Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-06-03
NUMBER I:2.
K | { Ii NJ o ND w HIG.
From fhs Lo-.io- TTs,.s.

ting IN ciiivaous devo,iou To th. p-..op and in n.
u"n ~hieh did not pay extraordinary homage To th. De-
enhAr VIRTUES OF the frsle the genius great post
schriued the fiction ot Fetnale Parliament on eoar.
he outline once skrtched difhcut To nh up-
'uuS- "'H Ut their lees rather than the justice OF the
eaue they were % try-parti-sn. forgetting IN. ho,or
oi u'1r county Ia their spite virtuous politician o.
distinguished conmander-,lensgogues blu.t-riuy ON
their untfir proSrss and threatening IL th.y h.a
the opportunity. ITO do such thng shared the .ool.us.
oi the audience With the picture husband. ryttin
the claims OF wife and hon'e n the aurny society which
'"np-' Socrates less than Acbi.de or in III, c,.
orauon OF to-c religious rites which probably made th.
saline suppression the simple minds VI Athenian house
N''- h't ~ "''y suppose produced the innoc.nt
medtauons ofmoiern 'rried lsirs whrn their
leave them Ia talk polilics a ''ti,r club"
But one element S's ~antiug, II nott~o thst modern
,n''''"' "' An-"i''air- might supply in sketch oi
fenhie Legislature. MiieOeaiirg II recoil-ct aivht
l. alluded Ia IN the drama Of the Attic artist but prh.
Il either not strongly rop-d pr.etic. or
u 80 vas not 81 stro"gl' condemned ur day tor
hot much strs- Is ail Tie Atheni.n ,r cob
bier NAV have Knocked h- ~e do~n With tsn.,ll.l.d
rpthe' instead o having more material
ia-on Oi the m0no-y ylahtc London csI.t-rin yer Hos.
ever this may have been, civilization introduced n.v
grievance Tor feminine mitigation and masculine remedy
and t- grievance Is ruLoir'i Ia petition addressed 10
THE Hon the House Of Cpnn0u- Ia Parliament ....u,-
''d "eA"s the signatures OF sundry amiabe sensitive
and strong minded women aud unmarr,.i OF ,hs
Onit"d hingio ad ntru-ted the oi Sir Erkins
Perry.
We are at loss hos 10 express this rr;.x.,e. ,
it Orgus with the admission state OF thing, .b,rb
hardly ven,ured 10 hope eNsteL We hav. been aeev.-
e"then to record complaints all
women have no profession employment no mean. of
earning livelihood except te various grades Of d me-
NC service, the calling oi gOveresst millinery ia SOM,
form 1t appears FROM the petition" to which ". ,Inda
That so lar nom this berg the case modeu civilization
II indefinitely extending the sphere oeeupati t,r ~.
man, aud that this extending sphere Is anpfyir their
sources OF Income Thus starting it appears tha,
while women III the lower classes society are earning
wagr- a. seamsiresses char-~uneu egar.nDul.r. and
'n other voc.tons lar too detail ~o.nen in
'e mgher classes are competing With th. held and
PROFITS o literature. This admission l. pleasant b.,rng
tor the friends Vt womci aud doubtless. will h.y i,s
que weight when tile specific grievance winch the pet
uohers complain, aud WINCH come Lo is CONSIDER
ed.
1t amounts, in short this-By the law of the land
wives wives nave no special property in their earnngs
"heh arr more the property la their earnings which
are more the proP-aty vi their husbands uan of them
selves subject o their appropriations and Ia,l. To their
debts. THIS hardship and Injustice A. Tn. tr n.,,,n,
eFs deem IT. they call on the lion lhe Commons of Eng.
land to repair by more just and liberal legislation.
10 petition Signed Is this is and dictated by the feel
ings which animate its subscribers would xnoI NJ.
the utmost detereuce, anu it possible give the utmost
support, But Nc eouess that don't clearly see our
way to the end proposed by legislative measure la.
deed such remedy might be devised the u.utooer.
have cut from under their owu feet Th.S ush 10
erraIr separate propretorship in favour OF ma rd wo
men, and ~ the same breath deOunce the cumbrou, m.
chih"ry OF uus-eship which intended to effect and
generally does effect - Tar as plan very re.
SUIT which they wish attain. We confess We hardly 60,
nov they WI" approve upon the existing system SO tar "A
''g"u' the OBJECTS which 1t contemp.tes how they
vii obtain IT'S benefits Tor other objects winch i. doe. nor
contemplate save Oy Initiating pruvsuas Th. fact
Is d'guse It ho~ you ~i or select shateyer number Of
exceptional cases dgent scrutiny will suppy tl- 81,
sting state OF things Ihe result not OF human -ss
uon but OF nausr laws The relations OF the ,ex.s NAV
oe eA'eFN-l adorned with all tue uIppngs OF artificial
manners ana luxurious civilization, su Tord they are
essentially the same III all ages OF the world Wom.ikind
IA tile mass are and must be- or all material advantages
Tor protection and personal security deueui,nt
upon men, whether the latter be STYLED ..ords
aud masters, or "tyrants and despots and in
no tsno this dependence on one side, and protection
on the other marked, more teal ur morn natural
than IN that OF marriage The whole character Of ,his
union would be lost OF purposes defeated II ,ny
law inteFered 10 change this mutual relation and 70 SUBJ
suiutS an express recognition OF theoretical inpepdencs
aud equality in favor OF the wife A. il H. the law xbi
conies superior authority the man. attaches 10 him
uue- ana responsibilities which the tranquility
Ahd comfort o the wife Aud It's curious observe thai
The eohne1ion OF the husbands privileges aud respon,
6tes is 50 stkingly close these petitioner even
"hen they would enlarge the freedom Of the wifes action
are forced 70 admit the propety of limiting the hus-
bands liability the time This in fact illustrate.
the whole question. Marriage compact of mutuaty
The powers OF the husband over the wife. mean. nrr
great because his liabilities his wiie's maintenance
aud credit also great He the eve OF the law the
proprietor oi her income the receiver OF her RENTS h
controller OF her fortune, becavse he Tor the
payment q her mlner her servants, her coach hire to
say nothing OF her chdren's keep aud education DO
away win this jus ProPrieats say the petitioners and
10 fplTit OF iairness they add do with the unEm.
tied liability also This is the ultimate solution oC tha
question What these ladies would see become itu. OF
statute IaS is nothing else than the cohabton Of male
ANU tdcr WIKI separate fortunes,
ses separate bills, separate habtes-te husband going
to gsn While his ~is Is riding in her c4rrage-the wife
hurried on 10y 6ais while the husband is eating veusan
and drinking champagne
Such tile theory they propose But is there lbe mos,
distant prospect OF H ever taking practical SHAPE we're
IT. enactment provided by the stringent OF codes
ON such apprehension saved by placid regard
OF what have ever been and will be the condition. of
humanity There Is uprising agsinst the ideas oi fam
ny Nome and marriage among the majority OF the
most prosecuted women. We saved too by an e1-
perience OF that which has been done in England and
elsewhere to eVade the harsh injustice OF the laws not Of
man ou oi nature 1t the system Of trusteeshp devised
To mitigate tie evils complained Of is clumsy IL clumsy
only so lar a. u cannot do impossibites Ii women have
lands or moneys lett Tor their us-if these are pa.J
W 'ne hands OF tru.tees- the trustees duly receive the,
pohts thereOi- they acknowledge the receipt- they
hen hand over the proceeds the wife protcted and
get Their discharge from her they have done all thar .nv
r can compel any honest man to do. But IT, after re-
eeivine the rents from the land the dividends from the
ConsoS the wife hands them to her husband or as
sgs her hieintercst ia either to him or hi. creditor,
what law can prevent thiss What law can constraia
'"r |'ouie OF womAn's love, forbid the offer
ihgs o a wiie's devoioug Or again it, AZ by .o,u.
iocign codes, the wife recognized sole and
propretrcssO OF the the ReHses-f the ,tt. of
sgnn the Law makes hc7 the mortgage ON her nus,
oAhd estate or his earnings what can what does pre-
vent her from signing away her right aud her interest 10
secure MS credit his honor his interests The truth is
All laws and al schemes clumsy when afraysd against
the instincts OF coJnga affection the sympathies Of con-
Jughl confidence When they are not so IL l. oul, he
cause brutality the side or self hns.s ON the otbsr
mas proceeded 10 that exceptional which cannot be
reasoned on a. "a basis Of gruers legislation.
That there OF low and selfish tastes-druohsr.
gamblers dehluchces-uarred TO intellectual and gifted
women Is probable enough Il l. not improbable that
su'h men nay per the earnings Of their wives But how
many cases ui this kind do occur How many wou,en
brought up n refinement, elegance aud with literary
tastes, Woud unite themselves 20 drunkars and dcb.g
chtes And necessary for the protection OF the lev
isolated cases that DO occur 10 laws which experiences
proves would generally be futile fos good but which
would involve the certainty of sowing jealousy aud scord
Whcrevcr they S,rc put Boo force
ALREnAHIE INsIHANCr Cnmn,nN