Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-03-23

fer there was something wrong 10 the disc
pies. We had good reason to infer there wa
something wrong among some Of the sdvc
Gates Of this cquse; that some at least he'll
notions Incompatible with the christian ide
Of marriage and the living word. We CAV
the champions Of the cause the opportuuit
to discaim it, but they chose to demand tn
proof The proof we gave has not bee
questioned, except tin the single instance wher
we relied upon the accuracy Of the Spring
/ field Republican, aud that made no difference
in the argument. With names changed j
would have stood the same Our proof wa
/ in all cases She public utterances Of the adj
yocatcs Of this reform We had this right t.
/ Judge and criticisc their own public speeches
writings and ayowals We alleged nothing
against their own characters or private life
We did not call them " free lovers or "pros.
ttutes, as some Of the ladies have delighted
to publish. On the other hand we admitted
the purity and integrity Of their character.
and lives. but insisted that their principle.
led to the injury or subyersion Of sacred or.
dinauccs and institutions. Because they are
"purc and excellent womeu" it does not fol.
low that we should be blind to the necessary
practical results Of their doctrine Because
they are happy wives and mothers, it does
not follow that we are to think, when they
talk Of marriage as domestic slavery, "
there is no danger in such talk to the insti-
tuition of marriage When they compare it
TO slavery, it is not strange ifthoughte,s pco-
pie conclude that il must be abolished. We
have INDUCED in no personalities at all We
have only arrayed against this reform the de-
clarations Of its own advocates. We have
met them with their own explicit avowals.-
If we should announce principles that would
subyert the distinctions Of property and the
laws of personal ownership, we might not be
called thief, but we should be Justly char
geablc with doctrines that tend to make thieves.
Our character might be impregnabIe, but We
reckon our principles would be assaied and
aemollshel' Ana so we believe that these
female suliragists are vastly better than their
principles We admire some OF them, their
wit, their brightness, their enthusiasm their
eloquence' but we condemn and detest their
doctrine we respect their virtue, their SIM
ccrity their personal charms and excellencies
aud ENJOY their good hits and sharp sayings as
much as any one but we still believe that
their ideas, IT iully carried out, would result
ia social ana political decline and corrup-
ton like that to which the history of the
world furnishes but single parallel SO
'h'hNlng we nave SAID and we shall need other
proof and reasons than have been given to
change our conviction
1t will take some other kind of reasoning
man the SANDERS OF the independent, or the
'aIummes OF the Springfield Repu5ficaR, or
The stngs OF sundry black flies and mosqui.
toes OF journalism to establish contrary be-
'lei' Nor It this reform had never been
mus badly associated with unchristian ideas
should we be inclined to give it couutenance
II none OF Its acaM coariers had ever uttered
word that tended finally to weaken the
'acredness OF Divine institutions, we should
not he IN favor OF 1t. 1t they were all as good
Is angels or as Henry Ward Beecher, or as
oiiVer Johnson we should not think it neces-
'ary TO follow them while our own belief Of
ne Revolutionary character Of their theories
Is snoVerslVe oil the vital and fundamental
'ruer oil society remains as 1t Is. There are
ome people IKE the Old apostles who have
'uIldcd wiser than they knew. There are
ome people ike the new apostles, who build
more ioollshly than they know. Their
knowledge however fair and well seeming it
nay De- Is not to limit the conclusions of
'thers' 1t is not every one who is under the
necessity OF being blown up in order to find
'nt the explosive properties of gunpowder,
1t Is not every one that Is so Intellectually |
works i'Self out sometime and somehow, and
hat II the best men build their houses
N such foundations as wood hay and stub
ne tney VIII be burned up even while them
ewes may be saved out OF the tire. As for
nc abuse "hich mas been thrown upon US by
ONE OF tue iauy orators and by papers out
u Inc state ana papers IN 1t : as Tor the mis-
Gazing ana msconsiruetlon OF our words,
'aruy by intellectual stupidity which was too
c'so TO comprehend them' partly by parti2an
P'e "nich was 100 malicious to want to un-
'rS'anu men, ana partly by feminine enthu-
'oS'" wn'en wished TO create capital and
"pa'"y ny exposing inc doep wounds which
''y ,n"'''eu' as Dru'us ana with Caesar
"' "n'ch ~u''plled IT'S anguish IN order to
ia" tears from the eyes OF the bystanders
uu conceal tne true cause OF It's hurt AS for