The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-04


ixed to his shoulders. And when I |
hink of certain high and mighty ut |
erances heard in the State House, |
ouching the political rights Of women, |
am constrained to borrow the very
ext of Bottoms remarks, and say,
this is Ercles' vein, a tyrantis vein.n
And when think of the human wall
n the play, the man who stands be-
iaubed with mud and lime, and spreads
1ut his fingers, for the lovers on either
side to peep through, why then am
eomforted in beholding the human OBJ
stacles that stand between US and our
just rights, and who, holding out their
hands, invite us to look at
each other and the world between their
fingers. Then / see that We have had
the Athenian farce enacted in the State
House, this past winter, and I think
that Public Opinion, like the high audi
ence in the play, has had enough of the
vulgar performance, and desires the
rustics to go and learn better manners
before they present themselves again.
Do not suppose, friends, that this is mere
good-natured satire. 1t is burning
truth, and pains the indignant heart
that utters it. There is much of the OPP
posite element, thank God, in this State,
and in its representation. There is the
ring of true metal, there is the chiv-
airy Of true philanthropy. And yet
certain moral squint does seem to me to
pervade the political countenances of
our State. And each one averts his
eyes from the others evil doings, lest by
looking at them he should provoke at
tention to his own. And so chow not
to see it," is coming to take the place Of
show not TO do it.n And those who
should give us satisfaction, concerning
these things, look up into the ceiling, as
Sam Weller looked for his father, and
can see and tell us nothing.
But we, dear sisters, have not got the
fashionable squint. We have not prac-
tised looking round a corner till we can
see nothing ahead of us. And if we can
only supply something which is not
quite a drug in the markell mean
honest thought and honest work.
think that the present state of things
shows quite an opening for us.
Those of US who will speak last in the
order OF this convention will have some
advantage over us who are appointed TO
speak first. They will have heard, we
hope, much that is suggestive and use
full, and will be wiser than we can be
whose words shall open the proceedings.
But even we who begin have had some
instruction this year which We have not
had in other years. The debates at the
State House have given US this. These
have taught US how men of mean minds
consider women. Touching their views
| can only say that if womanhoOd were
the slavish material fact TO us which it
seems 10 them, no literature could en-
tighten us, and no church could chris
tianize us. We should be simply means
and not end to God and man, the agency
by which men come into being, and not
one-half of humanity.
In much that is said by such persons,
the material and subordinate side OF
motherhood is too much put forward.
1t is forgotten that the material fact OF
motherhood symbolizes higher spir-
itual fact and relation. The Christian
church early embodied this in her le-
gendary worshipof the mother ofChrist.
With this, civilization in its progress
does not sympathize, but with the grand
ideal of woman which il expresses, the
world of progress has everything TO do.
Now this ideal, true prophetic vision,
cannot be realized while women are
dwarfted and distorted 10 suit the par
/ tial views of men. To attain it, women
must choose and embrace their own op-
| portunities of culture. The woman that
nature gives is but a sketch for culture
and conscience to fill out. To appre-
ciate maternity we must first appreciate
life, since il we do not know its value in
ourselves We cannot appreciate it in oul
children. All the refinements oi
thought, all the sublimities Of philoso-
ply are necessary to build the budding
maiden in the crowned matron. The
seal of a narrow mind, of ignorance and
prejudice unreelaimed, takes effect from
/ generation to generation.
We must not, my friends, arrogate 10
ourselves the credit of the new state OF
! things, and say the growth of all the
modern humanities is owing to the in
tervention of women in literature and
in reform. The general direction and
tendency of human nature, male as well
as female, is towards greater freedom,
and more liberal construction of all re-
lationships. Yet this tendency, clearly
discernible to-day, greatly concerns
women. 1t permits and invites their
cooperation in every department of
duty, public and private. Nay, it re-
quires this Intervention. Men alone
are insufficient to represent and carry
out the loving will Of the divine Father
and Mother of the world. AS little chill
dren receive from bounteOus parent,
not one hand but both hands full, we
turn two hands of humanity. The male
and the female shall both be filed with
the divine gift, and shall make useful
for the world what they have fully and
equally received from God. So the
new activities of woman lie i'm the di-
rection of the new order, and at the
same time, women by direct and indi.
rect participation have done much to
humanize society and its various forms
of representation.