New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-16

which human wisdom and h1msn fcLan1,ory have
% far reared OF, whether i. be the iniiesTe o!
better and hishe- order of things, IN the moral intel
Iec.us and physical we-beins OF the human race
in e er csse Disguise ts existence Is ATTENDED With
results detrimental TO the cause OF truth 10 ID. one
cass lie TO lesve the human race in fancied security
until the storm bunts upon them, and they unp-e-
Pared to resist its furyi in the other, is to keep from
their knowledge those things which are calculated to
advance their hsppiness.
Tie slement to which refer is subdivision Of the
sociasic movement in this country, and a. the pres
EFT time it is absorbing more OF the pubic attention
than any OF lie ccoroinaie branches. 1t embraces
within the scope of lis designs an entire change in al
institutions having any relation to humsn Affections;
or in other worCs it SEEKS the emancipation Of the
affections from all outward interference. Such are its
avowed objects. TIE niii4tory step which has been
already t,ken bears directly upon love and the rels
tons OF the ss1es The idea upon which i. is based
may be form u led in two ways:
The overthrow Of the restitution OF Marriage ~ being he
tile 10
PsssioDsl Attraction.
The presept Free. Love movement has existed as G
movement about two years. yet so rspid has been its
growth that TIE name L" Free-Love' is nov on the
lips ofeveiy bo5y, and the inquiry in relation to what
s implied BY H. and what the real facts are is
made uo,e than ever Those whoregard the mo ensnt
as one defined to only sn ephemeral Life think are
mis- aken The questions involved in the issue in this
movsmen. in which the freelove,s have arayed them
selves against tho csrent Of public opinion, when they
ere settled finally will be settled after ul profound
and philosophical investigation INFO the whole subject
The work mvst be an intellectual work; and, uness
this country be involved in the dispute for long
time conservative intellect must move AID give the
new philosophy its quietus at once.
The statements and conclusions which have given
above are The result Of an intimats familiarity with
the FreeLoye movement in this count y, and particu-
laily in this city. Tbat the readers Of The TRIBusE
may not suppose my statements and conclusions are
predicated without just basis, propose in this
article to give en- impartial and succnct history of the
Free Love movement, and then leave them TO judge
whether am tight or wrong.
Years since, when the question Of Social Reorsanzi-
ton was teri0usy and extensively sgi.atet In this
county, the pc pie were not Little startl'd by the
announcement that among the doctrines which were 8
part of the Socalistic philosophy were those which
contempt ted the subvesion of the institution of mar
rage Most of the socaistc leaders however, either
| denied that proper understanding Of the doctrine
would Justify such a conclusion, CT else asserted
u
preseit time would be mexpedent. The i'll sue
cets ard subsequent failure of most of the Social
issic exrerimen.s caused the futher discussion of
The subject 10 cease, and nothing further was
heard Of aniimairiage or Free-LOve doctrines un-
til neatly thee years since when an intelligent
disciple Of Fourier, DR.. Lazarus, wrote work which
was devoted wholly to discussion of the questions Of
love and marisge, not, however, with reference to
| Init 10 alton Tnia wa fp In Hai
by discussion Of the subject in the columns of The
TRIBUNE between Mr.. Greeley, M. Henry James
and Mr. Stephen Pearl Andrews, in which the first
ran cd lock the conservative, the second the middle
ground, in which he argued for increased facility Of
divorce al the last the broad position OF the largest
liberty Of the affections, with view to the imme-
diae rtaizaon fthe doct,ines practice Neither the
work of Dr. Lazarus the discussion gave the
movement any impetus, so far as was per:eptbie,
though through them, the term Free Love had be-
come familiar to the cars Of few. The subsequent
announce moLt in the Summer Of lsJ3 that the water
cure &C. Adjustment of T. L. Nichols and Mrs. Mary s.
! Cove Nichols at Port Chester had become point
whence the FreoLoye luminares sent forth their
Love Intelligence, and the consequent dlscon'
tiruar &C of;he establishment, again fxed public at
teIon upon the idea for tme but after ii was
again forgotten.
In October, 1853, all of the persons who openly pro-
| fcssed The Frec.Love doctrines woad not include
more than d bakers dozen Of ladie. and score OF
gentlemen Soon after Mr.. Andrew who by this time
had become generally acknowledged as the head OF
the little coterc of free.lovers invited this circle TO
visit his house one evening weekly. The invitation
was accepted, and the parties were continued during
tie Winter and Spring, and until the heat of the Sum
mer occasoned most of the members Of the circle to
absent themselves for a few weeks in the country.
The circle had gradually increased until il had reached
double the original number They were ladies and
gentlemen Of high order of intellect, and all
were penons Of rare intelligence aud cultivated
mirds; some of afllucnce, Also and some, too well
krewn to fame. The evenings were passed mostly in
conversation though the enjoyment was occasionally
heightened by vocal and instrumental music. Another
feature which was occasionally Introduced, was the
so.csred modem spiiituasm, 10 ioconsiderable num-
Der bei sprtualists, and some, mediums William
North the student, lipguist writer and poet, whose
death by suicide took place subsequently in November
was present neatly every OCCASION On the return
of the cold weather, the parties wee resumed and
they continued, the numbers who gave ia their ad-
heson TO the Free Love doctrines gradually augmented
In December, very general desire was EXPIRE .sed to
have TIE circle enlarged; and acting in accordance
with what seemed to be the demand, Mr.. Andrews
engaged q mail hail situated in Bond street near
| Bowery. coa0juto. in the movement sent invita-
lions 10 some eighty ladies and gentlemen to meet in
the hall a certain evening The night intense.
ly cold but about thirty ladies and forty gentlemen
responded by Their presence, most of whom had been
membe,s of the circle which had been accus omed to
meet at Mr. Andrews's residence.
The object, rs then announced, was TO form the