The New York herald., 1869-12-16
THE RICHARDSON oN-McFARLAND CASE.


A Queer Metaphysical Dissertateu.
10 rHB EDITOR OF THB HERALD:-
"wue and mother" ID agitatng herself
necessarily about her weak minded sisters. | am
wife and mother yet do not fear that Richard.
son tragedy VIII cause one wife to become dlsoyal
and withdraw her love from her husDaud-ratner L
should tnlnk it would be q warning for them to
walk uprighty, when they reject upon the result OF
tndelity tnat almost invariably comes, as 1t has In
the present case. 1--WE are all free moral agents to
do good or eyln yet we have right to
freedom TO do evil. Richardson was a free agent.
The consequence was he sacrificed his life. McFai-
land was likewise Tree agent. ana he took the life
OF has fellow creaiure ihe Consequence we have yet
TO see. II God Gu Sc these chi uren 'to work out
his own great ends" then The work wound not have
been complete without all OF the participants, and
they are not then responsDe, for they were not free
agents Dut the chosen VI Cod. LET no man say
wnen he Is tempted, am tempted OF God Tor God
cannot be tempted Win evl neither lempteth he
any man." II IL Is the ''duty OF wives 10 bring S...
their husbands that have gone astray, by loving
words and aclsn Is IL not equally tho
duty Of husbands 10 forgive their wives Woman
has higher regard for morality than man. II IL
due somewhat TO education Men encouraged
TO sin, ana women, TOO; but let woman devate one
step aside every il ready " cry out against
her and 1t Is ss true IA 1t SAD that her own sex
have the lie lst charly for ner s.Woman was made
Tor man, 10 cneer him and help hln, put not TO go
ahead Of hn.' So II woman marrie5 q man ue-
pealh her IN intellect and morality, she must keep
on ieve. with him; she m,at never go beyond nin
for lear she wall show ner superiority. fear some
example to the rising generanon society would be
more corrupt than II now Ia. and there woulu be
Waay more Tragedies IKE tne one before the pubic
At present every iiving tring even the flies aad
the worms were created before wonan;' SO the nsn
OF The the fowls OF tne afr and the beasts OF tnc
earh were created before man, Otherwise there
would have been nothing for him TO have dominion
over. do not see tnat because man was created
after the animals the anlmais are superior
detract from woman that she was the last
TO be created. Very lew Will be wiling TO admit
n nf ma rlpa nj pr "A
should keep silent when she feels 1t her duty to
speak IN the Cause OF the oppressed because they
were created nrsr ''Home lS woman's place." lf
she Is pot To 90 Deyond IT, tieI what excuse has
ssWiie and Mothern for publicly deDounclng her
crring sister ana predicting for Mr.. Beecher hotter
place than plymouth church III sum.nery Tor she
may be that there wll be no more space Tor the
Oar 10 circulate tnen han there has ever been. 1t Is
too good IN opportunity Ior the eueinies oil Beecler
20 allow 10 pass wlticUt avaing themselves of the
capital afforded them 70 put iortn taeir veaom.
would ADVISE wife and Mother II she has daugh-
ters who have ideas OF woman progression TO make
pse oi the darnlnb aeede at once and thereby save
herself IRON future uneasDess; Tor there Will still De
enough lett 70 advocate the canse or the oppressed
and see that justice ~ done them. May he VINO now
lies III prison on SO grave charge be rgnteousiy
and justly dealt with. JUSTICE.
Beccler's Apoiogy--A Bmfalo's Opinion.
10 THE EDITOR or THE HERALD
"Let man when no THINKS ne stsuds take heed
lest he fali.n The apology Of Mr.. Beecher seems
worse than the mortaary service done by him, which
has caused 80 much comment. Now, We ought to
have charity for man OF such ''vital piety," and
try to beeve he tells the truth when he makes u
statemeh by way Of apology, however absurd such
abatement may appear tD common lainda.
Although ne says ne did not Know oil the facts in
the case, he viii no, deny that ne knew this woman
had been recently married W and lived with this as
he Calls him) worthless man. Mcfarland. Yet what
evidence mad ne that she had been divorced accord
1ty or bv the laws OF TINS State, as
70 entltle her 70 be married again. he
knew she had not been divorced by any
legal authority on the ground mat Mcfarland had
been guilty OF adultery and TINS Is the only ground
on wncn person can De divorced IN TINS state 50
as to entite such lefsoD to be married the second
time. divorce Tor any other cause, whether
granted IN TINS state or Indiana even bg the and oi
MIR. Coliax. would not authorize The marriage In
question. Besides this Evangelical gentleman nad,
o. ought 10 nave hsd gooo reason 70 know THAT MIS-
had no residence IN indiana, he does not clam he
saw any document proving the divorce but was
assured by ms frends, in whose judgment he had
great confidence, that Richardson In loving tnis
woman had not oversleppei the bounds OF CHRISTIAN
morality. The ignorance OF the law EXCUSES no
lutely void. 1t also declares that every
minister who shai! solenai1e marrase
impediment exists sha,l be gunty oil a msdeneanor
punishable by fine or Imprisonment. or both, IN the
hisereuon Of the court dc Knew lhst legal M I'M.
EcFarlands wife. lie did Dos know she was legally
divorced and IN a condinon to remarry,. lhe legal
Impeachment did exist and he could not help Know
ing it. He knew she was not divorced because OF
adultery by her husband; and man who knows al
much as Mr.. Beecher pretends TO know could not have
been ignorant OF this legal impeachment. THIS Evan
geiical gentleman gays his TRENDS, IN wnoIn he nd
great confidence, assured hlm that Richard sou s
conduct would not bear the test Of daiicacy pru
dence, Jet 1t had not oyerstepped the bounds oil
Christian moratyD lne evidence In the haoeas
corpus case showed how Immoral Richardson's con-
duct really was. General Jackson construed the
constitution as he upaerstoud IL, and Mr. Beecher
ConssIues christianity az he understands IT.. HIS
construct0n, however, Is nc more likely 10 DC COR
fect IaaD Unat or any other man OF common under
btandng for 1t is SAID SOME wrest the rptares
~ their own desJructloa H.. II. e.
Dec. o. 1869.