The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-02-14
"THE IRRBPRBssIBLE CONFLICT. {"

1.-THE IRRBPRESSIBLE CONFLICT"
Since the creation OF man, there has
been one ceaseless conflict between error
and truth. And the warfare will never
end while sin, wrong and oppression
continue their dominion over the human
race.
In the beginning God implanted in
the human mind that love for freedom
and truth which the dark and damning
tide of oppression and sin has for six
thousand years failed to crush or
destroy But i'm all the struggles for
freedom in which the race have battled,
since time began, never have women
arisen and demanded for themselves, as
a part and parcel Of the race, equal
rights and equal privileges with the
dominant sex until the present revolu-
tion began.
History records the almost unnum-
bered triumphs of man in his struggles
for liberty of thought and action, and
he has ever had wOman's sympathy,
and, as far as she was dllo'0ed to act,
her earnest and effective cooperation.
Ever have her warmest sympathies, her
tears and her prayers, been offered in
behalf of the cause of human freedom;
and who can say of how much avail
they have been, when the privilege of
aiding in more tangible and effective
ways have been denied her? All, yes,
her love, her devotion and her con-
stancy, have been immOrtalized by the
glowing pen of prophet and poet, and
the eloquent tongues of priest and
statesman have sung her praises in lofty
strains since history began. But where,
in all its annals, is it recorded of man,
that, through either gratitude or a sense
of justice, Except in rare individual
cases. he has been willing to share with
her the boon which their united efforts
have secured? Would that L could
point to one bright page of history, and
there read, with feelings of pride and
satisfaction, the record of mans justice
and generosity in his treatment of wOm-
an, as a rational and intelligent being.
What a noble precedent would such All
example be for the pioneers of woman's
emancipation. But alas! with shame
let it be recorded, that from the begin
ming man has oppressed and degraded
the being whom God gave him for a
''helpmeet' (or fit for him, and who
designed that the train should be Zone
fleshn and gave them dominion over the
whole earth.
Immediately after the fall of man,
and in direct fulfillment of the predic-
tion of God, that che should rule over
her." began the state of servitude and
degradation. And, from the lofty posi-
tion of joint-ruler over the broad empire
of earth, she sank, by degrees, through
the animal instincts and sheer brute
force of man, her once noble companion,
to level with the beasts of burden In
degrading her to this low position, man
consequently degraded the race, and
through the thralldom Of sin the whole
habitable earth became deluged in
crime and blood, and man had almost
/ forgotten God. And had not his Won
drous love for mankind interposed in
the form of deliverer, Savior, the
whole race must eventually, through
/ Ignorance, crime and devastating war,
have sunk into oblivion. But among
the fundamental principles which Christ
laid down for basis OF the restoration
of man from sin, is the great law Of
unity and equality Of the seres, as well
as of all tribes and conditions of man
kind. "There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female, for ye are all
one IN Christ Jesus" But how sadly
has this great law of equity been mis-
understood and abused. Think you
when this divine law-giver, this great
head Of the church, inspired the apostle
to the Gentle world, to announce this
broad and benevolent platform" as q
basis of his church, upon which all
grades of mankind could meet, as upon
one common ground, one universal
brotherhood, that he designed that man
alone should have the precedence in all
things, and that ,gomaR should forever
be kept in state of subsection to man
You might as well argue that he insti-
tuted system of aristocracy based upon
nationality, condition and sex, as thl:
proposition would deny the three grand