1822 May 29

Economy

On this subject if they laugh it is either [...?] or the [...? ...?]

for want of thought

To the admission of females into official situations at large,

objections present themselves - objections that are obvious, and that seem to be

conclusive. In the difference between sex and sex presents an obvious cause of

political corruption: as in the choice of functionaries beauty would /might/ stand in

the place of every branch of appropriate aptitude

But the more unavoidable the continuance is of unequality to the

prejudice of one half of the species in respect of this branch of power, the more

reasonable and urgent the demand is /appears to be/ for the removal of it in the case

of a branch of power in the exercise of which by that sex there is no room for

corruption in this or in any other shape: alway understood that the veil of secrecy

covers the delivery of the suffrages

With respect to intellectual aptitude, not any the slightest ground presents itself

for any such operation as that drawing a line between the two sexes, and saying the

place of the whole of the male sex is above the line, the place of the whole of the

female sex below it. If for the possession of adequate intellectual aptitude the

faculty and habit of self seated judgment were necessary the bulk of the female sex

have the same leisure /applicable time/ and the same means of information as the

male. If for the possession of this same attribute /qualification/ a borrowed

judgment be regard as sufficient, the parity /equality/ is still more obvious and

incontestable