East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-03-28
PRAISE OF WOMEN
REV. BIGELoW ANSWERS
MANY CRITICISMS.
One Woman Was Virtually Member
of Lincoln's Cabinet-Over $4,000
Women in American Colleges Today
Her Mental and Spiritual Quail
ties Equal in Every Way to Mans.

The following excerpt is from an
excellent sermon by Rev. Herbert s.
Bigelow, pastor of the Vine Street
Congregational church, of Cincinnati,
on the subject of woman's equality
with man, mental and otherwise:
One of the differences between Pa
gan and Medieval civilizations and
modern times is in the difference in
the conception of womanhood, says
Rev. Bigelow. Socrates thanked God
that he was not a woman. Pericles
thought that a woman's chief glory
was to be known neither for good or
for evil. Erasmus very magnani-
moTsly prayed that the Bible might
be given to all men. even to Turks
and women. John Wesley. in con-
cluding a letter to Bishop Wightman,
said: 81 am, dear Billy, your affec-
ticnate friend and brother, J. Wesley.
Beware of women"
Compare such utterances as these
with Wordsworth's tribune to his sis
ter. Compare them with Remains
tribune to his sister. Compare them
with the opinion which Robert
Browning had of the superiority even,
of his wife's creative ability. The
idea of woman's mental inferiority is
being rapidly dissipated. Today
there are over $4,000 women in the
colleges of the land. 1t is the women
today more than the men who fill our
lecture rooms and take a genuine in
terest in the serious thought of the
day.
Men have usually been free to con-
cede that women in general possess
stronger feelings and more refine
ment of soul. ! believe they must add
TO that concession equality of mind.
l would be ashamed to admit that
woman had a purer soul than man.
l would also be ashamed, in the light
of the facts, to claim that man had
more brain capacity than woman.
Yes, you say. grant the spiritual
and intellectual equality of woman,
but politically and physically, at least,
she is inferior. Is, then, the baboon
greater than the man? Is the largest
rope always the strongest? Does 1t
take greater strength, a more endur-
ing strength to slay and slaughter
than to bind up he wounds of the
fallen and watch over the sick bed
through the silent watches of the
night?
A Woman Statesman.
Everyone knows the name of Lin
coin, but how many the name of
Anna Ella Carrn11
that it was the brilliant campaign up
the Tennessee river which turned the
fortunes of the war and brought the
first harbinger of defeat into the
southern camp. While the senators
were wrangling among themselves as
to what general deserved the credit
of the campaign, there sat in the gal
leries a young woman by the name of
Anna Ella Carroll.
There is, it seems to me, abundant
evidence to prove that the campaign
which revived the fortunes of the
north and saved the Union cause was
born in the brain of that Maryland
girl. 1t is not generally known, but
this woman was practically a member
of tn Lincoln cabinet. Her opinion
was sought on military matters. She
was sent by the war department to
st. Louis to study some way of getting
control of the Mississippi. She re-
ported that it was impracticable to
attempt to control that river then, but
recommended that an expedition be
sent UP the Tennessee river, which
should command the Memphis
Charleston railroad-the sole connec-
tion between the eastern and western
wings of the confederates.
Meanwhile the generals were hesl-
tating and the gloom was settling
deeper and deeper over the north
Miss CarrolPs plans were adopted
With what success the world knows
But the source of the plans was care.
fully concealed because Mr.. Lincoln
thought it would discredit the admin.
istration il it were generally known
that woman was the real genius
commanding the situation.
Congress refused even to pension
her. And now that she is dead, she
lies in an unknown grave, while the
names of Lincoln and Grant hav,
achieved their immortality.
In the new day. we shall learn t.
give honor where honor is due. Wher
men are not ashamed to be gentle
and women have found freedom
then justice and respect will take tn,
place of sham and chivalry.