with the necessary
nurture of their children, that nature has made them fittest for
domestic cares. And children have not judgment or will of their
own. True."

And he closes the letter by saying: "Society can be governed only
by general rules. Government can not accommodate itself to every
particular case as it happens, nor to the circumstances of
particular persons. It must establish general comprehensive
regulations for cases and persons. The only question is, which
general rule will accommodate most cases and most persons. Depend
upon it, sir, it is dangerous to open so fruitful a source of
controversy and altercation as would be opened by attempting to
alter the qualifications of voters; there will be no end of it.
New claims will arise; women will demand a vote; lads from twelve
to twenty-one will think their rights not enough attended to; and
every man who has not a farthing will demand an equal voice with
any other in all acts of state. It tends to confound and destroy
all distinctions, and prostrate all ranks to one common level."

The honorable member from Ohio seems to suppose that the right
should be given as a means, if I understood him, of protecting
themselves and as a means of elevating them intellectually. I had
supposed the theory was that the woman was protected by the man.
If she is insulted she is not expected to knock the man who
insults her down, or during the days of the duello to send him a
challenge. She goes to her male friend, her husband or brother or
acquaintance. Nature has not made her for the rough and tumble,
so to speak, of life. She is intended to be delicate. She is
intended to soften the asperities and roughness of the male sex.
She is intended to comfort him in the days of his trial, not to
participate herself actively in the contest either in the forum,
in the council chamber, or on the battle-field. As to her not
being protected, what lady has ever said that her rights were not
protected because she had not the right of suffrage? There are
women, respectable I have no doubt in point of character, moral
and virtuous women no doubt, but they are called, and properly
called, the "strong-minded"; they are in the public estimation
contradistinguished from the delicate; they are men in women's
garb, re