n; you claim that the glory of
your civilization is your estimate of women; you sneer at us
Chinese for belittling women's souls and squeezing their feet.
Who belittle their capacities? Who squeeze their minds?" We must
confess it. The old theory of the subservience of women still
taints our civilization.

You open your morning paper and read that on the previous evening
there was a meeting of intelligent and experienced women, with
some that were not so, which is true of all general meetings of
men and women; and these persons demanded the same liberty of
choice, and an equal opportunity with all other members of
society. But the report of the meeting is received with a shout
of derisive laughter that echoes through the press and through
private conversation. Gulliver did not take the Lilliputians on
his hands and look at them with more utter contempt than the
political class of this country, to which the men in this hall
belong, take up these women and look at them with infinite,
amused disdain. But in the very next column of the same morning
paper we find another report, describing a public dinner, at
which men only were present. And we read that after the great
orators had made their great speeches, in the course of which
they complimented woman so prettily, to the delight of the few
privileged ladies who stood behind the screens, or looked over
the balcony, or peeped in through the cracks of the windows and
doors; and when the great orators had retired with the President,
amid universal applause, the first Vice-President took the head
of the table and punch was brought in. And well toward morning,
when the "army" and "navy" and the "press" and the "Common
Council" had been toasted and drank, with three times three, and
Richard Swiveller, Esq., had sung his celebrated song, "Queen of
my soul!" the last regular toast was proposed--"Woman--heaven's
last, best gift to man," which was received with tumultuous
enthusiasm, the whole company rising and cheering, the band
playing "Will ye come to Kelvin Grove, bonnie lassie, O?" and in
response to a unanimous call, some gallant and chivalric editor
replied in a strain of pathetic and humorous eloquence, during
which many of the company were observed to shed tears or laugh,
or embrace their n