The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-02-20
LETTER FROM REV. VIM. JOLLY

LETTER FROM REV. VIM. JOLLY.
/ To the President and other officers and
friends OF The Oregon State Woman Sgt-
frdge ASSOcidtjOH:-
Yonr invitation to me to attend
your Convention and address you
upon the principle of equal rights, does
me great honor, and l should be most
happy to meet with you were not my
business engagements such as to render
it impossible.
/ gather from my Bible the Divine
idea of the equality of the sexes. 'Male
and female created He them; and to them
gave he dominion" over all the earth.
But as man fell from his high estate
and fort "a lis right to this dominion,
certain ..,tles were the result of the
transgresSion, and these penalties have
been taken advantage of by the stronger
sex, aided always by the prince of the
powers of darkness, and impositions have
been suffered by women through all the
ages because of mans selfishness.
''Thy desire shall be TO thy husband and
he shall rule over thee" was not 4 curse
but a prophecy, construed by man
into curse and used by him for his own
aggrandizement.
The Bible contains many examples Of
woman's power and Influence.
The Queen of Sheba, Vashti, Esther,
Ruth and other notable women figure
largely in the more ancient history,
while Mary, mother of our Savior, is
the highest type of humanity known.
There is much carping upon the in
junction of Paul TO women to keep ST.
lence in churches, or, if they would
learn anything, let them ask their hus-
bands at home.n Ii requires very little
judgment to discern the fact that this
admonition could have no reference TO
the women of the present day, many OF
whom have husbands who never attend
church at all, and who, ii they would
know anything concerning spiritual
things, must learn humbly of their bet
: ter informed and more religious wives
In my own family, my daughter, il
: marrying, wisely refused to be mor'
strongly bound in matrimonial fetter
than her husband. She was willing, a
she expressed it, to "be tied up'' just a
stronglyas himself, but would not consen
to 90 step further; whereupon the el
n derly minister who had been invited t
e perform the ceremony declined 10 serv
J., and another was substituted.
: Let politicians, who love to boast o
r the great principles of human freedom
4 upon which this Government purpOrt
r to be founded, tell us, if they can, upol
: what hypothesis they prove their righ
= to tax the unrepresented women @
: America, while declaring that taxation
n without representation is tyranny.
D Viewed as an act of simple justice, thi
n Government should grant the politica
o demands of woman even without tn,
!, asking; but when she does ask, as now
: the right to be governed with her owl
= consent, and man turns deaf ear to he
{ petition, he proves himself incapable o
self-government and should be remandet
e by his mother back to pinafores ant
\ swaddling clothes. The idea that MAJ
. should make the laws to govern, or il
e any other way prescribe woman'i
: sphere, is so ridiculous that nothing bu
e the long established custom of yielding
f to it, permits it to be tolerated for a day
t in this.age of enlightenment. The sexes
}, cannot afford to get along without eacl
: others aid. "God saw that it was no
good for man to be alone" and so h,
d provided him with help-mate, and t.
e the fact that man continually seeks t,
!, put asunder that which God hath joine,
s together, may be ascribed the failure t,
e make human government atall opprox
It innate Gods idea.
Il But progression is the watchwOrd o
l. the age and woman will be free.
l. The incense of her petitions ascend
n daily unto the ear of the Highest, an,
/ He VIII not to listen to the plead
IS ings OF Ethiopa, when she streache
d forth her hands unto Him, will nc
'r much longer permit the more spiritua
is part of humanity to remain in subjeC
re ton to the animal plane of man.
l. Wishing you a harmonious meetin
IN and sincerely regretting my inability t
lie be with you in body as well as in spiri
Sc believe me- for the cause your, most al
10 dent well-wisher and humble servant.
s. WM. JOLLY.
TO Hillsboro, Or, February, II, 1874.
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