The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-01-23
Bishop Thompson,s Opinion Of Women.

Women have ranked side by side with
men of pToudest name. SapphO, "vio-
let-crowned, pure, sweetly-smiling Sap
pho" for grace and elegance, 6 Hius
and cultivation, had no superior ,er
age. She was regarded by her county
men as a supernal being, and dignified
with the title of the ''tenth muse"
Even SolOn, on hearing one of her
poems, said he could not die till he h al
learned it by heart. COrinna Of Thebes,
I'm five successive contests, bore the
palm from Pindar.
Let the advantages enjoyed by Eliza
beth Carter or Madame Dacier be pos
sessed by all, and examples of female
greatness equally illustriOus will become
frequent. Still, it may be said that the
world has produced no woman to stand
up side by side with Bacon or Newton
in philosophy; with Aristotle or Locke
in logic; with Homer, Shakespeare, or
Milton in poetry; with Hannibal,
Cesar, or Napoleon in arms. To this IL
may be replied, woman has had poor
opportunity thus to distinguish herself.
But how came she to have so poor a
chance, If she be the equal of man
Why not, in the course of ages, assert
and prove her equality, and make her
lord her equal at least, if not her sub
ieet? Weanswer that though wOman's
intellect is equal, it is different in kind
i'm memory, perception, imagination,
woman is not inferior to man; in alb
stractiOn and ratiOcinatiOn, perhaps she
is. Though she surpasses man in some
mental efforts, she cannot match him
in mere analytical power or sublime
conception. Her best productions, like
Cleopatra's needle, are of fine material,
graceful form, beautiful proportions,
and full of meaning. Mans nOblest
work, like the pyramids of Egypt, are
amazing by their breadth and sOlidity.
However this may be, she is certainly
superior to man in sensibility; her
emotions are more intense, and her af-
fections more lively and persistent.
Only a woman, when her sons were
slain, could have kept her bed Of sack
cloth on the ROCKS from the beginning
of harvest till water dropped on the
eOrpses, out of heaven, that she might
prevent the birds of the air from resting
upon them by day and the beasts OF the
| field by night. None but a mother
could, day by day, carry her dead cniid
/ through the frozen woods and nlgnt
after night suspend his cradle OF bark
upon the branches beneath whlch sns
/ slept, and nowhere fix upon spot III
which to bury him. .-.o.
Woman is superior to man in taste
his songs are more sweet and tenderi
her enisfles more bright and sparkIlngI o
her delineations of character Eloie o,,,So rs
cnrate m1 and her descriptions: OF nature ,lI
,,,ore nerfect. Her mind, ike an uh-
..s, nI0ae 20 reflects the forms ana hues
rum r9iIGf things ing around and above it.
oi Shioav az does her moral sensibility
LII superior delicacy; her views Of
exihee einbt are more vivid, and her moral
iIS5nnlses more powerful. Pity, gentle
M III and compassion, are among her
marked characteristics. The stranger
who Is driven from the abode of the
savage by man, may hope to find mercy
from woman. Ii is woman that, in her
pity, can administer relief to the bleed
ing or dying invader Of her country, at
the risk, and even at the cost Of life;
and who, at the couch of suffering or of
DEATH like unto a wife, sister, or
mother.
Shall we say that woman is inferior? ?
II is fabled tlTat, among the heavenly
hierarchy, the Seraphim, angels of love-
rank higher than the Cherubim, angels
Of light.