The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-06-28
LUCY sToEE---AGAIN.

any other individual, has nothing to do
with the Gbstraet question of Impartial
Suffags; neveFlsss. because very gen
srsl misapprshsnsiOn seems to exist upon
the subject, We feel it as duty toward
true and noble woman to set the matter
fully right.
Last week there appeared in the News
an extract from the Burlington Patriot
which included portion of the famous
Protest" The following, from the
State R.cord, slucidatss she matter still
more fully:
LUCY STONES MARRIAGE PROTEST.
The opponents of Womanhood Suffrage
in Kansas. have attempted to make Sian
der supply the place of argument. They
have asserted that Lucy Stone aud Henry
B Blackwell are the enemies of marriage,
aud that they have protested against it. As
and evidence Of the contrary, We publish
below, the pr otest referred to, which is in
itself a complete refutatioD of this ridieu
lous fslsehood. 10 May. 1855, the Rev.
| T. W. Higginson, of Worcester, Mass,
Who oficiated at the marriage, wrote as
follows to the Worcester Spy:
cit was my privilege to celebrate May
Day by officiating At wedding in farm
house among the hills of West Brook field
The bridegroom was Inau of tried worth,
leader in the Western anti slavery move :
menG; and the bride is. one whose fair
fame is known throughout the nation
-Ons whose rare intellectual qualities are
excslled by the private beauty of her
heart and life.''
81 never perform the marriage cere-
mony without a renewed sense of the in
EQUITY of our present system of laws 10
respect 10 marriage system by which
man and wife are one and that one is The
husband"
cit was with my hearty concurrence
: therefore that the following protest wa;
read and signed as part of the nuptial GER
emony, and 1 send it to you that other
may be induced to do Likewise.
} 7. W. H"
PROTEST.
, While we acknowledge onr mutua
! affection by publicly assuming the sacreC
I relationship of husband and wife, yet, il
justice to ouselves and great principle
we feel it duty to declare that this fac
on our part implies no sanction of, 10
8 pr0mis, of voluntary obedience to such o
| the present laws of marriage as refuse L
! recognize the wife as an independent ra
tional being, while they confer upon th
husband an injurious and unnatural supe
riority, investing him with legal power
which no honorable man would exsrcis
/, and which no man should possess.
D We protest especially against the laws
which give to the husband
/. The custody OF his wife's person
> 2. The exclusive cotrol of guardian
ship of their children.
3. The sole ownership of her persona
aud use of her real estate, unless previ
OusIy settled upon her, or placed in tht
j ors, lunatics and idiots.
4. The absolute right to the produc
of her industry.
5. Also, against laws which gives tc
the wido|er SO much larger and more
permanent an interest in the property o
] his deceased wife than they give to the
J widow in that of her deceased husband
s. Finally, against the whole system
by which "the legal existence of the wife
is suspended during marriage" 50 that il
most States she neither has the legal parr
in the choice OF her residence, nor can
: she make a will, nor sue, or be sued in
her own name, nor inherit prope ty.
We believe that personal independence
and equal human rights can never be for
feited, except for crime; that marriage
should be an equal and permanent part
nership, and so recogniz ed married part
ners should provide against the radical
injustice of present laws, by every means
in their power.
We believe that where domestic diff
} cutirs arise. no appeal should be made
TO legal tribunal under existing laws, but
that all difficulties should be submitted to
the equitable adjustment of arbitrators
mutually chosen.
Thus. revereucing law, we enter our
earnest protest gainst rules and customs
. unworthy of the name, since they violate
justice, the essence of all law.
HENRY B. BLACKWELL,
: LUCY STONE.
) West Brookfeld, Mass, May list, 1855
1t is thus fully proven that Lucy Some
was married by tie Rev. Thomas Went
worth Higginson, we'll known as ore q
the most brilliant literary men OF the pres
ent time, and regular contributor to the
Atlantic Monty. If any person can fud
in the Protest" anything to crilicise, We
shall be glad to hear his objections.
The only poiut remaining is the fac
f that Lucy Stone refused to adopt bel
husbands name. We cannot but regarC
this as an error of judgment, but we art
totally unable to see how it invaiidate'
the marriage, or lays her open to th,
charge of Free Love-" Legal record
, show that in several instances, in order Il
perpeIuale family name, the man VIII,
) welded an heiress was obliged to assum
+, her surname. If it can be shown t. a
these acts were contrary TO law, or il
any manner made the marriage illegal. tn,
question will aggain be opened for dis
J cussion.
10 proof of the purity and correctness
of the life 0 both parties. we are permit
ted to refer to Maj Simeon Wright, who
recently visited this place. and who,
though not an advocate of Female Stuff
/ raos as an old acouautance hears volnnta