Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-06-05


hands may have earned They have asked that property
may be secured to the rghtful against the i'm.
providence of the reckless, and the avarce Of the
scienceless That is all they have asked.
Tie reasonableness the justice the expedieney, and
the evangelism Of such provision they have asked,
plain to be argued. Our inherent source
of national Justice would demand the concession OF this
principle. Whoever tells me, that any relations, into
which nv daughter enter should annlhate her per-
sonal rights the property may have given her, or
which she may herself by her talents and industry have
acquired; whoever tells me another may drink 1t, and
gamble il away; whoever tells that for debts con-
tracted by another the Sheriff may of right sell beyond
recovery her property turning her homeless and helpless
on the world either affected with homeless obouity of
mind or intends downright insult my sense
ANY man. who will affirm the equity Of such law, is
already beyond the power of sense and reason.
have explored the origin and the sources of the
unrghteous usageS and nqutous laws yet retained in
some Of the American States, denying to woman her
personal rights in her property Probably they
originated far back in the rude and barbarous ages of
the past, when might made right; when the weaker
deemed the legitimate prey of the stronger; when
the world governed whey by physical force; when
the father relieve himself from the ncumbrance of
a sickly child, would not hesitate to tear his infant
daughter from its mothers bosom, and throw it into the
street be consumed by hungry dogs, expose it in
the woods be in pieces by wolves. Among the
Pagan tribes of the Arabian desert, only the
rights of the to her property utterly annhilated
on her marriage, hut her husbands DEATH whatever
remnant Of property mi sht exist ravshed from her
and her children and divided among the male relatives
of her husband We sometimes charge Mahomet with
only denying women the rights of property but the
right in their souls But do him gross nius-
tice. Mahomet relormeF, centuries in advance of
his He did all the spirit OF the age would admit
to tn widows and TO orphans the right of which
they had been under the reign of Pagan superstition,
unusiy deprived Mahomet far in advance of
many modern Christian teacher. Under the reign of
euda despotism, only the property of the woman,
but the woman herself sacrificed and her persona-
~ utterly annhilated. Under ;he influence of modern
Christian civilization, we might reasonably hope and
expect better things. At least might hope that in
America and particularly in the free and magnanmous
States of the West, might venture far in the
reer of reform. s annul law originating in dark
age and founded in error, and sustained by injustice
Do hear it said that the propose is incon-
sstent with the spirit and genius of Christianity
have not studied the Bible, learned Christ
With undouhting confidence. and in implicit faith re-
ceve the Bible Constitution Of great and funda-
mental principles. Its language should he interpreted
in accordance with its spirit, and its spirit is in harmony
with the laws which God has written in the beb OF ma
ure and in the book Of Providence and the heart of
man. receive my Saviour reformer; a rcormer
in the spirit Of his teachings not only in advance of the
ably far in advance of our own age. An enlightened in
depreciation Of the Bible would sanction and the spirit
4 of Christianity would demand, much radical
form. than this measure proposes.
The opposistion which The measure has met, and
which il vet continues e meet. Is strange
pected thing Whenever the light of reason and Of
right is brought to bear and wrong, therees
great excitement among those whose craft is in dan
ger 1t is II midnight when all the beasts OF prey
and birds Of darkness abroad, the should sud
denly rise ull orbed the world Great is the
ton among the CarnivOra. Lions hyenas snarl,
and owls boot, hut they cannot put cut the light. In
their efforts to obscure the sun, they may raise great
dust sbht il wilt all come back their ownnpate, and
I cosT them With confusion and shame. And when their
mpotent rage spent they will sneak OFF their dens,
nor may you find them more though, Dogenes-like,
4 you 6niH lamp by day, to search Tor them
f The af vecateS OF this measure may be charged with
6rdsa bot let them be deferred from their pur-
pose by lie opprobrium Of unpopular epithet 1t
pten happens that 10 superficial Observers seems
ultrast, merely from being in advance of his age 1t
has been the lot of every reOrmer in science in politics.
and in religion be pronounced by his contemporaries
ultraist COpeTnicus, when he announced the
theory Of the motions OF the solar system was deemed
an ultraiSt. lIaeo, when through his telescope he
revealed the face Of the heavens mortals
municatcd from the church ultraist. Franklin,
when his theory OF electricity announced 10 the
Royal Societies of London laughed at ultra
ist Clnron when he proposed To- unite by canal the
waters of Erie with the Hudson ridcued al
traist Fulton, when he proposed TO navigate by steam
the ship against wndand tide was derided ultra
ist Thomas Jefferson, when lie announced TO the
world the living. immortaruh of the native equality
of man, was an ultraist but when few years more,
or, most few centuries past the world sees and
acknowledges, that those whom it derided denounced
and prosecuted ultraiss, indeed the pioneers o
the race in truth and in right.
/ can but admire, venerate, all but adore those
master spirits in mind and in noble daring who stand
among their contemporaries did the son of Kish among
the people Of Israel, head and shoulders above them
who take in their survey extent OF landscape fan
beyond the horizon of the dwars about them; who
live FOR the future and in the fuure who cit
zens of a new EARTH wherein dwelleth righteous men
whose souls there often bursts some glorious vi
sion, and who the first to hear as did the shep
hos = ofPaestne angelic VOICES singing song oil tri
unph at the worlds redemption
Though defeated for the present. yet the measure
reform proposed mist yet sncceed Under the accumu
lated pressure of public Sentiment abuses must give
y way. Beneath the strong light of righteous opinion
error must be exposed: 1t may struggle and wrthe
and endeavor to hide away like the poor insect pnneG
in the focus of powerful glass but vain its efforts
useless its rensto escape the progress OF reform
onward onward. onward sill. Sooner might the Per
sian tyrant succeed claiming the Of the sea- les
they smash his ferry. boat, than might mortal man ress
the tide Of reform. He had better launch his hat OF
the current ard sail along with IT, or take himself speed
y OF the way 1t were safer for him To pace him
seIn the track the comet bazes through space
4, than stand in the way Of human movement. IL wer
easier TO muzze Etna than hold in the outburstngs
reform.
: The superficial observer may deem the progress Q
this reform arrested, and the measure defeated So tn
child, wuen he has erected his mud-dam across Tn
stream from the perennial spring, may think the water
will flow their way TO the But let hin
wait little while and lie Will see the waters accnmua
ting in quantity and in force, until the temporary oh
structon gives way, and dancing and eapi6g and rush
ing 90 the waters laughing outright at his puny dam
Deep in he human heart the fountains OF truth
OF right, and flow they WILL and flow they must, In
ever widening channel with increasing force
the until they reach the athomess and lmitles
q ocean OF universal philanthropy.
Sooner may the universal law OF gravitaiion cease
'hc earth no longer attract bodies TO Its surface,
5 the fail to retain the planets within its influence
than the heart and the conscience OF cVzed and chris
o tan society shall fail TO respond tn the calls OF justice
Q of right and of benryoence and God himself, by In
Providence and by his grace. and angels with all the
celestial influences combined with tie good and th
enlightened of to hasten the glorious era oil jus
ce of virtue of reform and OF perfect christian civil