Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-04-26
W0MAN's BILL OF RIGHTS.

The state Of the English law MS regards women
is, in many respects, no whit in advance of orien-
tai sel6shness. n woman is bought in the East
lwomen are also bought every season in the W est;
in the barOarOus regions OF B~elgrnyta and May
fairl; and woman in tie West, at least married wO-
man, is almost as.much the goods and chattCls OF
the man who pays marriage fees Tor her as Is the
sack the property of the Moslem husbands; the
sack that makes SO short and cheap a process of
divorce, speeding down the flowing BoSphorus with
poor Fatima, the inside passenger. In our Chris
tian philanthropy, we have stopt the trade in Cir
c3ssisn girls, all of them with their black eye turn
ed towards Constantinople, their FACILITATING hearts
stirred by the hopes Of giving future Padlshas to
Stamboul The price has. Of course, gone down.
Circassian girls-in the phrase of Manchester
have suffered a heavy decline. That is not the
business of Christian England. Let Turks woo
and wed decently, as Of erst did Darby and Joan;
and no longer have consigned to their arms a
freight OF affection, at SO many piastres, with as
much duty us possible included. Having, as we
fondly hope, rebuked the Moslem into %prOpriety,
let us see that we have no flaw, no alloy in our
own wedding-ring; let us examine whether the ar
ticle is symbolic of equality, of never-ending love;
or whether it is any other than a link to which the
law gives man an invisible chain-none the wea.
ker for its nyisibility-holding to him his proper
ty.
i petition-it carries with il the names of many
of the noblest women Of Eugland-women emo
tiei 10y their genius petition on this old de-
episea matter Of woman's rights is about to be pre-
stnted to the Commons. The documen is forth
right, earnest, sensible. Xantippe has no scream
in it; nor does that portentous person (born to
boot-hoOks aud razorsl, the strong minded woman,
with a mission far deeper than wet-nursing, play
Adam and Eve in her own person, Adam having
considerably the worst of it. The petition practi-
cally deals with daily evils. The first we would
dwell upon is the cowarGly injustice that makes
the ~yirtuous, the suffering woman the property, In
its most commercial sense, of the debauched or
cruel husband. She can in no manner escape
him. She may use her talents, her faculties; she
nav labor with her mind or with her hands, for
selEsupport, and the support OF her children, when
the drunken husband, tue wild human beast, the
beast, be it remembered, justified by the law, seiz-
es upon the produce of the woman's labor, and
like the strongest s~ayage-makes 1t his own. IT. is
impossible to forget how pathetically, how lndlg-
nantly this injustice is branded upon society by
Mrs. Norton, in her Letter to the Queen; a piece
of writing in which every vital word throbbed
like a pulse. With respect to the right of proper
ty to be held by women, the petition says:
THAT whereas it is customary in manufacturing
districts to employ women largely in,the process OF
trade, and as women are also engaged as semp.
stresses, laudresses, %charwomen, and in other null
tifa rious occupations which cannot here be emu
merated, the question must be recognised by all
as Of practical Importance"
Further:
'But that for the robbery by q man Of his wife's
hard earnings there is no redress-against the sell
fshness of a drunken faiter, who wrings from a
mother her children's daily bread, there is no APP
peal. She may work from morning till night, to
see the produce of her labor wrested from her and
wasted in a gin palace; and such cases are within
the knowledge Of every one"
No appeal; none. The drudge is the mans
property; she carries upon her finger, even as a
purchased slave upon her neck, the symbol of his
ownership. The woman has no appeal from such
marital outrage; she is the brute's goods. The Pc
tltion continues;
THAT since modern civilization, in indefinitely
extending the sphere Of occupation for women, has
in some measure broken down their pecuniary de-
pendence upon men, it is time that legal protection
be thrown over the produce Of their labour, and
that, in entering the State OF marriage, they no
longer pass from freedom into the condition OF q
slave, all,whose earnings belong to his master anc
not to himself"
The produce of the woman's labour-the woman
neglected, deserted by her husband save when IA
Gtialy returns to her 20 rCb her OF what she ia
earned-must. by the sacredness OF law, be as
sured her, We believe this to be the lnevltabl
resuit u onward legislation; and this petition !
but another step. And now, with respect to tn
husband; Tor our g"entlewomen petitioners oesiG
to be equitable
That there are certain portions Of the law
husband and wife which bear uniustly on the hu
band, as, for instance, that eff making him respoI
sible for his wife's debts contracted before mdTrldG
GCGR URHOfiQN nc NtUy NUtC Nui no JOituhC Wt1t Hc
Her power also, after marriage, OF contrachn
debts in the name Of her husband, for which he
responsible, is too unlimited, and often produce
much injustice"
NC fear that an alteration Of the law in I'll
matter Of the spinster's debts must compel an q
%teratioR Of the marriaSe-serylcc. AT least, by
nleasent fction(amid the odOr Of orange-blossOm
the bride becOrRes possessor OF the bridegroom
fartune. He says soleynnly, ana at the time 4
doubt degotediy, With all my worldly goods 4 thu
enaew.' Thas,th the BRIDES debts are clearly payab
from tie brides means so fully and promptly q
CURED by gift SO very handsomely made by Il
husband at the altar. The matter, we say, OF q
te-nupual debt admits of nice discussion
There il, moreover, Il point omitted by the PEI
aiouers. 4 husband is not only ansgerable 4
bis vifs's debts, Int for the use OF his wlte's par
* spsech. If, in 8 toe yiTacious moment, Nj
Snaiga should express her doubts of the homes
sr chastity af Mrs. Jones, Smith the husband mu
cav the damages Effected By Mrs Smiths tongu
Nsw, g1ls 10 3 matter 20 be considered. Shall
G~nnssAnG ssn be Liable, Og-Yjtn IN amended la
thE3 .svslY sead abuse her nelgEboE upon her ov
rs s9ena5auity, and her Own Gosti
we gua tls6 TO find thar the question as TO Il
ssfac.sA ,oGnddiou u married wenen lie fast ripenii
6rs 6. sorxsiJn. 1t t0e iasJ lRestlng on the La
S.usDE nasabS aoiseT BIe0gham looking
su,az. sas gg0AEe "a 5HGsIss when she first came q
mI gI.ssI. aE are ciI&r-LorG Stanley earnest
dysss urcH i5ns NECESSITY Of AZ amendment
tSns I1Sx ns ailnEtc UCnsG' the asrglect was II
fs,ey- fDnssasE ay Sir H-sEins 4 erry OF to the vac
si1urtsI es-lsstsF and cowEF6ice'o the law 4that'e
.ss~sk & EaOnsan lI ETisgerg Wo-st shan thesh&r
nrxxgsd ,Eazass aans sascssssEgsG sVieFm helpless.
~fir tsg azssfior ,GrrSsiG- ccun. 0SciErisiDat, win
xrzx xzsruLsf to riYsi ~EzlE0I., che ;iew Of 4nglal
dss,iisE To- 1fs wilFs the u GIT % ;fEisasipg to Q
uanEt1zr y IEtSEs5L sg <:TnssNiad Sat ne 1e.la
lile affrek al 81 axNi 4naHt cor 'oes a'inE LhrssSs
a,nar henrf- IL aasna&tE ihQsst ttnss ttuese n,
nxn v.rzit iiE seFSmE8E s@ae5I III. 'nBh - "
ulrprzrt al tte 4asjiayI"
W.. 6ou.girIIy ii6Aisezs IL. !GIu- Laws nr U0aa
-n fittis taa 5ur.1 uG dlxs g1siW5fg RdldaI isn