ON MAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 2099, 17 October 1870, Page 3

ON MAN.

" Anil when the wmiwn saw that the tree was «o<kl for !<>o<l, anil that it was j>L-a-ant to th-j cyi-s, ami a live to be desired to make mie wise, she I'iok of tht frtiil thereof, ant} did eat ; ami uavc alu nam h-.-r husband with her, and he did eat.'' .»:»•». in. t;. To the Editor of the Hpjialh. Stu, —In your isauo of tlio 2i»th nil. ther» appeal'sji let ter over the id' "A Woman," which, if the motto selected for the occasion had been faitiifully followed in it Id !)e should treal of the characteristics and attributes, virtues and vices, aceomp!i-iimonf s an 1 failings of women in rreneml ; but instead ol following the ruled ordinarily adopted by those who choose a text as a starting point for their literary undertakings, the writer has, without, any apparent hesitation, entered the " rinn," and boldly p'a-ed before us a rather unsparing and indiscriminate attack on what, L:mpp)se, she considers the vulnerable reputation of tin* masculine gender. The acrimonious tone of her remark-clearly indicates that." A Wo.nan" wri'es from bitter personal experirnce ; but she has no riyht i o infer therefrom that all men aro equally profligate. All women are no: curse I with bad husbands, neither arc all men blessed with <jond wives. There nothing exactly alike. There is nobody oil exactly the same level with any other body. Each holds his own individual position in the world, and is in a more or less degree >lilIVr.N ■ t from th it occupied by nil o'.liur persons. If tccre is a unity of design, there is als.i a diversity of attributes, and distinctness or separateness of beini; and circumstances, visible to the int.elligent observer ad pervading the whole eeonomv of nature. The surface of the earth is unequally arranged, being alternately covered with eminences and depressions, acclivities ana declivities. mountains and plains, hills and valleys. -No two animals are exactly alike or of equal proportions even they eatmot be divested of the quality of ind'vidualit.y, and the same remark applies with equal propriety to that author of crimes and follies — tli iL bein" who is forever sinning, but is never tinned against—that animated lump of ice which never "returns love for love" though it were showered upon liiin with the accumulating force of a waterspout. That sufl'i-rer by dolent and roving habits, quick and eccentric tempers, perpetual gos.-ip, extravagant Jtastes, and inflexible wills, but, who must never say anything about it, and who, strange to fell, belongs to the genus homo. We cannot find two individuals on exactly the same level in pecuniary circumstanced — equally rich or equally poer —no more than we can find them possessed of tke same equilibrium of temper, and equal proportions of mental endowments. It would be impossible to find among the whole human race two individuals of precisely similar deportment and personal appearance, of equal stature, physical force, and intellectual and mental capacity, and as men are found to be S.I unequally gifted and endowed, common sense anil general observation ought to teach women not to expect exact uniformity in their moral conduct, and social habits. iiuL as the woman siniu-d away first her primitive innocence, she is

cursorily uneasy, frell'ul, :likl peevish under lilt; eonseipient humiliation of sii.'.jeetrd mi' subordinated to her h isb ind, whi) froin t,lie Fall til! the end of time, (generally speaking) was ordained and appointed to rule over hear. Tins institution of marriage : 1 n■! ofiheS'abbaiii, mid seeurity of pnvale property, eon.-li-t ntu together t he basis of sici-il order; stud considering lliu {{I'liurut harinoni.m- How o( social :t:id domcstie alfuirs in l he world, v..; nuiv reasonably infer that the lnaj jrii.i of mankind are industriously ineii ed, are tjoo-.1, peaceful, and order-loving citizens, gallant, udvoeates and defenders of the jusL rights of

women, and generous, kind, and indulgent husbands ; and that " the dissolute and idle man," the bad and turbulent citizen, the barbarous poltroon, the silly coxcomb, "who ceases to talk sense in the presence of -women," because there is no sense in him, the profligate husband, and tin? drunken penurious " brute," are to be found among the minority.

Some women are not satisfi d with the position assigned them by nature, which is undoubtedly subordinate to the position which man from his inherent attributes ouijlit to occupy. Ido not belicTO that cren in a state of innocence it was appointed and ordained that woman should stand on the same platform with man, and involve herself in the general transactions and concerns of the world. And let "A Woman" but take a calm and impartial .survey of the animated creation around her, and she will soon see how nature has decided the] eimtoversy among the lower animals, without any posibility of reversion ; she will see, that, from the lion which roars in the forest, to the grasshopper which sings at her feet, the male is superior in intrinsic courage and individual appearance to the female, and manifestly displays in his bold and fearless deportment, both the inherent attribute of protection, and the implied prerogative of absolute authority and rule over the oppo.-ite bps. General and unsparing abuse of men is not the proper way to advance " the rights of wom:fn neif her will it tend to improve their condition in the world, to be perpetually attempting " To add what wants 111 female .sex. the mure to draw his love, And render nie more equal, and, perhaps, A thing not undesirable, sometime Superior For, it is quite true that, <f there is no fear of trespass where nature has assigned a leal difference." Eve, in order to show the world her equality with, or, perhaps, superiority to, her husband, urges her going to work apart, or alone, without any assistance, company, or protection ; I*ll short she wanted to " hare a fair lipid and no favor," and unfortunately for herself and her posterity she got it ; for to this day her descendants suder the penalties attendant upon the result. She was no sooner left to her own natural resources, than " Her hand in evil hour Forth stretching to the fruit, she plueked, she ate; Karth felt the woumt, and nature from her seat. Sighing throuuh all her works, gave signs of woe That all was l«»t. M And when Adam was asked, " Ilast thou e\ten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shonldst not eat ?" the poisoned shaft; of his rebellious answer was manifestly levelled, not directly at the woman, but, in the first place at all events, at his Creator: "The woman whom thou guvest to he with me,'* to prepare my food ami manage my domestic affairs, "she gave me of tlie tree, an 1 \ did eat." " A Woman's " is not 1110 first injudicious a! tack [ have seen mile upon Adam in reference to this • iNastrous transaeti >n. T should think that, women especially ought to show souw consideration while reflecting upon this period of o.ir unfortunate progenitor's personal history. The exercise of a very small amount of prudence ought to leach them to choose some other subject for their animadversion. They ought fo consider that, in the absence of any provision to the contrary, this man would have been ruined for ever hv the misconduct of his own p trlner, who, at. the lime, made gre it pretence to superior knowledge after her few h r.irs* gossip with Old Xick. They should no; ensure too severely, n>r sift too closely, the insubordina'e conduct, and irritable and eva-ive answers of a man who felt him-clf a convicted criminal—degraded and corruple 1 in soul and bo.ly by his own heedlessness and the fauh of another; and who was still grievou-dv suffering from the delirium of the first t rausgression. Audi pirti'.-n.—l urn, Ac., A Man.