The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-05-11
From the Boston rraveier.t'

Miss Lucy Stone. the young lady who has
frequently made her appearances upon the
anti.slavery rostrums in this city, was mar
ried on May-day, at asa farmhouse among
the hills of West Brouk6eld," to Henry 3.
Blackwell, a leader in the western anti.sla-
very movement. The marriage ceremony
wss performed by Mr. F. w. Higgnson. of
Worcester, the parties to the nuptials for.
mally protesting against the laws OF the
Commonwealth concerning marriage. Mr.
Higginson communicates the protest to the
Worcester Spy az follows.
81 never perform the marriage ceremony
without a renewed sense OF the iniquity Of
our present system of laws, in respect to
marriages. system by which 'man and
wife are one, aid that one is the husband.
1t was with my hearty concurrence, there.
fore, that the following protest was read and
signed, as part of the nuptial cere mony,
and send it to you, that others may be in
duced to do likewise. I. w. II.
PROTEST..
While we acknowledge our mutual affec.
ton, by publicly assuming the sacred rela-
tonship of husband and wife, yet in justice
to ourselves and great principle, we deem it
a duty to declare that this act on our part
implies no sanction of nor promise of volun-
tary obedience to such of the present laws
of marriage as refuse to recognize the wife
as an indie pendent rational being, while they
confer upon the husband IN injurious and
unstural superiority, investing him with le-
gal powers which no honorable man would
exercise, and which no man should possess.
We protest especially against the laws
which give to one husband
|. The custody of his wife's person.
2. The exclusive control and guardianship
of their children.
8. The sole owne rship Of her personal and
use of her real estate, unless previously set
tied upon her, or placed in the hands oil
trustees, as in the case of minors, lunatics
and idiots.
4. The absolute right to the product Of her
industry.
s. Also against laws which give the wild
over SO much larger and more permanent
an interest in the property of bis deceased
wife than they give to the widow 10 that OF
her deceased husband.
6. Finally, against The whole system by
which "the legal existence of the wife is
suspended during marriage" 80 that in most
States she neither has legal part in the
choice of her residence nor can she make a
will nor sue or be sued in her own name,
nor inherit property.
We believe that personal independence
and equal human rights can never be forfeit.
ed, except for crime; that marriage should be
an equal and permanent partnership, and so
recognized by law; that until it is SO recog.
nized married partners should provide against
the radical injustice Of present laws by every
means in their power.
We believe that where domestic difficult
ties arise no appeal should be made to lega
tribunals under existing laws, but that al
difficulties should be submitted to the equi
table adjustment of arbitrators mutually
chosen.
Thus reverencing law, we enter our ear.
nest protest against rules and custom'
which are unworthy Of the name, since they
violate Justice, the essepce Of all law.
(Signed,) HENRY B. BLACKWELL.
LUCY STONE.