Page:The rights of women and the sexual relations.djvu/287

Rh mature, and strong, through the exertion of others, then he attaches himself to it and becomes its spokesman, thus securing not only his reputation as a liberal man, who belongs to the advance guard everywhere, where the struggle is for liberty and development, but also as a far-sighted politician, whose championship is always coupled with success. Whoever is sly enough in his operations to keep away from a struggle so long as a superior enemy makes the outcome doubtful, but who later, when the downfall of this enemy can be foreseen, takes his place in the ranks of the aggressors with eclat, he certainly adopts the most practical way to share in the glory of the victory, without having assisted in the struggle. Remember the spectacle that presented itself in the development of the slave question. The abolition of slavery was in the beginning agitated only by "impractical" abolitionists, who were forever "harping" on their "theory," were hated by all true "patriots," and despised or ridiculed by all "practical statesmen." — In spite of these animosities the abolitionists did not relinquish their efforts, and when they alone could not gain a hearing, the natural course of events brought the slaveholder, cuddled and reared by the practical statesman, to their aid, and opened the ears of these practical statesmen very practically; that is, [sic]unmisakably. What happened? During the exciting stress of this reaction, the enemies of slavery increased a millionfold, and grew to a party whose victory had