The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-16
ELOQUENT WORDS OF
EDITOR RICHARDSON
Georgia Journalists Address Be-
fore Woman's Congress.
THE TWO AGES OF CHIVALRY
Emancipation of Woman Nears It's Com
pletion-Reception to the Visiting
Newspaper Folk by the Bir-
mingham Press Club
THE TWO AGES OF CHIVALRY

Francis Henry Richardson, the distin-
guished editor of the Atlanta Journal, de-
livered an address to the Womans Con-
gress in the armory of the jefferson Vol
unteers, in First avenue, last night.
Mr.. Richardson was introduced to his
audience by Richard F. Johnston, president
of the Birmingham Press club and city
editor of the Birmingham News. son of
Richard Malcomb Johnston, whose work Is
known to and admired by all southerners.
Mr.. Johnston was exceedingly happy in his
remarks, saying, in effect, that Mr.. Rich
ardson was a scholar and an orator, in
whom southerners felt an especial pride
Mr.. Richardson was in great good humor
and in a phiosophically reflective state of
mind. At the outset he claimed the close
attention of his listeners, and he held it
easily; for a more eloquent, more thought
full, more just or more truthful address has
mot been heard in Birmingham. He talked
for an hour perhaps. 1t does not matter
whether he covered sixty minutes or hun
dred. Every moment was a moment of in
tense interest Mans chivalry began, he
said, in Eden, and the spirit of it had been
expanding ever since. Jesus was the most
chivarous character of all the ages Near
ly sixty years ago, in Georgia was begun
the first movement for the higher educa-
tion, the real emancipation, of woman.
The first woman ever to receive diploma
was Georgia woman. He had the aonor
a year or two ago to address the women of
Georgia. On the platform in the hail or
the meeting was an old woman, gray, hon.
ored and loved She bore in her hand a
faded piece of parchment. 1t was the first
diploma a woman ever received, and 1t was
fifty years old. He remembered when there
was but one acknowledged newspaper
woman in the United States. and she was
on the New York Times. She was called
a ".stoek reporter" She had nothing to
do with Wall street or the great exchanges,
but was charged with the duty of writing
about horses, hogs, sheep, COWS, and the
like, and she did her work so well as to
win national consideration, and paved the
way for all the women who now work on
the leading newspapers of the country.
The old chivalry, born of feudallsm, did
mot take full consideration of woman. The
new chdyalry places woman in her rightful
position. In trade. in offices, in what are
termed the learned professions, woman now
held her riehtful place, earning an honest
living for herself, and, in many cases for
Others dependent upon her. AT Thermopy-
lac there were no women, but the breasts
that were barred to Persian arrows were
breasts in which beat hearts loyal to tine
women of Sparta. Through all the ages of
feudalistic chivalry, and times remote be-
yond those ages, woman had worn the
woke which the teachings of Christ began
ITO lift At last woman is come to claim
her own. Wide-eyed, trusting, trustful
confident, radiant i'm the fun promise of the
glorious dawn elf her own emancipation,
she faces the world in gentle spirit of
resolute confidence.
Mr. Richardson was repeatedly interrupt
ed by the applause of the men and women
who were thrilled by his responsiveness, his
gentle and beautiful philosophy, his gentle
and beautiful eloquence. He touched chords
in true hearts of proud women seldom
touched, and Through all his speech bore
himself as one having the authority to
speak and THE power to speak beautifully.
The women who listened and the men who
heard will not forget the wondrous lessons
of his teaching.
After Mr.. Richardson's address an infor-
NAL reception was rendered visiting news
paper people in the beautiful pariors of the
armory by the Birmingham Press club
which was largely attended and proved a
most pleasant affair.