The New York herald., 1870-05-27
A PETTICoAT POLITICIAN.
Mrs. woodhull's Latest Epistle to the Amerip
oans-''The Limits ard sphere Of Gov \
ernmsnt' Considered from
Female Point Of View


In the following communication Mrs. woodruff
whose former essays on political matters have been
published In the HERALD considers the question Of
government with special reference to the system
under which we live In the United States:-
Having In "The Tendencies 0fGovernment" traced
the rise and fall OF nations, and found that from
earliest historic time TO the present there has been
continual grasping for universal power, and con-
slant failure to maintain the extent Of control actu
ally reached; that the systems through which UNI
versal control was sought were too imperfect to
admit of support for any great length OF time over
an extended area of country; that general order
OF the world seems to indicate that universal govern
ment will become fact and that the United States
shall be the seat OF such governmental power, we
now come to consider what control government
must be invested with order that II shall at all
times the demands OF the peore and the timesb
and therefore be continuous while becoming un1-
versal
1t predicated that government exists by the
sent OF the governed While this is nomnaly true II
virtually contains but undeveloped germ OF truth.
In no country as yet does the government exist by
the consent Of the governed In this country leass
OF all does 1t apply, though superacialiy it may not
30 appear.
Government Is universal All things In all tho
various kingdoms Of nature are the objects OF gov
erning laws which form the subjective order OF the
universe In all natural government the reali0ns
between the governing power and the powers gov.
erned are always well defined, while the require
ments Of the governed are Always met by requisite
modes OF administration. Each coming demand
falls into some common method Of oeing answered.
Thus, in the greatest conceivable diversity
OF conditions are found the fewcst and
simplest laws of control Rising from purely mate
rial to the refined powers OF mind, represented
only In the human, new phase OF Development
springs up. Being an individuallzed power within
itself the human family represents the divine
power that controls the whole, and in this relation
fashions its governments according to the limlta-
tions OF It's acquired standard of wisdom. which
must always necessarily be imperfect in comparison
with the common laws OF the universe IN the same
proportion as human wisdom is Imperfect when COM
pared with divine wisdom Tie world Of mind has
now arrived at an age and corresponding develop.
ment which begins to comprehend the general laws
OF the universe ana to understand their great
simplicity and perfect adaptation to al
things under them. Seeing that such . per-
feet system OF government exists throughout
the universe oil matter, the inquiry Is beginning 70
be earnestly made VIII. tae ullverso OF mad cannot
be cOntrO led by equally simple and general laws and
are never necessary In The common univ rs Il AVS
the inquiry Is also beginning to he made why the
laws tnat govern s0ciely cannot be SO fashioned
after the laws OF nature not 10 require tho
slant remodelkng now nece sary when changes
come III the circumstances required to DO met. The
solution O the dliicuity In whicn the mlad becomes
involved when Considering the 9 most serlous 8ues-
TONS seems reduced to a single pr0pOslti0n-tnas
Ing government and lis administration arse
from the fact that the governing power Ii
not general but speclnc IN dSs I operations; or
TO common law OF control. This is si more
clearly pereepiiOs II the question Of 'rese.ved
rints On the part OF any Of The toverned ID con.
s,dered. No Individual ma res alton that
initiates against the general welfare OF others, or
the WHOLE without SPECIFIC laws % sustan n IN IN It.
II no Individual can have such special
numb OF In ivld ais less than tn wn0le can have
reservations Without SPECIFIC pro ection. Therefore
no cIy coun y, StaJe or nimoer Of them less han
all cities, cOantles and States forming con-
| solidated union, can hod IN reserve any
to the general welfare OF the whole without
| sooner or later comiag into. conflict regarding
q
perty can he expected 70 now floal governments
and It remain permanent. Analytl ally ana philo-
| general good OF all the governed. in which In
dividual rights and privileges can tnd free-
tnat exist npon a less comprehensys bSsis
tlan this must eventually be swept away.
All parts OF systems that conflict with tho
general fundamental propositions in which they
were reared mus be expunged tlererom that nd.
mioislatlOn can be in perfect harnony win profess
son be ore IL Will DC possible Tor general good 10
dow fro administration. The fundamental propO-
siu0ns upon when THIS g0vernm mt PROCESSES TO
| rest that all men and women are oorn free and
equal anu entitled to the inalienable rights O. lfa
liberty and the pursuit OF happiness are in accord
ance win the general order Of The u iyerse below
| tnoriiy. That all are born free Is prop0-
| sltion no. one can question; but this freedom
l. general to all, and does not refer to the
individual nor entite hIm her push his freedom
so as to oncr0aca upon the same ireeom guaranteed
| TO every 0tner individual. There orc individual
freedom Is rged In and is part Of general fre g.
dom; That all men aud women are born equal Is
eSer be se ne int can
that no TWO OF the whole are born Ike every par
ticuar Equality IN phlosopAic sense does not
! imply similarity nor even ikeasss; one tlIng may
be equal to another OF number OF others and stl bs
unlike them all, pound n. q {, feathers is equal
resemble the feathers Ia any respect: hence equality
does NOT prosuppose likeness. The pursuit OF hap
piness is an additional common right naturally re-
{! suitng IRON freedom and equality, and which can
be prosecuted IN any direction that not inter-
fele with the general pursuit OF 1t on the part OF the
whOe. From ths aualysis OF Inherent rights it
would seem that IL should be The sphere Of govern
| ment to maintain such freedom and equality, aud
| thus guarantee TO oil and every the pursuit Of
| happiness ana 10 protect them therein: and, CO.
relatively, tnat the limits of governments should be
nohlng less than the circle that Will permit such
/ Iathery-such motherly-contr0l.
II will scarcely be questioned by those who accept
tne government q this country as systen' comes
nearer being an exponent Of pllilosophic limit and
sphere than that OF any other country, though 1t
must be confessed that the practices underit belle
| its fundamental principles SO much IA this true.
that, while it ID sale 10 assert Of the system that
the best OF all scarcely one can be named wherein
| 80 great distinctions obtain between the intentions
| OF the system and the effects obtained by f.s
! administration. This follows because, having
asserted fundamental principles OF freedom
and justice, the lines OF policy pursued
] have not been shaped by them. Tie principles
| have been lost sigat Of Ia the pursuit OF party
| ana personal or sectional policies 50 that The
government is no longer an exponen5 Of principles,
bur rather or the persons parties sections 5haE
have raised themselves above principles authork-
ties; hence the government has Limitations put upOn
the operations OF its principles and becomes thereby
inconsistent within ITSELF All the corrupt practices
ernn9 process are possible only because the prOfes
sions and practices OF government are notfn har.
princples the practices 10 It's limits and
sphere. Therefore, III the present article,
the practices will be dealt with. In dealing
examine the machinery by which government Is ad-
| minstered and to determine what movements
within the body OF society should be under ITS gene