New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-26
NETWORK TRIBUNE.
WOMAN AND HER NEEDS.
No. VII
RY L. oAKEs SMITH.

ambition Joined
shbl uhh haze. hate with loves 'aR 'oe say '"'
d Co.'s joiaiag "-MntoH.
have spoken Of marriage as the ofs@' -,
tract In true relation this holy ana %
mystery of life would be sacramen'
now il stands almost entirely as CIV"
-, .onsr.nership. In New Enssno' even
,vh.r, Z, misht be supposed that mS''laeo "C"'1
-. .5uiterated, il has become very muon
Ss-.sho-d arrangement for thrill or economy,
- woman is selected for her domestic points,
>. ,,e same manner that housekeeper is secured
Me- a slight salary for one 10 the latter capacity,
voold oftentimes be in better taste than the TAX
ing Of wife. / even know Of one woman, not by
apy means low in the scale Of position, who pro-
posed to do the labor of one Of her servants, pro-
vided her penurious husband would pay her.
wife, the price OF service, six dollars per month,
which he was not ashsmed TO do. Now, will any
one say that such woman was wife in the true
sense-ons with her lord and master, who paid
her as be would pay a mental Every married
man, and every married woman, knows either
from experience or observation that it is not an
infrequent thing for man to refuse his wife the
supply of money necessary TO uphold her position
In society," If she fail 10 become IA all things the
suBseypient creature she is expected 10 be IN the
yS0ge relation. "Surely we are bought with
price" woman under such circumstances might
quote, in the depths of her humiliation. II re.
auires but little penetration to see that husband
who puts the contract upon so coarse aud exter-.
nal basis, offers himself the strongest sempta.
tion to its violation. She is to him a slave . me
NAL, an appendage, bat not a wife; that is not
one with him ia soul and lfe-his Utmost self
the completion of bis being-the one divine ela-
ment linking him TO the spiritual; the friend,
companion and comforter with whom he is 10 take
sweet counsel and walk to the house Of God 10
company, yea, iEto that divine tabernacle. tina.
mansion into which no corrupt element finds a
Judgment.
1t may be that claim too much of sanctity for
marriage-that the common voice is against me,
and therefore content to view il aS a commercial
relation or one Of social convenience only, and
involving no questions OF greater moment than
those Of legitimiziDg offspring and securing the
transmission Of property. Even in this point of
view it would be well that the terms Of contract
sA0Nld be such as 10 secure its iRDiOla5uity, and
therefore clam that there should be eqlaliv Of
character "a the contracting partieslega iegwalHy
at the very least
There are social and domestic evils. 80 secret
30 petty and annoying, that they can neither be
reached by public opinion nor legal enactment,
and right organization Of society would aim a.
the relief of these as being harder to be borne
than others obvious 10 inspection and comment
l wOud have the marriage relation 50 protected
that as few Of these evils should arise as posi-
BILE. | would avoid the need of legislation by So.
curing the liberty of both parties equally, till
each shall be fully competent to judge Of the nR.
ture of the proposed position | admit that
gentleman, In the true sense-a man Of taste, Of
sentiment genius, in other words, one capable Of
feeling great sense Of human justics-will not
abuse the confidence of "Chid- wife :" he
will treat gently aud most sacredy the trust of
youth inexperience aud beauty but | do NOT
write for these, but for those who discern the
Truth as through glass darkly,' who are blind
leaders of the blind; wilfully ignorant, seldshly
corrupt, or cropping for Truth and uncertain no "
TO recognize her aspect.
IL is a trite remark, when difficulties arise in
the marriage relation, to say, there is "blame up
or both Sides" one Of those imbece, incense
quential speeches by which humanity is apt to
relieve itself OF its dullness Two individuals
are are not adapted to each other; they are
'Soke-fellows.' or they are tho and the ass in
terdicted by the jewish law giver, and unsukad
to the same fnrrow they arc the diverse seeds
prohibited to be sown in the same field. IF there
be oongeniality OF qualities, harmony will bs the
result il not, perpetual discomfort, inward rep-
nings, or open rebellOns gciei, apathy, insanity
and death; or there will arise the long catalogue
OF petty evils. snbter'uges and evesions by which
character is lowered in the scale of being, and
led on 10 crime. In the one case, the two walk
hand In hand like Banya1's Pilgrim 10 the golden
gate, each hello to the other ia the divine life
or the one falls from the aide of its companion
disabled angel; or they keep the bad juKtaposi'
tion to grow in aspect and heart like jarr'ng imps
from unhallowed regions. This is so mach the
case, that matrimonial discOrd has become u
theme for Jest rather thsn of sympathy, and one
OF the surest methods of evolving laugh either
20 the wit or dramRtist The whole structure Of
society is lowered by this tendency, human SEN
timent distorted by it, and human sympathy car
ried astrav.
We must look to tho foundation of social evil
very much here-where the fountains of lifd are
30 much embttered, where children receive dis
oordsDt elements with their very blood, and i'm.
bibe discomfort with their milk, aud catch
:" Their mothers Trick OF grief
And sigh among their playthlngs"
Now let marriage be 90 guarded that legal
disqu ALLEGATION would be barrier 10 entering into
the relation, and one great step would bereached,
and one great source of human suffering dried up.
Then the woman who shoald iaunt her discomfort
after assuming position which must have been
not only voluntary, but one Of at least some de-
gree OF Judgment, would Do treated with we'll de-
served contempt She should speak at the altar
the solemn Yes from her heart. and forever
after hold her peace II unhappy shs should
suffer in silence, for there is no remedy.
To me there is something appalling when I see
mere girl promising at the altsrtO love, &c Kill
death What does she know Of human emotion,
OF the depths OF her own soul or that Of another
For any one, even at mature age, to say this, is
IN fact blssphemous, in the eyes OF any one capa
Bile OF realizing the arbitrary nature OF human emo
tons and how very uncertain they often become,
even under the most careful training and the most
exact hso'tnde This being the case-we ara
mere creatures in the hsn6s of being who 70.
CARDS us in mockery, or in tho hands OF one who
knoweth our nature, and has established within
ne laws, which, we as yet bat inperiecty under.
stand. Ii will be folly to say that there is no ex.
cuse for change thar man or a woman is BAD
who does not love rs the laws have bound them
TO love-thAt he or she whose thong or feelings
dwerge to day very far from what they were at
any other given period must be ia The wrong. for
the whole history Of the race IS fail Of facts to