aware, they contain some new views; but I believe they are based on
the immutable truths of the Bible. All I ask for them is, the candid
and prayerful consideration of Christians. If they strike at some
of our bosom sins, our deep-rooted prejudices, our long cherished
opinions, let us not condemn them on that account, but investigate
them fearlessly and prayerfully, and not shrink from the examination;
because, if they are true, they place heavy responsibilities upon
women. In throwing them before the public, I have been actuated solely
by the belief, that if they are acted upon, they will exalt the
character and enlarge the usefulness of my own sex, and contribute
greatly to the happiness and virtue of the other. That there is a root
of bitterness continually springing up in families and troubling the
repose of both men and women, must be manifest to even a superficial
observer; and I believe it is the mistaken notion of the inequality of
the sexes. As there is an assumption of superiority on the one part,
which is not sanctioned by Jehovah, there is an incessant struggle
on the other to rise to that degree of dignity, which God designed
women to possess in common with men, and to maintain those rights and
exercise those privileges which every woman’s common sense, apart from
the prejudices of education, tells her are inalienable; they are a part
of her moral nature, and can only cease when her immortal mind is
extinguished.
One word more. I feel that I am calling upon my sex to sacrifice what
has been, what is still dear to their hearts, the adulation, the
flattery, the attentions of trifling men. I am asking them to repel
these insidious enemies whenever they approach them; to manifest by
their conduct, that, although they value highly the society of pious
and intelligent men, they have no taste for idle conversation, and
for that silly preference which is manifested for their personal
accommodation, often at the expense of great inconvenience to their
male companions. As an illustration of what I mean, I will state a fact.
I was traveling lately in a stage coach. A gentleman, who was also
a passenger, was made sick by riding with his back to the horses. I
offered to exchange seats, assuring him it did not affect me at all
unpleasantly; but he was too polite to permit a lady to run the risk of
being discommoded. I am sure he meant to be very civil, but I really
thought it was a foolish piece of civility. This kind of attention
encourages selfishness in woman, and is only accorded as a sort of
quietus, in exchange for those _rights_ of which we are deprived. Men
and women are equally bound to cultivate a spirit of accommodation;
but I exceedingly deprecate her being treated like a spoiled child,
and sacrifices made to her selfishness and vanity. In lieu of these
flattering but injurious attentions, yielded to her as an inferior, as
a mark of benevolence and courtesy, I want my sex to claim nothing from
their brethren but what their brethren may justly claim from them,
in their intercourse as Christians. I am persuaded woman can do much
in this way to elevate her own character. And that we may become duly
sensible of the dignity of our nature, only a little lower than the
angels, and bring forth fruit to the glory and honor of Emanuel’s name,
is the fervent prayer of
Thine in the bonds of womanhood,
SARAH M. GRIMKE.
Transcriber’s Notes
Errors in punctuation have been fixed.
Page 7: “Thy both” changed to “They both”
Page 8: “flesh, flowl” changed to “flesh, fowl”
Page 9: “moral responsibilites” changed to “moral responsibilities”
Page 21: “Pastoral Lerter” changed to “Pastoral Letter”
Page 25: “messenger of Jehevah” changed to “messenger of Jehovah”
Page 36: “and someties” changed to “and sometimes”
Page 43: In the footnote, “de famille on de” changed to “de famille ou
de” and “Paris and Loudon” changed to “Paris and London”
Page 48: “os well as” changed to “as well as”
Page 50: “making a waistcoast” changed to “making a waistcoat”
Page 57: “he mean time” changed to “the mean time”
Page 61: “INTELLLECT OF WOMAN” changed to “INTELLECT OF WOMAN”
Page 67: “Christian countres” changed to “Christian countries”
Page 70: “glorions reformations” changed to “glorious reformations”
Page 79: “der husband’s” changed to “her husband’s”
Page 89: “the same gound” changed to “the same ground”
Page 101: “but hardende” changed to “but hardened”
Page 118: “so seduously” changed to “so sedulously”
Page 120: “lusses naturæ” changed to “lusus naturæ”
Page 122: “forst ernness” changed to “for sternness”
Page 128: “woman can can do much” changed to “woman can do much”