Page:Letters to a friend on votes for women.djvu/43

 own body and mind, the individual is sovereign'—is, as an absolute principle of morals or politics, open to just criticism; but, as a good working rule of political practice, when tempered by the common sense of prudent statesmanship, it has conferred upon English women immense benefits. But this fact tells, if we think the matter out, rather against than in favour of the claim of votes for women—^that is, the claim to a share in sovereignty; for Mill's dogma rests at bottom upon the distinction which he insists upon, and even exaggerates, between matters which mainly concern the individual, and only indirectly, if at all, concern the public, and matters which immediately concern the public or the State, and only indirectly, if at all, concern the individual. Now, a man's rights as to his own concerns are his private or civil rights, and should be limited only, according to Mill, by respect for the equal rights of his neighbours. But the rights of an individual with reference to matters which primarily concern the State are public or political rights, or, in other words, duties or functions to be exercised by the possessor, not in accordance