A Plea for Woman/Chapter 2
Chapter II.
On the supposed Power of Female Influence.
"Action and reaction are equal and contrary."—Laws of Motion.
Before entering more deeply into the consideration of the subject, we think it will be profitable to devote a short, but distinct chapter to the examination of some ideas about "influence," which we believe to be very prevalent and not very correct. Our principal object in these remarks will be to point out what we consider to be two great errors; and which we yet find to be, if not plainly expressed, at least continually assumed to be truths, by writers on the condition of woman.
The first is, that her influence is quite sufficient, without any fixed rights or privileges, to obtain for woman even more than justice. The second is, that female influence is the only influence—that there is no such thing as male influence.
As to the first of these propositions, we are both willing and happy to believe that the influence of woman procures for her a great deal of tenderness, consideration, and courtesy; but this is true only in individual cases. The personal influence of a woman with her husband, and his kindness and good sense, prevent many a woman from having the least suspicion of the barbarous nature of those laws which would interpose but slight obstacles to her husband's treating her with the most unrelenting tyranny, did this mutual good understanding fail. And the very many instances in which it does completely fail, even in the case of the most deserving women, shows how precarious is the nature of this influence, and how little it is to be depended upon. Although, then, there may be thousands of women whose personal influence has prevented them from ever experiencing any very harsh or unjust treatment,—yet, for the whole sex, this so-much-talked-of influence has utterly failed in obtaining even the faintest semblance of justice. We promise to make this sufficiently obvious when we come to examine the nature of the laws in force with regard to woman. We shall then find, that whatever great things influence may do for woman in her private capacity, that it has done comparatively little for the sex in securing them justice when this personal influence fails. And what is the reason of this? Why, the reason is obvious:—man exerts as much—or greater—personal influence as woman does, and has all the privileges of citizenship besides. And this brings us to consider the second error, so often assumed as truth—that female influence is the great influence.
Very far from this being the truth, we believe that the influence which man exerts over woman is even greater than that of woman over man.
Our principal reason for thinking so, is, that the mind of man—whether essentially so or not—is at present stronger and more vigorous than that of woman; and we believe it to be an established fact, that when two minds of different calibre are brought much into contact, the strong mind will, in nine cases out of ten, obtain the most complete ascendancy over the comparatively-weak mind. It is this consideration which leads us to the conclusion, that the influence exerted by man is, at least, equal to that exerted by woman, if not much superior to it. Yet how often do we see female influence insisted on, while that of man is passed by in total silence. No! influence is not exclusively female; it cannot be exercised by one sex alone upon the other. It seems almost self-evident that it must be reciprocal,—must be exercised by both sexes upon each other,—and most powerfully by the strongest and most privileged. As a proof of this, how often do we see husbands overpowering their wives by this potent instrument alone, and forcing them to submit to injustice, both to themselves and children, from which even our present inefficient laws would protect them, if appealed to.
Let us then hear no more of female influence, as if it were an equivalent for all the rights which man possesses; for the possession of those rights, far from annihilating man's influence, gives it tenfold weight.
The writer of "Woman's Mission" has insisted very much on the conceit—for we can call it nothing else—of giving power to man, and influence to woman. Now, we can see no reason whatever for this division. We think that the theory, that power destroys influence, instead of strengthening and confirming it, is built on a foundation of sand. The partition of power and influence between man and woman certainly does not at present exist,—for man now exercises at least as much influence as woman, and has all his power and privileges to add authority to that influence.
The common sense and justice of the matter seems to us to be—let every one have equality of right or power, and let our own character give us all the influence it can.
The circumstance of any class being deprived of the exercise of political rights, very far from giving that class additional influence, always tends to diminish that which it would naturally exert were its privileges on the same footing as those of others. It will be found that the possession by a man of privileges above his fellow-men, will, at the same time, increase his influence over them. We protest, then, against any influence which it may be thought woman exerts being taken as an equivalent for social equality. So very far are we for taking it as an equivalent, that we contend for social equality in the first place for its intrinsic justice; but in the second place because it would increase the influence of woman, and diminish that of man, by making her more independent and self-relying,—more energetic, less easily wrought upon, less passive in receiving influences, more active in making her own mind work upon and assimilate, for its own nourishment, those influences with which it does come into contact.
We shall be disposed to acknowledge that woman's influence has been sufficient to obtain her justice, when it has obtained for her, as we have no doubt it will, perfectly just and equal rights with the other sex. When this is the case, we shall expect to see each woman wakened up into a sense of her individual responsibilities and duties: finding herself no longer classed with children and idiots, we may reasonably expect to see her rousing herself up, and applying, with renewed energy, to all her duties; not only to her household affairs, but to the delightful task,—which her present flimsy and deficient education often hinders her from attempting at all, and still oftener when she does attempt it, interferes with the effective performance of—the training her children in the paths of wisdom and virtue. A more generally judicious performance of this duty will doubtless increase woman's influence; but the influence so exerted will be for the benefit of the whole human race, and can never, therefore, be given as a reason for depriving of civil rights those who exercise it; especially if we consider that the energy, independence, and self-reliance, which are necessary for its exertion, are themselves the fruits of social equality.