The Republican journal., 1897-05-27
Bravery of Women.

themselves nearly the whole of human
courage and to regard women as very
timid and cowardly creatures when COM
pared with themselves. Now we do not
deny that some women occasionally have
little Alterations which give a color to
this opinion. These are scared at meet
ing harmless cows or oxen, as though they
were ferocious bulls. They jump in ter
ror on a chair at the sight of mouse
All these, however, are errors of educa-
ton, just as boys are taught from the
cradle to despise girls for their supposed
want of bravery, and grow to manhood
without seeing their mistake. Yet Man
deville in his Search into the Nature of
Society,"" AYERS that "Man, as he is fear
full animal, naturally not rapacious, loves
Peace and Quiet, and he would never
Fight, if nobody offended him, and he
could have what he fights for without it.
This may be true of man as savage. But
civilization gives so much skill and dissi-
pates so many errors and terrors, that men
have learned to be qUarrelsome, courage
Gus and self reliant 1t would be natural
to suppose the mothers and sisters of
brave men would be brave also We look
for cognate qualities in both sexes of other
animals, and are not disappointed. Why
should mankind be an exception? Why
should it be imagined that men have all
the courage and women a monopoly of
timidity? Simply because of men stu
pendous self-conceit The majority have
never given the subject rational thought
They have excluded women from their
own favorite fields for the display of
bravery, and then pride themselves upon
their vast superiority. But, whenever
women have had equal opportunities,
they have proved themselves no despica-
Bile competitors with men in physical
courage, aud far ahead of them in moral
fearlessness.
At a time like the present, when public
attention is largely drawn to a compare
tive view of the qualities of both sexes, it
may be profitable to draw attention to the
bravery of women. We do not desire to
undervalue the conspicuous valor of men,
On the contrary, we are proud to recog-
nize it to the full. We only wish to point
out that women are capable of the same
great quality to profitable degree, and
that, therefore, it should be encouraged
in them as well as in men. If the men
refuse, let women exhort each other.
No one can doubt that moral courage is
superior to physical. Men exceed in the
latter, women in the former, and it is not
desirable that this should be altered even
were it possible. Yet it would add to the
dignity of both if men were stronger
morally and women physically
A modern historian says, CHORAL and
rational faculties may alike be dormant,
and they will certainly be SO if men are
wholly immersed in the qualification of
their senses. Man is like plant, which
requires favorable soil for the full
expansion of its natural or innate pow
ers." If men had been Shut out as wo-
men have, from the exercise of their
physical faculties, is it certain they would
have developed excess of physical powers?
Notwithstanding her social disadvan-
tages in this respect, woman has made
her mark in the annals of bravery. His
tory affords numerous examples of great
heroines, many of them, too, at time
when hel general position was that of
slave; but We can only note a few. Leaena
OF Attica bore the severest torture with
out a word Teles lla, the poetess made
the Argoic women fearless Of death, and
discounted The Spartans. Theodore saved
the Eastern Empire. Artemsa drank the
aches of her consort Camilla, Queen of
the Nolscians, was slain fighting at the
head Of her troops. Boadicea encounter
Orleans drove the English from France.
ARIA stabbed herself to encourage her
husband to die. ''See, it does not hurt,
dear Paetus,'' she said. The tales of mar
tyrdom are fertile of heroic women. Young
maidens met the most horrible deaths with
placid contempt, if not with vehement joy.
No fiendish tortures that devils could de-
wise were able to shake the fortitude Of
numberless brave women. Whether under
Nero or the Bishops, under the Inquisi-
ton or the French Revolutionaries, it was
noted with surprise and admiration that
the women died more bravely than the
men. With what grace and calmness, and
infinite tenderness for others, did Anne
Boleyn and Mary of Scotland lay their
fair necks upon the block. Even the fear
less Raleigh suffers by comparison, for
their queenly dignity excelled his half
ocular carelessness.
When we come to physical self sacrifice,
to giving ones life to save the most dear
to us, women stand almost alone. Whether
to suck poisoned wound, or to intervene
and receive the assassins dagger, or to
nurse the wounded in the midst of battle,
or to watch by the couch of pestilence
or DEATH or to commit suicide to save
their own and their husbands honor, they