Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1842-10-01
TILE RIGHTS OF WOMEN.

TIE RIGHTS OF WOMEN,
Though the A~nglo-Saxons every where
boast Of the security which their laws afford
to all rights, yet among no other civilized race
are the rights Of property in women less res
pected. BY the common law, a woman, GA
marriage, loses all her rights Of personal pro-
perry, and all her rights in the proceeds Of her
real property during the marriage. Her legal
existence is merged in that ofeJ,er husband,
and she becomes, to nearly all right of proper
ty, cioikly druid. lie controls her personal
property, the proceeds of her industry or Ia
lents, the income of her real property during
the marriage and if they have any children
he can control the income Of her real proper
ty during his life. After bis death, she re-
surues her rights in her real estate, and has
ono half Of his personal estate after payment
Of debts, and the income Of enc third OF his
real estate during her lifc, These rights
may seem, on a superficial view, an equlYa-
lent for those which she surrenders. But
they are not so in theory, and in the great
majority OF cases, far from being 80 in prac-
tlcr. Her recovery, after the husbands dc
cease, Of her ownreal estate, is merely the re-
Sumpfion Of a right suspended by the marriage.
Her si,are in his personal estate il, in many
cases, merely the resumption Of a part Of her
own property. Her dover in his real estate
is generally a very slender equivalent for the
surrender of her own during his life, or for
the total loss of her personal property. 70 j.
"lustrato this, We will suppose a :e" cases,
A young woman has a large personal estate !;
and with the i1nprudent generosity so char
acteristlc Of woman when their affections are
enlisted, she surrenders the whole to hee hns-
band upon marriage, or rather, as she does not
secure it TO herself, it becomes his by law.
lie has a good character, fair prospects, IN
vests her money in trade; and soon looses the
whole. Nurtured in affluence or comfort, she
is reduced to poverty, and she, and perhaps
her chilpren, NUT struggle through years OF
want. Now ifthe law had placed her property
beyond tis reach, as it does his beyond hers,
he would have been left to trade upon his own
resources, and she and her children would
have been safe from any contingencies. But
wo will orprose another case. Instead Of
risking her property in business, he d~issjpates
it in extravaganza or vice, abuses her, and per
haps leaves her and his children 10 want, by
premature death from dissipation, or by prose
cutting a career Of infamy with some partner
in ruilt. Such extreme cases have happened
III all cues. u ilti pttDtl&y ti'I DCTii pyyoIII
his reach, he would have been saved from
temptation to crime through denial of the
means, and might have been an ornament &c
society instead cf a disgrace, and might have
cherished, instead Of destroying her happiness
We have sometimes Witnessed another case
A man with fair character and prospects, anC
reputed safe in business, marries a woman
with a large property. He fails soon after,
and his creditors strip her of every dollar
Had she known his condition she would have
secured her property, Or refused the marriage
But this was concealed from her, and was no'
known in its full extent by him. Yet he wan
ted her money to remove present difficulties
and supposed TINT it would enable him to save
his credit and prosecute a profitable business
Yet she is defrauded, and he has treated hej
dishonorahly.
We could mention cases by hundreds in al
ofthe cities, in which women have been thu:
ruined in fortune, and condemed to r%enounce
every prospect OF peCunlary comfort; and draG
through long years of suffering. by blind conf
dence in men without prudence, or without
virtue. We hear much from men ahont tht
extravaganza of women. But we may safely
| assert that where one family is injured by the
extravaganza Of a wife, Ten are ruined by the
folly or wickedness Of husbands. Such ms
chiefs ought to be prevented, and the only
efectual mode of prevention is a law to Sc
cure to women; under all eircssnstancos, th'
property belonging to them before marriage
We therefore cali upon cur Legislature Il
| take the lead in this reformation, and TO en-
act a law that shall Be et1ectual for such pur
pose. Let it invest her with a complete, on
tire, separate legal exIetence, IN every thin!
relating 10 her property before marriage, or t'
! her earnings afterwards. But TIL such Law
| can be enacted, We should advise every Wo
| man to put her whole property and ezpectan
cies beyond her husbands reach, before tn
marriage is contracted. No prudent woman
would emit this, as a provision for herself, III
afectionate mother should omit it as a prori
sion for her children, and no atfectienatc wifi
would neglect it AZ a provision for her hus
band in case of difficulty. Every prudent ma
weuld wish if, and whoever objected to
would Justly incur the lmputation Of seeking
wife's fortune and not her affection.
The argument urge1 by English LAWYER
AGAINST the creation OF a separate interest 70
the wife, is that it would impair domestic tran
o~uilIitv. And is domestic tranquility promo
ted by the dissipation of a wife's fortune !
wild speculation, imprudent business. or VIC
and folly Are the respect and affection {
a wife promoted by the blasting Of her pros
poets, the destruction Of her comforts, he
consignment to suffering, corporeal or metal
Does a wife love or respect her husband tn
more for seeing him dssipate her properf
in wild speculation, ridiculous ostentation, {
gaming and other modes Of lic-ntiousnes
Does she love and respect him the more f;
seeing him rob her children Of their inner
tanca 10 satisfy his crelLtoE=. Mhcse CLAIM