Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1870-03-08
Women Suffrage.
LECTURE BY HENRY WARD DKEcuER.


The last lecture of the season under the
auspices of the Mercantile Library Asso-
citation was given by Henry Ward Beech
er, in Music Hall, last evening, before
very large audience.
He first showed the historical relations
Of the Il ovemcnt to other previous reforms
and combattei the notion that it was got
up by nervous and fussy people, that have
not much to do at home and therefore de-
sire to have something in which they can
figure. . t....... .......
lie showed the great development Of
national pride and patri; tism by the war,
and continued: ....
Men are no longer thinking in thu old
slow channels, or on the staple principles
that it was prudent to think on. In the
great anti-s'avery contest many man
said to me, II think just as you do--but
then-but them All, but that /" but
then'-that was the devil. Men are
thinking clcarer, with more moral liberty
and with more courage uttering what they
think. This liberation Of the instincts Of
men in The matters of thought and feeling
is bringing other questions upon us, and |
regard the question Of enlarging society
by admitting into equal partnership in its
affairs of women, as the great master
movement, unqucstionably ordained by
God himself, by which he means to rain
blessings upon us, and which we shall yet
be thankful for when we see the full rea-
son of it. 1t is a question not only i'll
consonance with cur times, bat in the line
of analogy with our past history. The
level of society always stopped at woman's
feet, and her rights and prrity will mea-
sure the purity and virtue of society. In
the beginning woman was a child-bearing
slave. She brought forth daughters and
wept. She brought forth sons, and men
rejoiced. A man-child brought into the
world is one Of the most piteous express
sions that ever got into literature. In the
beginning woman is the creature of mans
passion and impulses, then his slave, then
his companion. Wherever you find scorn
Of woman there you find savage
1t was to the Greek churches alone that
the word of the New Testament was ad.
dressed in reference to woman's place
The greatest emancipation that ever came
to woman was her religious function. On.
ly in the present century was the question
discussed whether woman might be more
than working woman, and enter the
fields of literature. She was scofed at
but no man thinks of it now In our owr
day the question came up: May woman
speak now; by argument? No, by fact
In art she went through precisely the
same. Woman claimed the right of being
sculptor, and was met with the same IL
) rade of abuse, misrepresentation and pre-
judice. 1t is no new thing; it is only al
extension of the old battle-a battle il
which the opponents have always beer
) whipped, as they will be again. But it i
sail, why not let them coninc themselves tt
that for which they have shown themselve
| admirably fitted? That is the very ques
, tion. Are they not well fitted as meu 70
the conduct of the civil affairs Of society
You have not been used TO seeing it, bu
, things may be true that you have no
! thought Of. Women are good in tn
, affairs of the church, in the affairs of tn
, neighborhood; they are supreme in tn
, affairs Of the family.
l argue that woman shall have tn
/. right to do whatever she can, providc'
t she can do it well. Give her chance
let her have an opportunity. If she ca
: that settles it if she cannot. that settle
: it. ] cannot say that expect TO see VIC
Q men admitted TO suffrage near so soon a
: many. 7 do not expect it will come fc
n her first in churches, for churches are al
4 ristocratic Institutions, though religion
: most democratic. In America aristocrs
!. cy has to find some place, and effects