Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-05-28
In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
WoMAN's SPHERE.

What II Really is rs viewed from
German Standpolnt--PlainS Sensible Read
| ing.
Ii is no empty delusionl the woman
question. Every one must concede that
who has not faced the present social
struggle with complete ignorance or
Incidence But while some place hope
in this knowledge, others, the direct
enemies of the movement seek to in
crease the hinderances, the prejudices
of centuries, which stand in the way of
It's champions; and a third party, earn
est and without prejudice, but filled
with pitiful doubt, discuss the ques-
ton whether the change of social con-
dition for which the representatives ot
woman's emancipation are intending,
would not run directly contrary to wo-
mans most beautiful, her natural"
calling.
One fact they forget to consider,
which indisputedly is of great signifi-
cance in the decision of this question,
that woman in the first place is human
being The task which men and women
in the plan of the world have to dis
charge, may differ at certain points ac-
cording to their difference of sex; but
the common attributes of humanity,
strength and mind-power which natur-
ally and irrepressibly demand activity
and satisfaction, can not be refused to
women by any just thinker And even
grant that in women these are less
sharply defined than in man IAN appear
ance which is to be traced to The system
of education laid out for women, and to
the oppression of centuries, much
rather than to natural foundationS), do
the social conditions of the present Of
fer the possibility of insuring satisfac-
ton to woman's genius according to this
acknowledged necessity? They do not.
Is it not a barbarity to withhold from a
creature what It's organization urgently
requires as necessary nourishment? One
quickly pities fellow-creature who
hungering and freezing reaches out the
hand for aims; but there are natures to
whom privation of spiritual necessities
causes incomparably greater woe than
10 pbSolblC llOlil any Pill olNdl AtiiSNi'
and this even the most benevolent and
tender-hearted men seem not to realize,
The glowing, passionate impulse of
the soul to search the heights and
depths of science the longing and
wrestling for the highest fortune and
possible perfection, the satisfaction in
the consciousness of devoting ones
strength to the service of mankind-is
all this for man only? Shall woman
feel within her nothing of that sacred
fire of intellect? Shall no voice within
her breast say that it is mankind's
moral duty to be free? If all these at
tributes and privileges are only for
man, woman can not be considered
human. Then the ideas mankind and
man are identical; then also, man has
perfect right to treat woman as slave.
1t is personal freedom which will be
least willingly conceded to woman, by
the opponents of the struggle Cor eman
cipation. Let man strive for freedom
woman for morals" they call out to hen
and by this call demand "A frerh proof
of her bondage-submssion to Gre sway
of authority, They forget the laying
'Man is not born to be freer Can not
woman struggling for freedom at th5
same time be moral? win she not il
, consequence of this struggle be so? Is
| freedom synonymous with license? No
The intellectually developed human
= being, whether man or woman, is free
to submit himself to the moral law, and
only such kind of morality is worthy o
/ mankind.
AS woman is a part of mankind, sc
ought she in the first place to fulfil
her mission as part of mankind, tina
: is, serve the common cause of human
ity according to her strength and abil
ity and under the supervision of he
own individual inclinations And her,
lies the most glaring, the most cOnse
z quential injustice W-lich man has in
fiicted upon woman land hence upol
? the wider order of humanity. "Wom
, an shall be wife and mother; that j
her particular, her natural calling; al
others are unnatural has been sale
a for centuries, and with this law o
= tyranny man has crusled out woman
= individual life, and systematically com
PEELED her to what as matter of fac
I she has almost become: a willess too
: of man, creature without character
+ individuality, Independent feeling, s.
g that Schopenhauer was nearly RICH
in his assertion that women were onl
+ sorts of existences lie seems not t
/ have considered that this condition o
e woman's mind has been artifcially in
l duced.
n The boy in most cases is freely pei
v mitted to choose his life-calling accorc
II ing to his own dictates; more than this
o often an intellectually weak or aver
agely gifted boy is given all possibl
:. pecuniary aid to pursue this calling
u The daughter without exception is edr
d Gated for wife and mother" But ma
VI is sagacious and just enough to var
3 according to circumstances the pre-
u gram of training, within the limits pre-
c scribed by nature. The girl in goo
o circumstances as wife, mother an
: housekeeper has other duties to pc
u form than one who is simply commo
l laborers wife She not only must /
proficient in household affairs, but ais
L in social duties and must possess ce
$ tain degree of scientific and artistic Gu
ture. All these elements of cultui
a must be taught her and she must r.
d ceive them, though her unsusceptib
I, mind may oppose ever so stubborn,
Il though her intellect be ever so incapt
pie of assimilating the material pr
o scented, and hence of enjoying the be-
l. result of culture.
The artifcer's daughter to whom pc
l. haps nature has given a rich intelle,
II and disposition (that this sometime
happens nobody denies) is always ed
l. caied for future wife and housekeepe
/ 1t were foolish to educate her to tt
y SINE plane as one in high social p
sition In her circumstances in life
higher culture were a curse So wit