Smyrna times., 1874-06-17
American Gallantry.

ton. 1t generally looks to reward. | have
not yet discovered that the German has any at
all. The Russians is half civilized and half
savage, like his nature and country, but the
courtesy OF the American-the true born son OF
the soils genuine. 1t is the outgrOwth OF
the inner man, and at once proves he had a
mother, and what that mother was; but, l
am sorry to say, it is plain to me it is on the
decline
| This was the utterance of one who has lived
many years abroad, and has visited most of the
Courts Of Europe. That American courtesy
in this respect is on the decline has begun to
be accepted as a fact. Why is it?
! Most men and many women will tell you it
is the result of the woman's movement that
woman herself drunk with success, has tram
pied down and broken over the deences which,
implanted by nature and strengthened by edu-
cation, man has ever since the dawn of Chris
tianity, which elevated her to his side, beenrear-
ing and cultivating for her security, protection,
and happiness
There is no doubt this is one great cause of
the lack of compla>ance on the part of men 10
the sex. Women who claim rights do not want
favor or Indulgence, and in the rough and tum-
BILE to secure them they must not complain if
they meet with the scant courtesy that, in such
strife, men are apt to be distinguished for
Gallantry may be current coin in the political
arena, but no such word as chivalry is known
there.
: Another theory for the falling off in this
kind of attention to woman among American
men is to be found in the mixture of races
The different nationalties meeting on our
shores and finding homes marry Americans
This admlXture of blood and being transmits
traits in a greater or less degree the peculiar
American traits are diffused and weakened,
and this diffusion, after a generation or so, be-
gins to be more or less apparent according to
the status Of that race with which it has
mingled.
But" says one, ''there is marked sectional
I difference 10 this matter. Eastern men-men
of New York and B Ds'On, more particularly Of
, the latter-very seldom show the commonest
, courtesy in travel, public conveyances, or on
the street. to the woman they meet. In COM
ing West, | was particularly impressed with
! the change, which was as pleasant as it was
, obvious. | had been so long accustomed to
the cool Indifference and yOu-may take, care of
f yourself, you are abe-t0 dol air Of the men
I | met, who scores of times had permitted me
to stand for miles hanging on to the strap of a
street-car while they remained seated, scanning
me with llstleSsS uncOncGrn as they talked,
utterly ignoring my presence, that was crate
n full for the slightest courtesy extended to me,
and everywhere west of the mountains this
\ courtesy was extended, not because was an
h acquaintance or friend, or because | belonged
to a certain class, but because L was a
woman.
), 1t may be the sign of higher civilization,
j., Of more perfect culture, to permit poor
d woman with heavy basket, or one carrying
f baby, or one mcany clad, but with white hair
i to stand while men sit who have u right to sit
Q but it is a culture and refinement in which
ii Western men are deficient, although it i,
l. daily, hourly done in metropolitan cities
!. Should the conductor Of Il train on any one
r i. 4. NJ
n Boston go up to two or three men who, through
, carelessness or Indifference, had let severa
> women in their neighbOrhOOd stand, and say
to them, as have heard conductor on on,
II of the Western roads say under the same cir
=, cumstances, 81 wish you would give thOst
E. women your seats, the men would not heSi
i tate to refuse outright, and without doub
1t would report the conductor as having inter
/. fered with their naenable rights. Yet maj
West having charge of train or street-ca
would have no scruples in such matter; b,
would consider it Was his duty to remind thu
~ passengers who had failed in this respect, ant
- not one time in ten would this suggestion
20 offend. Those who have watched this kind o
~ ~ thing have noted the haste and confusion will
l., which the seats are vacated, as though ASHAMED
h of their occupancy.
80 | know that on a road leading into Boston
- :, a fral woman travelling with an aged one, o.
q Il SlOTluy uhy' Wncu JHe CdIS WcI0 CTOWueu, an
er womem-and men, tOO-stoOd in the passage
~ way, unabed to obtain seats, procured sea
. for the elder lady by pleading with boy for il
- while she herself stood, most of the time lean
= ing against a seat occupied by men, from
i clock in the morning until in the afternoon
ia The conductor was appealed to, but he coul
-, do nothing
y In England this sort of thing would excit
no comment. A man is not expected to
"a such Quixotic thing, under any circumstance,
40 as to surrender seat he has bought and pal
." ~ for, and no one would dream of asking him s
N to do, although he might make virtue
- ;, yielding it to some favored lady friend. Blu
-, heretofore, everywhere in American wome
m have been treated always with so much ga
he antry-no, [ do not mean gallantry- -chivalry
~ that they have become accustomed to an
q expect it. Whether they have appreciated
of or not is another question.
u Gallantry and chivalry To my mind thes
70 words express exactly the difference betwee
, . the feeling which prompts a Frenchman
in. attentions to a woman and an American
of We say the Frenchman is gallant. So he i
,s; but how much of respect is there in the civil
.od or polite attention he Is so particular to pay
,ua The American is chivalric Even in the RI
he dest nature you will see, unless it has bee
. crushed out by most untOward circumstance
nos a tender respect for woman, simply becau
aen she is a woman, and represents wife, mOthe
,oa or sister. He cannot deal with her as thoug
ing sue "eIe a. aH .,''',o.f9 .sS ieeI''
1or : woman, no matter how low in the scale
"a q being she was, harnessed to a cart with dc
nu u,u or other animal to draw burdens His feelir
pay and his cry would probably be shame"
least it would have been in days gone by, y
re- in older civilizations this is no uncommon sigh
on and is viewed with stoical Indifference.
Of You may say no American woman could
lar found who would degrade herself to alevel WI
ac- the beast of burden. True, but who plac
IS il her in the circumstances, gave the tone to Il
hip public feeling. created the sentiment whi'
her makes it impossible for her so to do, but mer
me, Women who demand their rights should I
ned member that men made the world as it is, tn
being helpless, and but for men they wou