National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-23
KoMEH as LARYERs"
IEI,rnRE RY pHRzE ,,orIzz1Ns A1

LECTURE BY PHG4E CouzZINS AT
WILLARD's HALL. LAST EVENING.
Phoebe CouEz!ns, the ltSds lawyer of st. Louis
was greeted last eveAing at Wizards hall BY
select audience, cotaposed priacipaily oil intesu-
gent ladies, intersAersed among which were
lew Congressman and several Wei[knoNh law
yers of the city. Tho subisct treated % miss
Couzzsns is Significant and was discussed as iol-
lows
Ladies asd yyeutlemen feel under great OBJ
legations 20 the gentleman who has Just intro
daced me (G4overnor Stanley for many reasons
among which one rises paramount that Of his
having presented me 60 the public a my maiden
per respecting the Governor, she said that woman
had de naonstrated CLEARLY TO the world that eho
medioaI profession, and now the world was
anxieasly waiting to learn her success In CON-
petiag with man in the arena Of the law. The
masculine gender of mankind has had free scope
and sway since creations dawn in all the fields Of
| science, art, literature, and general learning.
Froes IN the variCns depaTt@ents Of knowledge
by clubbing all Of the-degrees with bachelors OF
| and so forth. entirely ignoring woman. But this
state of things will soon pass away. A brighter
EZRA is fast dawnIDg upon the world.
1t Will be an era in which the intellectual
women OF the day will hgure eonspicnonsly. Inc
time is approaching when this old but upright.
eously-established custom will be renovated, and
through the renovation woman will receive those
rights which have SO long been unreas9naoly and
inconsIstently withheld from her. In demanding
the admission Of women into the legal profession
women are charged with intrusion. But the MS
tory OF the past teaches plainly that in demand
ing this right woman merely asks for that priv,
| Iege and opportunity which has been bestowed
| upon her from time immcmorial; but by the
shrewdness and jealousy OF man in modern times
these rights have been suppressed and denied.
All through Biblical history are grand Instances
where these God-given rights have been asserted
and received, where women lawyers have con-
trolled mighty influence in the councils OF king
doms. Among these noble examples, Deborah
| Of n bright and unfaliQG light. Both Deautl-
full and eloquent her wisdom and counsels We re
| sought by the learned aud high-minded men ofth
land. She interpreted laws to kings, who were
themselves the lawmakers, and the spirit OF her
Interpretation helped to secure for her country
peace. prosperity and order. Huida, another
Scriptural parsonage, was so versed In the laws
and SO accomplished scholar that she was Sc
lected as an eKpounder aud teacher OF law.
Queen Esther, the majestic ruler, the noble
teacher the beautiful woman, Is but another ex-
ample OF female integrity. ability and strength.
The pages Of profane history are also glowing
with praise and admiration for women, who have
been power in molding and shaping the desti-
mics of nations, resplendent among whom are
Madamcs de MalntenOn, DE Stael, and Roland
women who accomplished more for humanity and
the world than almost any man OF historical lame.
In speaking of the days preceding feudal times
the lecturer said that in those days the women
enjoyed more political benefits than at the pres
ent day. Women sat upon luries; women acted
as counselors. On the bench women rendered i'm
partial decisions, remarkable both for their COM
mon sense and justice, and history Is filled with
thousands Of brilliant examples where women
have assumed the responsibilities winch are To-
day meanly denied them, because 1t is feared that
they are not capable Of discharging those duties.
With such strong testimony as this for the past
what great works will women accomplish in the
future If these barriers, these unrighteous and
unjust restrictions, are broken assunder and she
Is allowed equal rights WIN man and ie sest 9T1efg
the very centre Of our halls Of legislation; the
chIcanery and faIthlessnsss Of public men; the
degradation OF politics, and the ErOstitutions OF
national funds all these calling loudly to-day
to the highminded and intelligent women OF the
land to stretch forth staying hand and check
this current which, II allowed to flow on, must
ultimately end in disruption and ruin. when l
first thought of pursuing the legal profession my
mind was filled with vague fancies. i thought
that all lawyers were models Of learning and Gull
ture; noble examples OF etiquette and moral
Stamina That their everyday language was
that of Greek and Latin, while the Hebrew and
hieroglyphIcs were but ordinary accomplishments,
and thai their decisions were the essence OF jus
tice But things have changed now. have read
their decisions. / have heard one particularly,
recent one, that of Judge Mott, of the Court of
Claims, rejecting the admission Of lady as prac-
that women Should not fear the supposed
grandeur and Intellectual greatness OF men; but
that they should look with pity, mingled with
disgust, on their general dminutiyeness, for 1t Is
only the small fry which women need have any
fear Of
and now nothing but the unwiillngness OF man
binders her from completely mastering the law.
Law is the refinement of reason, and as woman
is the most refined of the races, why should she
lawyer? Man, it is acknowledged, has developed
the muscle of the law, but he has leGt out the
sunshine and radiance. This can only be intro
duced into the system by cultured and refined
manners Amer explaining In comprehensive
manner how thoroughly successful women have
been as lawyers the lecturer proceeded to show
why they should be allowed to enter the profess
sion with all the rights Of court practice. She
thought that woman was as much needed in the
administering of the lay as man, but she feared
they would never secure that privilege until the
Shackles OF the present conyentionaitigshadb been
After speaking Mt length upon the |
potent influence that woman would have in all |
branches Of the worlds history, If permitted the
enjoyment Of equal rights With man, she closed
with an eloquent peroration upon the noble and
supreme qualities Of women in all portions OF the
worlds history, from the quiet days Of Eve down
to the present hustle Of fashion and worldly reali