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

our Revolution who sought identity Democracy and
lrrelgiOn. OF these-le the truth oendl-ol these
matter how sincere in their opinions are those mis-
guided caSuists who tell US, that when propose
adopt in State, that rule OF the Civil Law which
secures to married women an ownership Of property held
by them before marriage afterwards fairly acqur
We discard Christ and the higher slaw :" we fight
against God and cast behind the injunclions of His
Holy Word
have said elsewhere that am not satisfied merely
to relue the allegation that the change proposed
for the benefit oil married women is contrary to the
genius and spirit Of the Christian Scriptures / assert
rejoice to lind you, sir, also asseTtng-that in
the general spirit and tendency of its Doctrines Christi
anity not only permits it approves, it commands it,
The whole OF Christian morality is the substitu-
ton Of the law of kindness for the law of the stronger
Is 1t not meet and fitting, that, under such sytem that
SEX Of which the mder virtues the peculiar graces
should come to be regarded entitled to privileges and
station denied to them under harsher rule! Is the
boast the just boast of Christianity that its tendency is
to give rank she never held BEFORE throughout
the history Of the world rank which could not belong
to her. ages and countries where physical strength
and brutal regarded the highest of hu
man attributes; but which hers of right and oil nature
in every land where mind predominaies over matter
where the social virtues rank higher than deeds
the battle field?
There is much in the spirit of the Christian system
though it promulgated nearly two thousand years
ago. that is greatly in advance OF the praetica working
day opinions OF the present age Such its estimate Of
the position OF in society. In theory we admit
that, under system which substitutes kindness and for
gveness and mild persuasion for harshness and revenge
and animal force, woman becomes mans equal in law
we utterly deny it. Our law in this as in many other
things, ags far behind the essential spirit of Christianity
There is much said about modern Inidelity. Shall
tell you who Is the practical lntde? The man. who has
no abiding faith n'the Good and the Beautiful. The
scofer-at human virtue. The sceptic-n human pro-
gress The doubter of mans capacity for self. govorn
ment. Above ALL beyond all, the unbeiever in womans
goodness.
In the soul-tryng days of Seventy what Law at the
root OF Tory dstrust and dissent from the Great Exper
Imentf Lack OF faith in man, in better world, in
brighter Future The Conservatives OF that day argued
and many OF them doubtless honestly believed that
men released from the authority of kn9y sway entrust
ed with universal suffrage would prove themselves I'M
worthy oil the high trust; that unbrided power would
breed endless dissention and eventuate last cen
tious anarchy.
And, in like manner, what formed the basis of the ar
aumen, Reproduced in hundred FORMS hidden under a
thousand owery DISCUSSES, that put FORTH last win
ter, proof, that domestic chickering's and immoral H.
cense would surely follow in the wake Of Constitution
al provision, securing TO the wife and mother independ
ent ownership in her own propertyl
Il was distrust of woman. 1t was disbelief in her
pabiltY to endure uncorrupted the temptations incident
to the possession and control Of property.
do not mean, that such an argument in terms, was
made in the late Convention. Oh, no! The defenders
of anquated abuse know better than to trust to buno
ling honesty and plain English. Their language needs
translation, just as surely if it were much Greek
Hebrew.
Let us briefly examine one or two of the phrases IN
der which, in this case, they yelled their scepticsm
Here is one Of them.
softer women these legal rights; give them the rod
and the control of the domestic exchequer and you kill
all that delicate sentiment and refined feeling that forms
the ndIssoluble cement Of the marriage reationn And
again lt will the most fatal present lodged
in their hands, The fair fruit, wherewith their sex will
be, not for the first time tempted. will prove to be APP
pies of Sodom, turning TO ashes in the taste"
Rendered into ineligible English, this would read
"Nomen standing in the relation of wives have not
virtue discretion enough be entrusted with proper
ty. That consciousness of power, which comes with
the possession Of this worlds goods will turn their fee
Bile heads, nay, yate their hearts. Men may safely
and wisely be trusted with property; only their own
but that Of their wives also Their nobler natures and