New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-17
sIyGLE WOMAN ON MARRIAGE.
A Young Lady Lecturer Reports Her
own AGdrcss-A Novel View Of the
Uarr;age Question.

Marriage Question.
Last winter, among the platform lecturers,
appeared for the first time Miss Lillian s.
Edgarton. stately and beautiful blonde,
who, in addition 20 rare physical advan-
tages had a fine voice, and impressive man.
ner. and a lecturer upon the woman ques-
ton at once novel and effective. While
standing up for her sex, she took strong
grounds against suffrage The lady and
her lecture was so attractive that she was
run down with applications to address
lyc6ums. This winter she Is in the field
with new lecture. entitled Whittier Are
We Driitingy' in which the marriage ques-
ton is discussed in an exceedingly novel
manner as will be seen by the following
letter addressed by Miss EdgartOn to busi-
ness agents:
DEAR SIEs-You call for an outline of my
lecture, Whittier Are We Drifting!" that
YOU may intelligcntly answer inquiries from
lecture committees. Let me give you the
leading divisions Of my subject, together
with Il few explanatory remarks.
A glance at the history OF marriage re-
yeals two prominent stages OF it, followed,
at the present day, by two equally promi
nent antagonistic tendencies.
Frst-The old theory regarded marriage
as a condition of inequality, the wife being
subject TO the husband, and the marital re-
lation deriving all It's validity from ecclesi
astical authority.
Second-The modern theory continues the
condition of inequality, but an awakened
,ndividualism has practically divorced mar
leaving the projection Of the relation wholly
to the State
Thrd-This indiyidualism now seeks a
good and Il bad ohject-thc good purpose of
securing perfect equality between husband
and wife, and the bad purpose of emanci-
pating marriage from all State supervision.
1t would abolish marriage and substitute an
anti-social relation Of the sexes-a relation
70 be beyond the oversight of both
church and State-a mere affair of the par
ties to it-a tree-love caprice. This is un-
Guestionably the drift" and tendency of
modern legislation, as fully described in an
article on The Future OF Marriage" pub
lished recently in The Modern Thinker.
This theory would prohibit the State laws
from preventing intermarriages between
blood relations, or regulating the qualitica-
tions for marriage, or prescribing the mode
of dissolving it. Mrs. Stanton's doctrines
that Marriage should be dissolved at WILL
and that The individual sovereignty of a
woman is more sacred than any human tie,s
favor this anarchy. But her views are per
haps only a natural reaction against the
mons.rous and intolerable assumption that
a husband OWNS his wife.
But the advantages of this theory are re-
tanned and its evils Stunned by n
Feurth-Or what regard as the true the
ory Of marriage. wherein absolute equality
should exist between husband and wife,
and the relation be deemed to possess the
highest social significance husband and
wife TO be equals. but both in that relation
TO be subject to the State; her labors and
cares receiving d legal guarantee that they
are recognized as equally important with
Il L. !,
State should prescribe regulations for en-
tering into the relation; and although it
Should not interfere with the interior life Of
married parties, except TO preserve un-
doubted Justice between them, It should
also govern the method of dissolving the re-
lation. And although separations should
be tolerated, and protected in extreme
eases. absolute divorces should be the final
remedies only when the very substance OF
the relation IS destroyed. IhIs theory Sc
cures the highest individuality 10 hus-
band and wife, and the utmost social
advantages. II can alone save mar
rage from is threatened disintegra-
tion equal pay for equal work ; Il
higher and more thorough general culture;
a more specific education for LONE duties as
well as for any industrial pursuits she may
wish to follow. and a cessation OF all prcIu-
dice against her doing whatever she can do
Wcil- are NClNdu StncIdi waits, 1'ie " e
formation Of marriage TO which the wife
must make as radical and important cOntri-
buttons as the husband, is her greatest, her
supreme want to-day. Reform marriage
and some Indiana divorces will DE a thing
of the past. Reform marriage by truly
honoring it by proper preparation for 1t, by
the exercise not Of the affections only IN en-
tering it, but also of the instructed reason
as science and sociology require, and by
right conduct in the relation, and the mil
lennium of marriage will dawn.
Hoping that from the above general state
ment you can see something of the drift
Of .'Whither Are We Drifting"
remain sincerely yours,
LILLIAN S. EDGARTON.
What a spectacle it will be to see modest,
cultured, beautiful unmarried lady, scarcely
out of her teens. pleading with the people Of
Indiana and Illinois in favor of a more
stringent law of divorce