Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-01
Mrs. Lille Devereax Blake Replies to
The Remarks "A AIDE by The Rev. Dr.
MORGAN Dix,

The New York World reports that about
200 persons met in Frobishers Hall, on East Four
teenth street on Sunday night to listen to Ms
Lille Devereux Blake, who was to reply to the
statements made by the Rev. DR.. Morgan Dix in
lied her and other women who held her views of
''women's mission as the "clamorous evangel-
ied 0 ehanmpons and WSo denouneioS their
"metnodcal rivalry with men," said that "the
highest thing for woman TO do is TO listen to the
dressed in black silk, with a fchu around the
neck and a bunch of pink roses fastened in the
corsage. After reading from the Bible of the crea
ton of man in the Garden of Eden, she said !:
For several weeks past a reverend gentleman in
this city has seen fit to tel women what is their
mission in this world and to tell them what to do
and how to do it. The man s utieraRces have been
applauded and sustained by men. 1t seems as If
the time had come when a woman ought TO say
what woman ought to do, for men are always
getting out of their sphere l have no personal
quarrel with the reverend gentleman; he is man
OF great culture, benevolence and influence, but
when he uses the power of his position as rector
of Trinity church, backed by his social position,
to stamp down struggling woman, and to bind her
hands still tighter with the chains now half cut
off. it is time that woman ought to reply to him
The gentleman in the clustered seciusion of
Trinity chapel, stunning the light of the nine
teenth century, says: Let woman dwell with the
owls and the bats sit here ladies. on the self
cushions of the pews and your silks and satins
will be protected. Do not venture into the gar
ish glare and light of the day; peace. retirement
and forbearance woman virtues; maternity is
her highest function; meekness, silence and sub
mission adorn wnmanhood.' II he sees struggling
woman seeking 10 OBTAIN a living, ne says: 81
fence aud patience are your virtues If he sees
woman trying to better the condition OF tho,e
around her he says retirement is her virtue. 1t is
too late for the reverend gentleman 10 stop tue
wheels of the car OF progress, and not even the
rector of Trinity church can stop the progress OF
the trium phal chariot. / am disadvantage, in
that DR. Dix has delivered three lectures on this
subject and nave undertaken to answer him in
| one reply. DR.. Dix says that women owe all to
spend their lives in uphoIding it, 1t is amazing
| that a man of his learning and culture should
come from the Rev. John Jasper, of Richmond,
Va, who says that the sun do move. 1t is aston
under the ministry Of the Church are not as wen oil
they were in pagan Egypt 400 years ago. Then, we
| find on the monuments men and women side by
| side; the gods were Isis and Osiris; sister and
brother, wife and husband, with the wife al
ways mentioned first; pious women were priest
| essss and learned women were instructresses ~
Mrs. Blake then spoke OF woman S condition under
1 the Romans and said THE ladies' Wardrobes
were limited to three dresses-think of that,
ladies, in these days of Saratoga trunks. Women
protested and struggled until the time OF the en-
pire. when they were given equal social civil and
/ when Christianity dawned. l do not wish TO be
| misunderstood. l am not here TO abuse Chris
| tianity. I have but little respect for dogmatic
Histology, but for the virtues OF Chr1stanity have
| the highest admiration. But Christianity mar
\ rowed by creed and embodied in a church is
/ different; it is the stern mandate of mas
| culine priesthood In the doctrine of the
| celibacy of the priesthood was the degrade
| ton OF woman that is felt TO this day. That
ticed for many years 4 it is the bsne OF y.9ue and
by il the instinct OF home life is struck down and
i woman is made the slave OF man. In this dogma
and the doctrine that by the sin of Eve all woman
/ hood was disgraced, Hes the chief cause OF the
| degradation of woman. Adam was made from
| dust; Eve was made from Adam, which Is msinly
q step higher She wis taken, not from his head,
TO be his superior; not from his feet TO be- his ser
| want: but from his side, 70 be his equal. Adam
realized his inferi0nty, which Is SHOWN when the
Bible says that man must leave his parents and
/ cleaye to his wife; it does not tell woman e
leave her parents and ceave TO her husband THIS
is the Interpretation of that part of the Bible by
| Mrs Blake then spoke of DR.. Dix's opposition to
/ the admission of women into Columbia College
saying that she had been told while trying 70 have
| some young ladies admitted to the inatitution
that he wss the one whose voice was strongest in
| opposition TO this reform, and this position he
said in his lecture he would Uphold. The excuse
was then that there was no room; now there Is
respectable relic of the midd ages, and viii moi
/ give way" He said tness women want young men
/ and women to be thrown together, Shocking
i thought One would think thar they never mel
| now. He said nothing against balls, where young
| men and women dance while they should %
sleeping. but spoke sgssins. their studying
men read, and so we do. We propose to have Il
/ the future no place where men and women canno
i go together aud to do away with those evil spot
| on the earth where husband and wife cannot g
side by side. He tells them to go 70 church anC
listen TO the singing of the 'Msgnifcat-' W,
| must not sing ourselves, but must listen TO tn,
| male voices chanting. Do you know what thl
| words of the 'AagRifcat are2 Here is the hand
| maid Of the Lord; do with her rs thou wilt.
| There Is q grander hymn than the 'Asgnihc1t,'
| word dearer than mother, home or heaven, ana
| that word IS liberty women's work Is not 20 II
| and work al.ar-eloths for labor and TO listen 4
the .Magnihcar for pleasure, but 70 go out Il
children, then for our friends, and finally for tA
State"