Female Suffrage: a Letter to the Christian Women of America , livre ebook

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pubOne.info present you this new edition. {Publisher's Note} [NOTE. - We have printed this Letter, which will be continued in our next Number, not as an expression of our own views, but simply as the plea of an earnest and thoughtful Christian woman addressed to her fellow-countrywomen. - EDITOR OF HARPER.

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819938033
Langue	English

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FEMALE SUFFRAGE
by
Susan Fenimore Cooper
Part I.
{Publisher's Note} [NOTE. — We have printedthis Letter, which will be continued in our next Number, not as anexpression of our own views, but simply as the plea of an earnestand thoughtful Christian woman addressed to herfellow-countrywomen. — EDITOR OF HARPER. ]
The natural position of woman is clearly, to alimited degree, a subordinate one. Such it has always beenthroughout the world, in all ages, and in many widely differentconditions of society. There are three conclusive reasons why weshould expect it to continue so for the future.
FIRST. Woman in natural physical strength is sogreatly inferior to man that she is entirely in his power, quiteincapable of self-defense, trusting to his generosity forprotection. In savage life this great superiority of physicalstrength makes man the absolute master, woman the abject slave.And, although every successive step in civilisation lessens thedistance between the sexes, and renders the situation of womansafer and easier, still, in no state of society, however highlycultivated, has perfect equality yet existed. This difference inphysical strength must, in itself, always prevent such perfectequality, since woman is compelled every day of her life to appealto man for protection, and for support.
SECONDLY. Woman is also, though in a very much lessdegree, inferior to man in intellect. The difference in thisparticular may very probably be only a consequence of greaterphysical strength, giving greater power of endurance and increaseof force to the intellectual faculty connected with it. In manycases, as between the best individual minds of both sexes, thedifference is no doubt very slight. There have been women of a veryhigh order of genius; there have been very many women of greattalent; and, as regards what is commonly called cleverness, ageneral quickness and clearness of mind within limited bounds, thenumber of clever women may possibly have been even larger than thatof clever men. But, taking the one infallible rule for our guide,judging of the tree by its fruits, we are met by the fact that thegreatest achievements of the race in every field of intellectualculture have been the work of man. It is true that the advantagesof intellectual education have been, until recently, very generallyon the side of man; had those advantages been always equal, womenwould no doubt have had much more of success to record. But thissame fact of inferiority of education becomes in itself one proofof the existence of a certain degree of mental inequality. What hasbeen the cause of this inferiority of education? Why has not womaneducated herself in past ages, as man has done? Is it theopposition of man, and the power which physical strength gives him,which have been the impediments? Had these been the only obstacles,and had that general and entire equality of intellect existedbetween the sexes, which we find proclaimed to-day by some writers,and by many talkers, the genius of women would have opened a roadthrough these and all other difficulties much more frequently thanit has yet done. At this very hour, instead of defending theintellect of women, just half our writing and talking would berequired to defend the intellect of men. But, so long as woman, asa sex, has not provided for herself the same advanced intellectualeducation to the same extent as men, and so long as inferiority ofintellect in man has never yet in thousands of years been gravelydiscussed, while the inferiority of intellect in woman has beenduring the same period generally admitted, we are compelled tobelieve there is some foundation for this last opinion. The extentof this difference, the interval that exists between the sexes, theprecise degree of inferiority on the part of women, will probablynever be satisfactorily proved.
Believing then in the greater physical powers ofman, and in his superiority, to a limited extent, in intellectalso, as two sufficient reasons for the natural subordination ofwoman as a sex, we have yet a third reason for this subordination.Christianity can be proved to be the safest and highest ally ofman's nature, physical, moral, and intellectual, that the world hasyet known. It protects his physical nature at every point by plain,stringent rules of general temperance and moderation. To his moralnature it gives the pervading strength of healthful purity. To hisintellectual nature, while on one hand it enjoins full developmentand vigorous action, holding out to the spirit the highestconceivable aspirations, on the other it teaches the invaluablelessons of a wise humility. This grand and holy religion, whosewhole action is healthful, whose restraints are all blessings— thisgracious religion, whose chief precepts are the love of God and thelove of man— this same Christianity confirms the subordinateposition of woman, by allotting to man the headship in plainlanguage and by positive precept. No system of philosophy has everyet worked out in behalf of woman the practical results for goodwhich Christianity has conferred on her. Christianity has raisedwoman from slavery and made her the thoughtful companion of man;finds her the mere toy, or the victim of his passions, and itplaces her by his side, his truest friend, his most faithfulcounselor, his helpmeet in every worthy and honorable task. Itprotects her far more effectually than any other system. Itcultivates, strengthens, elevates, purifies all her highestendowments, and holds out to her aspirations the most sublime forthat future state of existence, where precious rewards are promisedto every faithful discharge of duty, even the most humble. But,while conferring on her these priceless blessings, it also enjoinsthe submission of the wife to the husband, and allots a subordinateposition to the whole sex while here on earth. No woman callingherself a Christian, acknowledging her duties as such, can,therefore, consistently deny the obligation of a limitedsubordination laid upon her by her Lord and His Church.
From these three chief considerations— the greatinferiority of physical strength, a very much less and undefineddegree of inferiority in intellect, and the salutary teachings ofthe Christian faith— it follows that, to a limited degree, varyingwith circumstances, and always to be marked out by sound reason andgood feeling, the subordination of woman, as a sex, isinevitable.
This subordination once established, a difference ofposition, and a consequent difference of duties, follow as a matterof course. There must, of necessity, in such a state of things, becertain duties inalienably connected with the position of man,others inalienably connected with the position of woman. For theone to assume the duties of the other becomes, first, an act ofdesertion, next, an act of usurpation. For the man to dischargeworthily the duties of his own position becomes his highest merit.For the woman to discharge worthily the duties of her own positionbecomes her highest merit. To be noble the man must be manly. To benoble the woman must be womanly. Independently of the virtuesrequired equally of both sexes, such as truth, uprightness, candor,fidelity, honor, we look in man for somewhat more of wisdom, ofvigor, of courage, from natural endowment, combined with enlargedaction and experience. In woman we look more especially for greaterpurity, modesty, patience, grace, sweetness, tenderness,refinement, as the consequences of a finer organization, in aprotected and sheltered position. That state of society will alwaysbe the most rational, the soundest, the happiest, where each sexconscientiously discharges its own duties, without intruding onthose of the other.
It is true that the world has often seen individualwomen called by the manifest will of Providence to positions of thehighest authority, to the thrones of rulers and sovereigns. Andmany of these women have discharged those duties with greatintellectual ability and great success. It is rather the fashionnow among literary men to depreciate Queen Elizabeth and hergovernment. But it is clear that, whatever may have been hererrors— and no doubt they were grave— she still appears in the rollof history as one of the best sovereigns not only of her own house,but of all the dynasties of England. Certainly she was in every waya better and a more successful ruler than her own father or her ownbrother-in-law, and better also than the Stuarts who filled herthrone at a later day. Catherine of Russia, though most unworthy asa woman, had a force of intellectual ability quite beyond dispute,and which made itself felt in every department of her government.Isabella I. of Spain gave proof of legislative and executiveability of the very highest order; she was not only one of thepurest and noblest, but also, considering the age to which shebelonged, and the obstacles in her way, one of the most skillfulsovereigns the world has ever seen. Her nature was full of clearintelligence, with the highest moral and physical courage. She wasin every way a better ruler than her own husband, to whom sheproved nevertheless an admirable wife, acting independently onlywhere clear principle was at stake. The two greet errors of herreign, the introduction of the Inquisition and the banishment ofthe Jews, must be charged to the confessor rather than to theQueen, and these were errors in which her husband was as closelyinvolved as herself. On the other hand, some of the best reforms ofher reign originated in her own mind, and were practically carriedout under her own close personal supervision. Many other skillfulfemale rulers might be named. And it is not only in civilized lifeand in Christendom that woman has shown herself wise in governing;even among the wildest savage tribes they have appeared,occasionally, as leaders and rulers. This is a singular fact. Itmay be proved from the history of this continent, and not only fromthe early records of Mexico and Cuba and Hayti, but also from th