LORA, Gray County, C. W.,

April 15, 1854.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS, ESQ.:—Pursuing the subject commenced in my letter to you, of 3d of March, as published in your paper of 17th March, the question is, "What are the rights of women, in relation to the elective franchise, personally and not by proxy, in the electing power; as well as in the right to be elected, equally with men, to public offices?" If I go for my answer, to the secular history of mankind, I find that in all past, as well as present times, women have no such rights.

If I go to civilized nations, which pretend earnestly or loosely to scriptural principles, I find that women have no such rights.

If I go to the churches of Christ, in all their forms, whether beaming with the Savior's holy and beneficent lineaments, of which there are many; or, dark with the hypocrisy and pride of the pit, of which there are, as I believe, many more, I still find, that women have no such rights.

If I go to those who reject the Bible as a divine standard in deciding the question, I wrong my own reason, as much as I insult God, by referring to the denyers of Scripture, what Divine revelation alone, can surely determine.

But there is another class, distinct alike from nations, and from ecclesiastical systems, as well as from individual impugners or mutilators of the Bible, and I put the question to them; what is their answer?

To my understanding, it is clearly and emphatically, negative.

It states to me, with all the force of revealed and perfect truth, as humble and as tender, as it is uncompromising and bold, the simple facts, that God created man and woman, spiritually and morally, the same; physically and socially, different; each for its own peculiar and sacred sphere, and incapable of being fused together, by any human device, whether public or private, without utter outrage to His own all-wise arrangements, for the best and only real happiness of both and of each.

Man, in this relation, is the divinely constituted head of woman; and is so constituted, that he may be the protector, and friend, and servant thro' love, of the woman; to revere her, as his best earthly gift of God; to cherish and honor her, as his sister and companion; and to seek, in all his intercourse
with her, her highest and holiest interests and happiness.

Woman, in this relation is subordinated to man, thro' duty and thro' love, to cherish and to honor him, as her lawful head, as her brother and companion and equal, in every thing, not inconsistent with God's holy law.

And we accordingly find men and women, admirably prepared for their several callings, by the divine structure of their nature; man for public, woman for private life; man for political, woman for domestic duties; and it would not be more unreasonable for man to undertake the duties of the nursery, than for woman to deem herself called to the polls, and to public government offices, leaving her household, to her husband's or

her brother's better feminine management; he, transformed, for the public good, into the woman, and she into the man! Except indeed, they should agree, in their zeal for woman's rights, as they deemed them, to abandon at once domestic duties, and to rush into what they might deem, the nobler arena of political strife.

Physical force, as a general fact, is not given to woman. When claimed and exercised as her right, in collision with men, it enfeebles, degrades and outrages her. It converts her, from being as it were, the guardian angel of mankind, into a boisterous litigant for contested claims of a merely worldly nature. It weakens or destroys in her, that power which is ever mightiest; that is, moral power, the holy power of the heart, which is ever mightiest, when most unassumingly exercised.

But physical force, as truly as moral, is fundamental to the well-being of society; and such are the civil and physical powers of a State. Moral suasion alone, even in God's own hands, availed not to rule in heaven; nor has it ever availed, as far as I am informed, to rule human societies, beneficially; and as little, or less, could physical force alone, avail. God has united them, as together fundamental to human happiness and virtue. Moral suasion, alone, would alone be suitable to infallible and holy beings.—To others, it would be such anarchy, as has always been, and still is, generally speaking, every where exhibited, where physical force is known not to be at hand. Physical force, alone, is sheer and heartless tyranny, whether in the hands of autocrats or democrats; of autocrats, like the solitary tyrant of Russia; or of democrats, like the hydra-headed tyranny, of the slavery-sustaining, and poor fugitive-hunting democracy of the United States.

Men, in short, are created and endowed for male duties and offices; woman, for female. Woe was to the Anti-Slavery cause, when these were fused together; and woe will be, to human virtue and happiness, if woman forces herself, or is forced, into the political arena, under whatever pretence; when man shall have to contend with woman, as his political competitor, instead of being enlightened, purified and softened, by her higher grade in moral power, and her higher standing in scriptural truth and beauty.

My second question, is "What are the rights of woman, as to the public ministry of the Gospel, under ecclesiastical regulations?"

By ecclesiastical regulations, I mean, as the regularly ordained ministers of organized ecclesiastical bodies; for, if it be merely meant to advocate the right of women, to exercise their heaven given talents, freely, in any holy way, whether public or private without interfering with that regular ministry of the Gospel, which I believe is committed of God to man only; and which I so believe, because I find that the structure of man alone, is thoroughly adapted to such a ministry, I, not only do not censure, but delight in such free and holy exercise by woman, of their often superior talents, in the spiritual and unobtrusive ministrations of God's holy word.

In another letter, I purpose taking up my third question.

CHARLES STUART.