pared emigrants? Do the Chinese, the Japan
ese, or the other savages in our midst? Are
we to wait, until they unite as class, to ask
for it, before we concede the right? Or shall
we judge for them, as their selEappointed
guardians?
Do childreu-ds cldss-ever ask to be
cudgeled through their a-b-abs or the multi.
plication table? Must we wait until they ask,
before we grant? Do we wait until they ask
for medicine before we call doctor?
Unless a totality, n majority, or spanking
minority, be required to constitute class, then
have we class already, larger than have been
listened to in Congress, and in our legislative
halls, year after year, until they had effected
their purposes. We have, in this country, not
thousands, but tens of thousands, absolutely
seeking the ballot, some by petition, and others
by their presence at conventions, called for
their encouragement and relief Else, why
are they there?
Petitions are poring into the British Parlia-
ment from all parts of the land. From sim
gle city, (BristOD one went up with over a
thousand signatures only week before last, all
which are meeting with most respectful con-
sderation and are likely to prevail, even dur
ing the present session-so they say there.
And here, on this side of the water, how
stands its question: Several newspapers
dozen at least-bave been established. Large
conventions are held, and others appointed at
Washington, Saratoga and New York, in the
largest halls which are always full, and often
crowded. Societies are formed-two national
societies, and scores OF coadlut1rs and auxilia-
aries and petitions by the scores, with hun
dreds if not thousands of signatures have been
sent to Congress and to State Legislatures, and
yet we are told that women do not ask for the
lot!
persuaded to see for yourself: to rely upon
something more than dead reckoning-and
take a new departure.
But he goes further. "If woman wanted to
vote, and really set herself about acquiring the
right to do so, as she does, when she wants a
new bonnet or dress, she could be quite certain
to carry her end
What one woman!-or women as a class?
And now that many thousands are striving, as
they never did ''for new bonnet or dress,''
what is to hinder,-what delays their triumph?
And "so''-he continues-"there can be no
oppression in not granting right arhich is not
desired, and which, If desired, might be readily
secured
Here is pretty begging of the question to be
sure, assuming first, as if demonstrated, that
women do not even desire the ballot, he con-
cedes all we ask, namely, that il they do desire
| it they will be sure to have it!' One thing is
| very certain. If women do not want to vote,
| they won't vote; and if they believe men to be
their natural representatives, they will vote
| for men.
Again-as if not altogether satisfied with
| himself, or afraid that women, serious, thought
| full, high-minded women who have been labor
/ ing for years to bring about the emancipation
of their sex, may not relish his trifing, nor be
| bonnets, in comparison with emancipation he
| says ''we hardly think there is necessity for
forcing the ballot upon many scho do not desire
H-still assuming the whole question to be
settled in his favor!-for the sake of giving it 10
the few who would make doubtful use of II"
another gratuitous assumption-alike ipsult
ing, prepOsterous and inconclusive, and not
worthy OF reply: for who desires to force the
ballot upon any woman? and how, in the name
of heaven could it be fixed upon her.
But having begun with assumptions il
would appear that he does not we'll know
where to stop. For example:
Man has also some duties which oppertdin
solely to his observation-disclosures among
them then is the management of public affairs, and
who SAYS so? Have women no outdoor life?
And is it really true, and not to be questioned,
that the management of public affairs "apper-
| tain solely to his SEX" Has be ever heard of
| Aspasia, Maria Thesera, Elizabeth of England,
| Catharine of Russia, or Victoria? All these
have had something to do with public affairs,
| and were never characterized by any body, in
lopers or intermedders-or as inefficient,
| while managing fleets and armies, and control
|
And then comes most extraordinary ques-
| tion--a sort of dying fash.
"Where shall the boundary of the sexes be
placed?" To which L answer, "Not knowing,
can't say.-"And therefore,, he adds, "wby not
| leave it where we naturally find it?'
Then, if understand him, there IS q boun-
| dairy, and we know where to find it-natur-
ally:
me aning, it is untrue. We are not talking of
| bodies, but of souls minds and capabilities.
| Are these boundaries fred? Are they to be
found? JOHN NEAL.
P.S. Since the above was writer, the
| Revolution of April 28th has reached me-a
| trustworthiness devoted to woman's rights
which contains the following passage
''The report of the committee of the House
| of Commons on Public Petitions, issued this
| week, states that up to the 25th of March, the
/ number of petitions in favor OF woman suf-
| irage presented this session was one hundred
| and lforty three bearing fifty three thousand
one hundred and forty four signaturesp'
We are informed that Mr.. John Brights
bill for woman suffrage passed In the British
| Parliament, May d,h, by q vote OF ia yeas to
MIR. Payson has replied in the Argus of to-
day, saying first, That the greater number of
| climates man lives in, the greater diversity
| of civilization he is brought into contact with,
| the better it is for him..
If SO, he ought to spend his life in travelling
from city to city, from island to island, from
tribe to tribe-instead of settling down any,
where long enough to learn q trade, or enter n
profession, to establish himself in business or
take root in marriage. Can this bs true?
| And secondly, 81 believe that there is one
law for man and another law for woman-inst
as there is one law for the oak and another for
the zine that gracefully clings 10 the oak''-all
very fine, but ''fne words butter no parsnips. .
/ That, in a certain sense, there Is Zone law
for man and another for woman" acknowl.
edge, and one law for each and each woman
whereby individuality and responsibility are
secured; yet there is really one law for both
Gods LAWN opposition to mans law.
But, inasmuch as we do not propose making
| women over into men, nor vines into oaks, and
as the attempt wouldn't be likely to prosper
until we get Sunshine from cucnmbers, do
not see why Mr.. Payson should be SO much
! much alarmed.
| He saws moreover, if women are admitted
20 s,,fsraga thew will lose their attraction, and
~ ~, H. I;La tbefower that has lost its perfume
NJ MI ssra,y IL over the next hedge. Now il
',,an were only something TO smell of, or
Mot WIZ at-or even to look at-there might be
. nn,e analogy; but ipasmuch they are our
5etter halres for other purposes, I cannot see
| the resemblance.
And now let us come to the point with those
who, like Mr.. Payson, claim that women are .
| privileged class-a sort of perpetual aristocra-
cy-allow me to ask if they ever knew man
or a boy who wanted to be woman? Yet Won
| have known multitudes of women-or if YOU
have not, others have-who wish they were
| men.