The New York herald., 1871-01-13
Bcnuty and tho RaIIst.

1uOI0 Ouu NO uV uAotohC 0UVus Ass AAO
ladies are advancing in force along tho whole
line. The report which we gave yesterday OF
the appearance before the House Judiciary
Committee of the ladies' delegation to urge
their case deserves the serious as well as tha
amused attention Of every one who is engaged
in taking stock of the future of democracy. Il
is, indeed, the blessed property Of this ques-
ton that it affords equal opportunities for
logic and for laughter. The ladies do not
show their usual tact and insight in objecting
to the laughter, for it greases most pleasantly
the creaking wheels Of the logic. And 1t is
part Of the strength of the delicious creatures
that they can pull the cords of our brains BY
taking hold of the strings, not only Of our
hearts, but of our risible muscles. Let us re-
mind them of the mot of witty Frenchman
who stood out in q serious discussion till he
laughed heartily, and then said, with mourn
full mirth, 'J'0i ri; me cola desaTmS"-s.I
have laughed; it is all up with me-"
We really cannot dogmatize on this tremeu>
dous issue. We are compelled to fall back
upon the French proverb-when we talk Of
women, see how we needs must talk France
and Frenchmen-which tells us with appalling
force that 'What woman wills, God Wills"
If the ladies have made up their minds we
had better, perhaps, like that famous
and inexhaustible coon Of American
tradition--that animal who Is perpetually
dying on this side of the Atlantic, as the
phenix on the other is perpetually reviving-
Ioxx NJ IL zCA
famous and lovely nymph Salmacis, of myth
ology, who assailed a gentleman reluctant to
yield to her charms, and was rebuked by the
poet with the words, "Salnaaci d1 spolia sisS
sudore ct sanguine" (''Give Salmacis tha
spoils without sweat or bloodshed, sir"I
What is the use Of resisting the irresistible 2
II the drawing room iayaass The fofdm what
weapons can va clutch to avert the inevitable
and delightful doom9 The witty and profound
Aristophanes saw this centuries ago. His
best, though naughtiest, comedies are all
founded on the idea that the women would
organize themselves politically and supersede
benighted man, who was running the State by
his masculine Observation-Disclosures. Man is not,
perhaps, exactly running the State with us.
but he is doing harm enough to make help
welcome from any quarter. If the ladies have
got it to give we shall welcome them gladly
| enough to the political arena. !.
Looking at the subject seriously we cannoi
but observe that the question is one making
most extraordinary way in England, and that
it is scarcely possible to imagine that this
country can remain long in the rear where
democratic doctrine and human rights
are invoked with solemnity and actually
put into practice. Sufficient atteu-
ton has not been attracted here to
the very remarkable incidents connected
with the election Of the school boards in Lon
don under the new Education act According
to that law, by which the British people are at
last going to remedy their monstrous def
ciencies in popular education, a system is to be
brought in operation by local elective pa rlia-
ments in every district, which are called
boards. At the late election In the British
nominated for election-three ladies, in fact,
of great distinction in literary and professional
life. One of them was Miss Emily Davies, the
distinguished sister Of one Of the most emil
nent of living English clergymen, the Rev.
Llewellyn Davies, profound theologian and
great preacher. Another of these was Miss
Garrett, physician Of established and greaa
practice and reputation, of singular wisdom
and intellectual power. The ladies were all
elected. But to state their election barely Ia
not to convey half the significance of the fact,
which may well be a turning point in the his
tory Of the advance of women to political
power. This lady, Miss Garrett, was nomi.
mated in the popular parish of Marylebone,
and returned at the head of the poll, receiving,
in fact, three times as many votes as any other
candidate, although such an illustrious person
as Professor Huxley was among the other
nominees. 1t is impossible to overlook the
significance of this circumstance. 1t proves
the existence in the public mind Of the
feeling that really capable woman
of the highest order of intellectual
merit is more desirable even than tho best
available man for some descriptions, at leasts3
Of public work. It will be hard matter,
therefore, for the opponents of women now to
show that the best Of them ore not at least a.
desirable as some men for all. The work Of
the School Board in England will be about -
responsible as the work of the Legislature,
and the obvious conclusion is pretty certain to
be drawn.
We will not pretend to like 1t ALL It is
tremendous displacement Of the old ideals Of
life, and it will probably be attended with CON-
sequences of the most grave description to all
the old forms under which all the relations Of
the sexes have hitherto been conducted. II
may be seriously doabted, indeed, whether the
institution of marriage itself will not go through
a period of fiery trials, to say the least of it,