The Continental Monthly, Vol. 4, No. 1, July, 1863: Devoted to Literature and National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 4, No. 1, July, 1863: Devoted to Literature and National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
There is a class of thinking women who are very earnest and undoubtedly
conscientious in their misapprehension of the existence of this fact.
And so great is the restless tumult of their indignation at their
supposed wrongs in not exercising direct influence, political and
governmental, that they fail, either to perceive their own particular
work--sufficient in itself to occupy all their faculties--or else they
confound the sphere of society with the sphere of government, imagine
they are not responsible for errors existing in the former, because they
have no immediate control in the latter, and that in political matters
at least, justice requires the direct action of both sexes; whereas,
according to the natural laws of adaptation of means to ends, the
special control of government on the one hand, and of society on the
other, is distinctly divided between them; so that while the existing
government is an organized expression of the manhood of the age that
founded it, the existing society is a like expression of the womanhood
of the time. Society and government, through the inevitable laws of
sympathy and reaction between things closely connected, influence,
modify, and constantly change each other. But any special interference
on the part of one sex with the direct action of the other in its own
province, not only impedes the other, but also argues a neglect of
legitimate duties, which, it were well to remember, require for their
just performance all the energy, intellect, and moral elevation, each
for its own sphere, possessed by the respective manhood and womanhood
of the community interested.
Although aware that the various circles of the Ladies' Loyal League,
already established, entertain ideas which are in some respects, because
of this existing confusion as to duties, political and social,
dissimilar to each other, yet we believe the one grand moral aim, on the
part of the several branches of the organization everywhere, will
finally be the fostering a healthy, intelligent patriotism, in the
_social and domestic circles_ of our land; and that, through the
aggregate influence of a womanhood true to itself and its own work.
If this conviction be founded in fact, the best method by which such a
patriotism can be cultivated becomes a topic of lively interest to every
woman in America who loves her country. Therefore to all such the
following brief consideration of a subject so intrinsically important,
will not, we trust, seem untimely.
We proceed then to respectfully suggest to the ladies of the Loyal
League some measures and ideas, which, it is hoped, will prove in their
judgment not unworthy of general adoption, in the various branches of
our association.
In enumerating methods whereby it is believed our sex has preeminent
capacity to cultivate a genuine patriotism in our country, we will, as
first in order, mention those easily recognized ones already generally
understood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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