The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-03-16

So - $50 SAA>
thing Of most universal Interest; Us il
: gigantic dolmeo, Or . vast temple o.
Jupiter Olympus, occupied the site Of
Sc PauPa and received daily ! Worship,
while the surrounding Christian churchs
we're only resorted to on fasts aud tes.
rivals. This entire discrepancy between
ono social fact and Ill those which &C.
company it, and the radical opposition
sbetwsen its nature and the progressive
movement which is Ito boast of the
modern world, and which has success.
sa.iyely svspt away everything else Of 40
analogous eharao.sr, sursly Affords, 70 I
ooDseientious observer Of human teudeu.
oiss, seirioua matter for reelection. It
r.ises prima facie presumption on the
unfavorable eide, far outveighing any
which custom aud usage could ID such
circumstance oreate On the favorable;
and should at least suffice to make this.
like the choice between republicanism
and royalty, !. BALANCED question.
The least that can 30 demanded 10;
that tho question should not be oonaid-
cred - prejudiced BY existing fact md
existing opinion, but open 70 the discus
sion on its merits, y Z question Of jps.
tioe and expedieocy !; tho decision on
this, q on any other social arrange
ments Of mankind, depending On what
IN jeulighteaed estimate Of tendencies
and consequences may show to be most
advantageous 70 humanity ia general,
without distinction of, sex. And the
discussion must be 4 real discussion,
descending 70 foundations, and not rest.
ing satis6ed with vague and general o.
ss,tions. Il viii not do, for instance,
to assert in general terus, that the ex.
petienee Of mankind has pronounced
10 favor Of the existing system. Ex-
perieuce cannot possibly have decided
between two coufsee, so long, as there
has onIy been experience Of one. II
it be said that the doctrine of the
equality Of the sexes rests only on the
theory, it must be remembered that the
contrary doctrine also has only theory
to rest upon. All that is proved 10 it,
favor by direct experience, j. tina,
mankind have heen able to exist under
it, and to attain the degree Of improve
,ment and prosperity which ~ now Gee ;
but whether that prosperity has been
attained sooner, Or i nov: greater, than
it would have bean under the other
system, ,expeIience does not say.
On the othe, hand, experience does say,
that every step 10 improvement hos
been 80 invariably accompanied BY .
step made in raising tho social portion
Of woman, that historians and philoso.
piers have been led to adopt their ele.
vation Or debasement as on the whole
the surest test and most correct meas
ure Of the civilization Of people or
an age. Through all the progressive
period Of human history, the condition
Of woman has been approaching near.
or to equality with men,. This does
not of itself prove that. the assimilation
must 9 60 on to complete equality but
i assaredly affords some presumption
that such is the case.
Neither does 1t avail anything to say
that the stature Of the two sexes sdspts
them 70 their present functions and po-
si.ion, aud renders these appropriate to
them. Standing on the ground Of
common sense and the constitution Of
the .huusa mind, I deny that COY. one
knows, IL can know, the nature of the
two sexes, - long ~ they have only
been seen in their present relation to
ono another. If N n had ever been
found in society without women, Or
without mec, Or if there had been o
society Of men aud women in which the
women were not under the control Of
the mon, something light have been
positively known about the mental and
moral differences which may be inner
ent ia the nature OF eaoh. What is
nov called thsinaturs &c wollan is On
smioently artificial thing-the result Of
forced repression il some directions, no
natural stimulation in others. Il msyl
be asserted without soruple, that no
other elass Of dereadenss have had
their character 90 entirely distorted
from its natural proportions by their 10
lation With ,hsir n.stsrs; for if con
quered and slave races have been, 10
soma respects, more forcibly repressed,
whatever in them has not been crush.
cd down BY 40 ircn heel has generally
been let alone, and If left With any lib.
erty ofs .dsvslopment, i has developed
itself recording to IL own laws; bu'
10 the case Of women, : hothouss and
ssose cultivation haa slvs3s been ear
RED on Of some d the capabilities q
their nature, for the benefit and plsas.
ure. pf thsir uEssseri. Then, becapss
p,odsots u The general yi.af lore.
tspsoat luxariantly sad rsash s srsas Do
n, vuslopmsnt 10 this hsatad taosphsse
and suad. shi. i've II a.talr. a1d ~;
,eaipg. While oth,t, hoon fion the san,
rot, which ars lsft outside il the win
" air, Nth iee parposely hsaped i
round them havs astdnt "a growth, ant