Dissertation on the Characteristic Differences between the Sexes, and on the Position and Influence of Woman in Society, No. III [pp. 672-691]

SOUTHIERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
tion and generalization. The intellectual eye of woman
is like the pleasing microscope; it detects little objects,
and movements, and motives, upon the theatre of life,
which wholly escape the duller but more comprehensive vision of our sex. Man, in the wider sphere in
which he moves, deals not so much with the individual
as with masses of individuals. Take foi example the
statesman. Is hlie a legislator? Then he must make
laws not only for the few individuals with whom he
has been raised, but for the whole nation. In doing
this he is obliged to discard the mere individual from
his mind, and look to the population in the aggregate.
He must abstract himself from the consideration of the
minutiae, the little details and peculiar circumstances
which operate exclusively on his own little narrow neighborhood, and attend to those general circumstances
which affect alike the condition of the whole body politic. His intellectual vision should not be too microscopic. He must look to generals rather than particulars. The minute vision of the fly would perhaps best
survey the little specks and blemishes that may exist
on the vast and mighty fabric of St. Peter's church, but
it requires the more comprehensive vision of a man to
survey the whole building at a glance. In like manner
the honest, high minded, intellectual statesman looks to
the good of the whole-discards the more petty consideration of self and friends. In contemplating the compound fabric of tnind, law, and human rights, if he survey mere individual peculiarities with too intense a
vision he will never be able to form in the mind one
comprehensive, connected whole with the position and
relation of all the prominent and distinct parts fully
exhibited and well defined. Now there are few women
who can wholly abstract themselves from the influence
of those peculiar circumstances which operate exclusively on the circle in which they move. The circle
they live in, conceals from them the rest of the world.
The general remark made on this subject by Madame
de Stael in her Corinne, is particularly applicable to
woman. "The smallest body," says she, "placed near
your eye, hides from it the body of the sun; and it is
the same with the little coterie in which you live.
Neither the voice of Europe nor of posterity can make
you insensible to the noise of your neighbor's family;
and therefore whoever would live happily, and give
scope to his genius, must first of all choose carefully the
atmosphere by which he is to be surrounded."
Politics and Patriotism.
We can now easily explain why woman has, in general, less patriotism, and is more unfitted for the field of
politics than man. The very intensity of her domestic
and social virtues makes her less patriotic than man.
The ardor with which she loves her husband, her children, her intimate friends and associates, concentrates the
mind within the little circle by which she is surrounded,
and clips the wings of that more expanded but less
ardent love which embraces whole states and nations.
Her individuality is much too strong for the feeling of
patriotism. She is, in this respect, like the knight of
the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, who coveted indi vidual honor and glory alone. He lived only for his
mistress, his God, and himself, and did not like to share
his glories and his honors with an army, a nation, or
mankind. Ilallam, in his "Middle Ages," has pro nounced the Achilles of Homer to be the most beautiful
picture that ever was portrayed of this character (of
chivalry). And strange as it may appear, the political
character of woman in general, bears a very close and
striking analogy to that of Achilles; who has been pronounced by competent judges, to be the most terrific
human personage ever portrayed in prose or poetry.
In search of individual glory and renown Achilles consents to join the allied army of Greece, with his myrmidons, in the siege of Troy. He receives an insult
from Agamemnon, the chief of the Grecian forces,
who determines to take from him a captive female slave.
Instantly he resolves on revenge; his patriotism yields
to his intense feeling of individuality, and he sullenly
withdraws his troops from the field of battle, remains
unmoved while the Trojans are gaining victory after
victory, until they begin to burn the ships; then the
security of himself and his particular friends required
that he should drive back the Trojan army. Reluctantly
he consents that Patroclus might lead forth the myrmidons to battle, but with strict injunction to retire from
the field the moment the Trojans were beaten from the
ships. Patroclus goes forth and is slain by Hector, the
great rival of Achilles in war. Then is the wrath and
jealousy of Achilles raised against the Trojan hero who
has slain Patroclus, for whom his bosom throbbed with
the intensest friendship. He now arms himself for the
fight, and consents to go forth to battle; not for any
love he has for Greece, not for any hatred which he
bears to the Trojan state, but because he loved Patroclus and his own glory, and hated Hector, who had
wreathed his brow with the laurel won by the death of
his dearest friend.
Such is the patriotism of woman. Her husband and
children are more to her than her country. You never
hear of woman consenting to sacrifice her son for the
country's welfare; the reverse is much apter to be the
result. She would sooner sacrifice the welfare of the
nation, for the promotion and happiness of her family.
In the various political contests of our country, it has
sometimes been my lot to be present when ladies have
received intelligence of the defeat of brothers, husbands,
&c. in their political aspirations. Such defeats I have
generally found to disgust them at once with the whole
subject of politics, and almost instantly to extinguish
the little patriotism which their political hopes had
kindled. It is well known that misfortune of all kinds
has a most wonderful influence in darkening the picture
which the imagination sketches of the future. Pope
has admirably hit off this feature of the mind in his
allusion to the pensioner who suddenly has his pension
stopped.
"Ask men's opinions, Scoto now can tell
How trade increases, and the world goes well;
Strike off his pension, by'the setting sun,
And Britain, if not Europe, is undone."
So have I known ladies, from the defeat of their husbands at a county election, to predict more disaster and
calamity to the nation, than if an army were on the
frontier or a revolution threatened froni within. I have
known brother arrayed against brother, and father
against son in politics, so decisively as to attempt to
defeat each other's election; but I do not know that I
have ever yet seen a mother, sister, or wife, whose politics were of that stern, unbending character which would
lead her to vote, if allowed, against a son, brother, or
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