Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-03-14

husband to buy means OF lntO3icaton. 1his re'.
MihJ has been done.
! Can any one believe that lrws 90 wickedly one
sided ns these we're ever honestly designed for tht
equal benefit Of woman with man? Yes. wive;
are said to have quite sufficient representation
| in the government through their husbands, to Sc
cure them protection.
/ But the cruel inequality Of the laws relating to
woman as wife, are quite nutdone by those resul-
ting to her MS widow. 1t is those stricken sorrow
tul victims, the law seems to have selected as lts
prey. Upon the death of the husband the law takes
possession of the whole estate The smallest Items
Of property must be turned out for valuation, to be
handled by strangers. The clOSh9s that the de-
ceased wore. the chair in which he sat the bed ON
which he died. all these sacred memorials OF the
dead, must undergo the cold scru tiny of the law.
The widow Is counted but as an alien, and
an incumbrance on the estate, the bulk OF
which is designed for other hands. She is to have
doled out to her like pauper, by paltry SKIES. the
furniture Of her own kitchen. Zone table six
chairs, six knives and forks, six plates. SIX tea
cups and snuCors, one sugar dish one milk pail,one
tea pot and ttcelce spoons J" All this munihcent
provision, for perhaps, family of only dozen
persons Think of it, We widows and learn to he
grateful for mans provileut care Of youin your
hour of need
Then comes the sale Of the effects Of the dcccas-
3D." as they called and amid the fullness and
freshness of her grief, the widow is compelled to
see sold into the hands of strangers. amid the
coarse jokes aud lovty Of public auction articles
/ to her beyond all price, and around which so many
tender memories cling Experience alone can full
ly teach the torture of this fiery ordeal. But this
is only the beginning of her sorrows Ii she have
children the estate is considered to belong to them
while she is but an 'incGmbrance' upon it.
She is to have the rents and profits OF one
third part of the real estate her life time,
which in vast majority Of cases, is SO unpro-
ductivc as to compel her to leave that spot, en-
deared to her by 80 many tender ties; the home of
hara In tho l.Yal, pf phI
a cheaper, and less comfortable home.
| But, bereaved Of her husband and robbed Of
her property,
"Tho law hath yet another hold on her"
Following up the insulting and injurious as.
sumption of her incompetcncy and untrustworthi-
ness implied in the denial of her right of suffrage
the guardianship of her children is taken from
her. Her daughter, at the age of twelve, and
her son, at fifteen, to 80 through the mockery
of choosing for themselves competent guardian.
4 proceeding calcu lated to destroy the beautiful
trust and confidence in the wisdom and fitness
of the mother to govern and direct them, so natu
raj, and essential to the happiness Of children
When the justifyng pretext for the inhiction of al
this misery is the benefit of the children, her ma
ternal nature will struggle hard to endure it witt
patience. But, until the passage OF the law o
1853, regulating descents and distributions,
: when there were children of either parent, tn
law did not abate its rigor toward her, in the dis
position of tho real estate which is generally al
d thot is left, after paying the debts and costs Q
II "se,tlement," though the whole of the houses an
n lands might have been bought with her none,
two-thirds were Immediately handed over to tn
e relatives of the husband, however above need
+ and though they might have been strangers
or even enemies to her. She had but life et
o tate in the other third which, at her death, als
c went, as tho other, to her huband's heirs. Sh
could not indulge her benevolent feelings, or graf
= fy her friendship by devisng by will to approves
charities favorte friends. the means she no Ion
ger needed. With a bitter sense of injustice, an,
S dcspairng sorrow, she might we'll adopt the Ian
guage of the unhappy Jew
"Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that;
You take my house, when you do take tho pro-
That doth sustain my house you take my life
When you do take the means whereby live.
Such is the famous right of dover, which ha
been the subject of so many stupid euloGies, b,
lawyers and commentators.
Take an example of the effect of these laws, up
, on an over-burdened heart which occurred just be
fore the passage of the act of 1858 young cou pl
by their united means and patient industry, ha
: secured for themselves q small, but comfortabl
, home. 1t furnished the means of supplying a.
, their simple wants. 1t was their own; doubly Ell
deared by the struggles and sacrifices 1t had cos
them. They were content They had no children
but they had each other, and were happy in thei
, mutal love. Death seemed great way off an
Hfe-it was q real Joy. They knew little of tn
laws of estates. Owing nothing, they feared n
{ Intrusion upon tDe SanctIy Vi tHelr DDHle. ot
\ the husband was killed by the falling os tree
4 and after some hours, was found dead, by the az
onized wife, There will. The wrung hea
f Of the childless widow, in her utter bereavement
still clung to her home, which, though Slighted an
o desolate was still dear to her. There, az le as
+ she would find shelter. But soon the inexorab
II law laid its cold unwelcome hand upon that darl
q ened home. There must be letters of administr!
ton had an inventory of the ''etlecs"-an ay
!. praisement. Every thing was explained by syn
h. pathizing council The right Of dover" set col
% spicuously in the foreground; lone equal thir
~ part'-at length she comprehended it all. lie
4 home was to pass into other hands henceforth st
"a was to be counted only an incumbrance on /
81 Looking from the misery of the present, down ii
no gloom Of the future, she could see only widowhoc
It and penury. And whilst the appraisers were pc
forming their ungracious task OF overhauling Gu
nc boards and drawers, and estimating the value,
bp leash of presents received in her courship, she
in her quiet despair at this last bitter drop added
ar her full cup arrayed herself in her best appar
is. (which the law generously provides "she shall
90 tain ") and without uttering word OF complain
n or farewell, walked to the nearest water and droV
TO ed herself.
20, If oppression maketh oven wise man mac
he ought we to wonder that aiwoman almost crazed
a sudden and terrible bereavement, upon frdi
es that her calamity, instead of giving her the Je
ses Gus and compassionate protection OF the law,
re to be made the preext for robbng her of what
he remained of earthly comforts should in the ma
er ness of her despair, away the burden OF !
by no longer tolerabe? In India, she would ha
nd beon burned upon the funeral pile of her de
i'm husband we, drive her TO madness ana suclc
it, by the slower but no less cruel torture, OF st'
it vation aud breaking heart.
mt Whilst persistng in such legislation, how cou
oil we expect to escape the woe, denounced by t
Sc compassionate and long suffering Saviour, agair
the 'hypocrites who devour widows houses?
nd 1t is saG, woman can accomplish any Object
to her desire better by persuasion, by her smiles a
ats tears, and eloqueuce than she could ever CONF
nd by her vote. But with all her powers of eoaxi
Oh and eloquence, she has never yet coaxed her pa
ed ner into doing her simple justice. Shall We N
I'D er get beyond the absurd theory that every won
he is legally and politically represented by her h
US band, and hence has adequate guarantee?
ay answer is that she has been go represented Q
ce, since representation began, and the result appe
ap- TO be, that among the anglo-saxon race genera
lily the entire system Of laws in regard to women
Nhnk