The New York herald., 1870-05-18
STAHTOH--RICHARDsoN-- N--MTARLAND.
A Great Gathering Of THE Long SUFFERING at
Apollo Hall-1frs. Stanton on the Free
Love Agony Cass-A wildPrayer
4sx for Retribution.

Long before the appointed hour OF eleven oyiocl
yesterday morning Apollo Hall was crowded with
females anxious to near the verdict OF Mrs. Elizabeth
Cady Stanton on the merits and dement's OF the
Mcfarland case. The matronly lecturer, with heI
gray, gmlet curls, was bursting with eloquence, and
as some anticipated tie sensational subject an
noOnced as the basis of the address proved to be
only gtded wrapper wherein to vend successfully
alarge number OF tickets to an equal rights lecture
Mrs. stanton, In the course OF her remarks, stg-
matized Mcfarland as base, beastly. sensual, mur-
darous-a man ON whom capital punishment should
not be permitted TO fall only because capital punish
meut wfs radically wr0ng-and set forth ADDy
Mcfarland as the patient, the long suffering, the
wronged, the innocent wife, who driven at last from
her domestic associations, fed from them, guilty IN
only one respect-that she had endured the unhal'
lowed thraldom SO long. The speaker said sne had
never the face OF either rarty and 80 was biased
IN favor OF neither further than due considera-
tiCn Of the case and OF existing marital
lava In the abstract guided TO decision.
She herself had been accused OF free love proclfvt
Let people accuse: she had lived thirty years with
her husband she was willing for the record Of her
ard daughters aud she asked equal rights for Them
The privileges Of one sex were as dear to her as
We're those o. the Other She only asked; let truth
less story OF Abby Mcfarland had disturbed
her slumbers and she resolved to speak
against the radically wrong marriage system
thas made the wife the chattel OF the husband. A
word for Abby Mcfarland -(crouchingl-pnrsue
by the howngs OF the press the depreca,ions OF the
pulpit, the defamation OF sanderous tongues. The
woman was not allowed to testify at the trial, for
neither women nor slaves may be allowed to testify
against their supposed masters; and she was de-
priyed OF the clre Of her children, while the maniac
ing her son by the hand. Anomalous verdict. Nc
farland goes at large, while Abby McFarland Is IN
danger OF her life; But this crowd assembled here
tain the, wronged woman IN breaking
her alegiance 70 a b.oated drunka,d, a
diseased hbertine. sympathy can do little, though.
unfortunately, without action; and you, women OF
New York, must lend heart, voice, influence, talent
govern marriage, for they all wrong. She knew,
for instance, women In the present assembly work
@ a1S e now
in inebriate asylums And still New York State
laws held these women bound TO these
in living with Mcfarland 30 long, and q
suberror in being willing TO entrust herself to any
For her hastness in tins latter matter-we, with one
whose mind and neart were so grIevousy exercised,
for divorce by the courts OF New York ought 70 have
been made; for there should be no coqueting with
unjust laws-lght them where you stand, and fight
them TO the death TIE entire system OF marital
Law hal to be subverted. There must be
purer better marriages. There would be- and
Tree. This was the Keynote to 1t ali.
This need necesstated also new Interpretation Of
the Bible Ths would come, and when woman at
tanned the position to which her Maker designed her
no man would ind her basely consent TO transmit
his centi0usness his diseases his vices TO postety
Was this Bible spirit or n0tY Mere "uni0n OF the
fesf'' was severe v deprecated. There must be
unity OF soul and sentiment This could not be with
man upon the mountain tops and woman In the val
ley OF humiliation. This system, from Socrates to
Charles Dickens. had formed fearful list OF failures
in the marriage relation. There must be more love,
less lust more brain ana soul union The Mary5
must have Their places Of honor as well as the
drudging Marihas. The myth OF Minerva, child OF
her fathers brain, panOpsd In purity and might,
told US q wonderful story If we would permit
There was much f5rcbe philosophy on suchponts-
II faIlacy In the appicatlOnlas some may suggest
and when Mrs. Stanton brought her lecture to n
close, some one handed In note to purport as be-
low
IT Mrs. Mcfarland was maltreated wife, how do
you account for the loving letters TO her husband,
recently published ?"
Quite o discussion ensued hereupon among the
leading lights the stage the lady speaker, Mi 50
Anthony. Mrs. Bureigh, Eleanor Khke, Mr.. Croly
and others Of that k, out OF which grew the rather
vague verdict,
gro make him properly affectoned toward her,"
Miss ANTHONY remarked hereupon-"You may say
what you Will or the relations OF this woman and
Albert Richardson, but II she had three or four para
mours tts no reason shouldn't have justice, too
and f any of you disposed to judge her harsnly
all say is-"Let him that Is without SIN among
you cast tie first stone at her,"