ny of those laborious exertions, which
demand the exertion of physical strength. No families are so poor, as to
form an exception to this rule.

"If, on the one hand, an American woman cannot escape from the quiet
circle of domestic employments, on the other hand, she is never forced
to go beyond it. Hence it is, that the women of America, who often
exhibit a masculine strength of understanding, and a manly energy,
generally preserve great delicacy of personal appearance, and always
retain the manners of women, although they sometimes show that they have
the hearts and minds of men.

"Nor have the Americans ever supposed, that one consequence of
democratic principles, is, the subversion of marital power, or the
confusion of the natural authorities in families. They hold, that every
association must have a head, in order to accomplish its object; and
that the natural head of the conjugal association is man. They do not,
therefore, deny him the right of directing his partner; and they
maintain, that, in the smaller association of husband and wife, as well
as in the great social community, the object of democracy is, to
regulate and legalize the powers which are necessary, not to subvert all
power.

"This opinion is not peculiar to one sex, and contested by the other. I
never observed, that the women of America considered conjugal authority
as a fortunate usurpation of their rights, nor that they thought
themselves degraded by submitting to it. It appears to me, on the
contrary, that they attach a sort of pride to the voluntary surrender of
their own will, and make it their boast to bend themselves to the yoke,
not to shake it off. Such, at least, is the feeling expressed by the
most virtuous of their sex; the others are silent; and in the United
States it is not the practice for a guilty wife to clamor for the rights
of woman, while she is trampling on her holiest duties."

"Although the travellers, who have visited North America, differ on a
great number of points, they agree in remarking, that morals are far
more strict, there, than elsewhere.[A] It is evident that, on this
point, the Americans are very superior to their progenitors, the
English." "In England, as in all other Countries of Europe, public
malice is constantly attacking the frailties of women. Philosophers and
statesmen are heard to deplore, that morals are not sufficiently strict;
and the literary productions of the Country constantly lead one to
sup