The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-11-04
For the JeGersouiau Democrat
Remarks in Vindication of the Right
of Woman.
Ely II d. VINCENT.

Since tho commencement of tho historic
period, woman has been the subject of OPP
preston and abuse.
St. Paul denied her q hearing in the
church, aud governments havo oppressed
her in all ages. And in this modern ago
and in these United States. marriage laws
and tho customs of society dcpress her far
below the proud position she should occupy
as mans equal partner.
And, whilo a proper regard for tho do.
mands of government and tho requirements
oe legislation, renders obedience theroto
measurably necessary whilo we sustain the
relation of faithful citizens yet | wish to
utter my solemn protest against all laws,
customs, and usagcs that opprcss, degrade,
and cuslnve woman.
True marriage is founded on the equality
of the sexes and laws based upon "a rccog
milton Of this equality Of rights, should be
tho only ones to regulate and protect the
institution.
But denial Of this equality of tho sexes,
is proclaimed by society and nations, in acts
both individual and governmental. In ro.
lation TO marriage, Jowsh Law giver
would have said, " Let man tako to him.
self four or forty vs;vos &c he eo desire, and
thoy shall serve him {; but if tho women tako
to herself second husband, while sho is the
wife of the first, che shall surely DO put to
death"
In ancient Aasyria, tho marriae eoable girls
were assembled yearly and sold TO the high.
est bidder. The young misses had no
choice in husbands, but wero sold without
even permission to express the horror they
often conceived for their omners.
| A Chinaman may sell his daughters in
marriage with as much unconcorn as he
docs his tea or his Shanghais. Tho Moors
bctroth their children in their infancy. The
girl may hato the man chosen for hor, but il
his character is good, and he can pay the
purchase money. tho hatred is regarded as
womaniy freak" and her entreaties are
of no avail In Sumatra. mon purchase
their wives, and If they find they have been
duped, they gamble them away or sell them
for mere pittance.
In England, woman has tho right to refuse
an offer of marriage; but the crowned heads
have no right to marry titeless lover. -
The consequence is, tho intermarrying sys
TEN has producoda a great mass of imbccility
insanity and deformty, throughout tht
British Isles.
The Turks arc allowed four wives. bu
the wife OF husband has no choice, for they
never mcot till tho marriage day.
But wo Americans are proud of our Ro
publicanism, and thank Cod tho women ar,
not bought, like their sisters over tho sea
but il 10 nevertheless e lamentable fact tina
: rot few of them aro sold in tho matri
moniol market.
Tho laws of our own proud State are fa
from recognizing woman as the equal Q
man.
: In contemplation of our marriage !awi
the wife is scarcely considered to have
separate existence. She aud her husbaH
constitute but one person, and that on
is the husband. Tho rights and duties :ha
are hors at tho period OF her marriage. be
come his during the continuance of th
y union, and many rights that were hers, re
= main his even after her death.
1t is n maxim in law that husband an
wife constitute but ono porson; therefore sh
has no legal existence in the general sens
Of that term. When the marriage VOW
er taken, the woman loses not only her nam,
B. but 10 great extent hor property.
s. Tho husband becomes by virtue Of Law
absolutely tho owner Of all her persons
= property, and has the right to the use an
occupation of all her real estate during he
life anc if issue be born alive, he then hole
her lands during his life, and sho has +
power to prevent it.
y As to children, the father is by law mad
ID the guardian, and may bind them out {
otherwise dispose OF them without Il
mother. lie may ut any time sell both wi
and children out of house and home al
the purchaser keep it during the life of Il
husband But if the wife should survive Il
) husband, then she can hold as her dover
~ life estate in one-third part of her husband
~ real estate and one years support out of
= personal property. Now. let us look at IL
Justice, or rathor injustice, of this last fe
ture of law Suppose the son of man
rich as Croesus marries poor girl contra'
to bis parents wishes, and is in consequent
disownod and discarded. The young pa
start forth in life destitute and pennile:
but by hard struggles and great privatior
they succeed in accumulating fortune, b
have no childron. Tho husband dies--no
who should own and enjoy this fortune :.
Justice says the wife should but tho Ia
X says she may have one-thrd of it, and
relations the other twothrds.
n. BY fer assistance the property was acc
mulated; and though the effort may ha
# ruined her health, yet two-thirds of Il
fortune must go to his relatives who a
already rich, and who have been their grea
est enemies.
Such are some of the rights, or mo
: properly tprongs of married women in th
civilized State of Ohio. Against such o.
actments earnestly protest, because the
are oppressive, unjust, and destructive
',ss happiness and domestic concord.
- So intimately related arc the interests
society, that whatever affects one part do