The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-16
Memphis, April IS, 1855.
The Sacrifice Under which women
Suffer.

]
To the Editors Of the Appeal:
In fighting an intellectual or moral
battle, Just 40 the fighting a physical
one, the weapon needed presents IT,
self il the combatant is cool and OBJ
servant OF his surroundings. Moth.
ing can better illustrate the power
that inheres in the ballot than the
following sentence. / will quote
from the Sardis letter, given on the
same page with my own article, in
which you had heard "the rights Of
women" would have used the
word wrongs" had the choice been
mine. Giving the names OF the
Aldermen in Sardis it closes with ~.
I. HightoVer, who is a colorsd man.
j. M. Young is Circuit Clerk and j.
f. Scott deputy. Both Of these officers
are colored; two men, and very in
telligent ones, holding the respect OF
all classes" Mo'e than this, / saw
in the recent trial OF a white womaq
for her life, man Of mixed blood
acting as assisting prosecuting az
torney. Now was it intelligence
alone that gave these four colored men
the place and power they hold, and
make OF them such important factors
in municipal and State life. You
know 1t was not, and without this
power, here in the South, though a
negro man had the power OF a god,
without the ballot he would have been
forever an alien in every respect, SO
far as places OF trust and honor were
concerned in such positions as they
now hold. Nay, more, in no Northern
State could they have held ii until
this weapon, which Civilly is as much
one OF protection as knife or ak is in
physical trouble or danger, was given
into their hand. Robert Purvis, living
in Barberry, TenD., paying the highest
taxes OF any man in his county, with
only an eighth Of negro blood in his
veins, was not allowed to send his
children to the public schools, nor
vote, until the ballot was given 10 all |
negroes Ia America, so powerfully did |
caste prejudice prevail.' / am not de.
nyirg, nor in any sense combating
this power in the negro's hands, but
may my toul forget its God when |
cease to demand for my sex the power
to help make the laws that now tram
mel and curse her highest efforts
on every side. Man assumes the
title, Lord of Creation" Loob at
The present state Of society and re-
leive your answer.
They place before the child every
immortality, sanctioned by men
made laws, then demand of her the
'igilance that shall control the lusts
nd appetite that he has inherited
rom father, back for years. Aye, who
ball say that the evils OF to-
ay, rioting everywhere, that fill
our newspapers, are not in
erited in the daughters blood
ON the hot passions OF
vile and licentious father. We can
OF bride nature to swerve aside for I
* in this transmitted inheritance. {
m using the weapons you have pre-
'nted me, the stern logic OF facts.
90 the language used by the mascu-
ne leopard, who sins in defiling the
rights" ~ am no more
Utility than other men, only in being G
und out" Oh women, mothers, the c
oman is not the dangerous one; itis
10 man you pet; the man you let l
)ur young daughter meet and smile {
pom. Be wise in time, in this day OF =
Ser gardens and skating Kinks and 8
kitty OF morale, and guard your fair 5
Dung daughters well. How in the
ce OF the fact that stares you in the Z
ce concerning the negro's power, a
inferred by his ballot; in the face OF n
10 fact that women all over this =
nd, whose fathers, sons, husbands, Y
1mes, means, all went in the Conied. u
ate cause; how can you Southern q
en-, for any tlimsy pretext OF law, bar Q
70 path to any woman that Y
YES honest gain to the la. n
'r OF her brain or hand, "
in the case OF Mrs. Conway ?
oney is potent power in any L
lnds, and here, coupled with her al i
ady established business OF real es- II
to agent, was her assured SUCCESS. 81
ust, in justice to her, disclaim any n
'rsonal knowledge Of Mrs. Conway. n
never saw her in my life and l II
'ubt not she will blame me for using q
sr name; but her case is the one | u
sed to illustrate the fact that the law .
aking power alone can bar this cruel Z
justice to all woman's progress, h.
this power had been in woman's 81
lnds, would the State OF ,Massachu. p,
its discuss raising the aga Of consent 81
ON ten to twelve years, when the d
me State refuses her legal control q
ntil eighteen, nor control OF five dol az
re- OF her own property Great God W
the face OF such criminal laws ex- "
ting in every State, will not the 81
Iothers OF the land rouse themselves
interest in this horrible holocaust
womanly virtue, made more terrible p
very day under the liquor traffic,
censed by my men for centuries, and
ley, the mothers, silent and careless,
lus participating by this implied con.
INT in every crime committed2 Ig-
ORANGE Of facts alone can plead for is
8, and ignorance is now a sin in this Il
heightened day. Two women, Mrs. 81
josephine Butler and Miss Ellice 81
hopkins OF England, were the means cC
sweeping this law from the statutes u
England. Writhing under terri Al
le grief, Mrs. Butler threw herself u
ITO the great battle for humanity, and h
le contagious disease act" was her q
hief source Of attack. She went 81
ON town to town, studying up facts b
oncerniDg women. She went into b
ne rooms Of the poor wretches lola N
escribes, as Florence Nightingale h
ursed the wounded soldiers in ter Il
IDLE battle Of shot, shell and FIRE o
his woman hunted up and nursed q
nd cared for the desperate womer, 81
ounded to death and ruined in life's il
espeIate battle. In this search she
ound how often the children of poor a
aboring men disappeared-lost-chil- o
rem not ten years old. She searched Il
he law hooks, aud found 'the age Of p
tonsent was ten years, and that o
he lords and mobiles and aristo- o
rats preyed on the children OF these a
'o5r men and women. For years she Il
md others tried TO get the age raised, q
tut failed. At last she met with j
stead, man whose clean soul, like Q
Aesting's, took fire at the shameful q
'tstements; she showed him facts ire 8
Unable. Then he began his investi. L
,ations, and ended in q prison. But S