The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1855-12-13
r~am The wsssmlas,et Review
rae ssoslssom 81 vgowsam.


rae soslssom 81 vgonsam.
4
/ The strongest expression of the degradation
" woman Is 20 bc fonnd in the lclirf that Sls
has M saul Such Il cmnmon opinion Of tn
Mahomns,hu's; AMI though il is not taught /,
the Koran, il rsVivs@ abundant countcnanc,
trom tho fact that the felicity Of the iutuw lik'
prcmiSsl by the prophet "a tho faithful vii
Of thu, Of their earthly wives. The Chiisss,
jv' Of slaves, hut deny them amy hope Of com
l~aisation her,~itw.
Al Paris. II all plao~ in the wurhl work
was pablishrsi ior dnproying the essential slsf
tily ~ natuu In uEa AMI woncn At much
earlier date the sau,c question was gravcly dcha.
tel IN clerical council at Macon. AMI wo,.
thy ''i,ir of thc scotch Kirk proved clearly
FROM the Scripture TINT thcrc could not p,psi.
bly, bc any of the G,ir ~cx IN heaven, Wegi,e
our nadcrs the benefit of his logic ncine
summoned menw n Prsby,ery, and being askc,
" he REALLY held ~ how,ical an opinion hs
braycly ayowed Il. ami said, ln the Revelation
of H. John the di,ino, you will lnd this pa,.
sasc, And thew WAS silem@ In Heaven for the
sIace of half M hour appeal to yoa all 10
tell n,e whether tha, could possibly have hap.
Iresl had been any women therY Aud sinrc
there arc none thec, charity arbi,ls ua Ia i'm.
aginc that they are NIL in u worse place, ther~
iov Il follows tha, they have no Immortal part,
and happy Il Is for them. ~ they am thereby
exempted from bcing accountable br ali the
noisr anil disturbance they have raised in the
world"
The custom Of parents 10 enter into contracts
with each other Tor tho marriage Of tloir chill.
drn while the latter are still infants, prevails
In many parts Of tho globe aud Though not
coestenslyc We nay safely affirm il 10 bc all
but coNvHl with the human race. Of oil insli.
cations Of the tyranny of the stronger and oi
the suffering Of the weaker wx. that Of infant
betrothai. exhibits tho grossst violation OF per.
sonal right. II subjects woman at once 90 tho
utmost dedgrut stion. and to lio long wrrtcl,c,l,
ness. II the contract were equally hiuding on
the male aud on the female. she would have no
right on The mere ground of scS TO utter com.
plaint bat tho nature OF the law. and tho
mode Of ia Observance, tell but too plaialy
by whom aml on whsc bchalf Il was devised
u a man. bctrotbei while yet child. by
his father. should find that the woman 10 whom
he Ia hound. is utterly displcasIng 10 him On
account of eithcr inncicd or real defects In
mind aud body. or because. sho proves twice
or thrice M old IN himself. or because ,lcaring
her affections, he 6n,ls himself Unable 10 obtain
them. they being already ccntcrcd elsewhere /,
and u under these circumstances, hc was de-
barnd throughout life, from forming any other
alliance hir ease wohli Justly bc prououncsl
u hard one, and he would bc sure II sympathy
nBd coinmiwra,inn The ntolcrablc Injustice
and oppression ~ such law, if obligatory on
the men of any tribe or nation. would speedily
drive them "a rebellion Hut M completely
regardless of all the strongest, deepest and most
sacred feeling of human nature Ia this contract,
II. nni have never rhrro,iuvsr,,l,ef s,lall'.g
stage Of barbarian aud of civilization, IN every
grade of social lifs. they arr IN the habit oi
in,cmnifying themselves for the injury which
infant betroihal, II faithfully observed. would
nflict. poIygamy and coDcubinngc and pros
titution Ia civilized communities ARE tho means
a. which men resort hut while nvcrting for
themselves the evils of this monatr0ns Inv they
continue 10 uphold II for their own advantage.
Unable 10 comply with isprov isious, they an.
nal u M regards Themselves. but cnl0rce II
with frightfbl severity on their frnilcr com
t'ani0ss
Amongst every veople, the Individuality of
woman Is m0re or k~- disrpar,ied hut IN this
custom II IL cntinly igDor,l Woman Ia mol ~
YET tralsl as n person having thought, alice
iions. passions, Will but ~ property subject 10
transfer frmn o,n 10 nnothsr. M Rvnrice, lust or
the desire II family npgrndi@ment, may sugecsi.
Wa .e the m,et h1leo,is FEATURES Of this cusiou
IN The abrigines n New Holland. There II Ia
cnrrIed 10 such nm outrageous extent. that cvei,
large proportion n the nwn have " suflsr
AZ Il tt...ts .is.C.
IN Western Australia, the k1nalc children arr
always istro,lmd Few days after their birth ;
and from the monsni thry ART beiroth~I, tiW'
parents eease IN have any control over the lpture
settlement u iheir child. sboah thu frst has.
hand Die t.fore the girl has ATTAINED the years
u puberty, sl,e then bslo0gs 10 his heir. We
ARE told by Captain Cry, tlsst tI'e obi men take
carr 10 keep tbe women chiefly among them
alyca. giving their daughters 10 opo another !;
AMI that the more Emue children they have. the
greater chsnc ~ eourse they have ~ getting
another wifr by ibi. sort of esclange; bat Il is
.tatsi by another authority that each male "
entitled 10 oil tn females who are relsisi 10 him
IN certain degree. A newborn child mny thus
h. the btrdh.d spouse ~ n man thirty years
Of age. and Inay h. eisimed by him ~ 'oon ~
.l,e Is insrriageabe- WHEN sbc h twelve years
obi or earlier. sow Ipen have thus iour ~ ak
wives u variou. ages, while others have bor
at aIi.
Among the higher ranks In the Society and
Sandwich Islands. II was the general custom
of parents 10 betrofh their daughters during
childhood. Bot contrary 10 the views and
practice Of al other people, u II 10 happened
that when noble girl grew up sbe experienced
M affection for her spon,s, this was not .
cause Of suffering for In conformity with
both law and cpstom. lady NJ rank, though
married, was permitted 10 take unio herself
other husbands. without eeasing to 6e the wifi
Of the first one thus placing herpef precisely
on level with her polygamous lord. O ell
the inhabitants 0f The Pa~ifc. tho~c of the
Tonga Islands accorded 10 woman the highest
position aud respect. Bat even there about
ope-thifd Of the whole were usually betfosbssi
ai m early age by their parents 10 ehicis an.!
men in the higher rsnhs. In the kingsmill
group the prncticc IL universal girls sse com.
monty tcirothsd ~ soon "a they are born and
ia or.e of the islands Maxim no marriage
ceremony takes place, bccansc every female
child Ia thus beifotbed usually 10 some near
relative, who takes her 10 his house at what
ever ags be may think Ct. But in New Tea
I AZ. c..~t.... ,.xsISa~ "A n eSu