The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-04-27
A Defense Of the Women.

WITH all he boosted chivalrOus feeling
of the men of the United States it is as
tonishing tn see how many of them are
attribut1ng to women the condition of
things that has led to the crimes and the
disgrace of the late Secretary of War.
There have been innumerable sermons
printed in newspapers, conducted by men,
on such texts as woman's extravaganza,
| woman's ambition, woman's love Of adj
miration, woman's fast living and woman's
want of principle. All these assumed
characteristics Of the sex in America are
illustrated by anecdotes or by scandalous
insinuations furnished by the wretched
creatures in mems clothes, who make
their living by the retail Of personal Cos
sip, misnamed "society news" for papers
that cater for the vulgar tastes of the peo-
pie that frequent the lowest kinds of balls,
clubs and bar-rooms, and the still lower
resorts where virtue in either sex is I'M
known and impossible. If the female
part OF American society were really CON-
posed of such beings as put themselves
at the mercy of these creatures, and allow
them, or pay them, to advertise their
style OF beauty, their wit, their accom-
their dress, their jewels, their visiting
lists, their followers of each sex, and their
utterly heartless, heathcnishness worldli-
ness, then one might we'll despair of the
country. One might even give some faith
to the creed of those overwise and solemn
writer's who are even now declaring that
woman is the real enemy of the Republic
| in America. There could be no good in
fluences on such women's husbands, and
none but bad influences ON their children.
who are to be citizens and fathers and
mothers in their turn. Buthappily where
one woman, or half dozen women, can
be found to commit disgrace that is felt
by the whole nation, there are millions of
women that are the very vital essence of
the goodness of the American people.
Without these millions of good women
there would be no good men, or very few.
These millions are the modest, prudent,
retiring women who do their duty in their
homes, in their social circles, in their
churches, in the charities that deserve
their help; who avoid personal extrava-
gance and abhor notoriety; who in doing
good, not by stealth, but in quiet, unob-
trusive way, Are really made "to blush to
find it fame" who are really aggrieved
or frightened when their names are put in
print. Each one OF these millions of
good women, be she matron o. maid, is
exercising certain good influence, &C.
cording to her physical and her mental
strength, that tells upon the general con-
dition Of society quite as much as does
the influence of each one Of the small
number of famously bad or silly or
extravagant women, one of whom
has lately been so ruthiessly held up
as typical American woman by
ignorant or cowardly men. The
argume,,tun ad hominem is always weak,
but it is especially so when it applies to
the female part of the genus. We have no
more right to condemn Eve, who yielded
to the serpent, than we have to condemn
Adam, who yielded to Eve. The old his
tory of the Garden of Eden is repeat
ing itself frequently. But in all recent
repetitions of it, especially in political af-
fairs, the Adam is the worst sinner In
ninety-nlne cases out of a hundred he puts
himself in the way of temptation, and in
most of these he is saved from fatal fall
by his Eve. If his is the controlling
spirit and he leads her to join him in sins
Of his own devising, he is the party to be
disgraced and punished. His Eve ought
to be treated at least with a little of the
mercy given so abundantly by Divine
being, in later dispensation, to woman
who had really sinned, but was really
penitent. There was the one grand case
of chivalry that was more than knightly-
that was divine. In the light of such an
example the paltroonery of the men who
are berating the whole female sex in
| America because one woman may have
ruined her husband and disgraced her
country becomes utterly despicable.-
PhilndeLnbin R,,lletin