The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-01-26
MIR. MILLS LECTUlxE.

mr.. nIILLs'5LECTUlxE.
EDITOR JOURNAL. OF those who
listened to the lecture on Tuesday ovens
ing ~ the Rev. Henry Mills, many
were doubtless surprised to hear de-
tached sentences from. the writings Of q
few individuals made s. represent 4
large and powerful body existing in this
country and Europe. Yet nothing
IS more common than tho inoapability
OF certain minds to discriminate be.
tween the opinions of individuals, and
the object or condition Of a society. to-
which they may belong, The unfair
ness Of attributing to q large part Of
the Christian church the views held by
Colenso or a Beecher is evident; and
because some advocates of women suf-
TRACE consider existing marriage laws
too stringent, is not the absurdity of
the declaration, that the tsoverthrow Of
marriage means the emancipation OF
women" equally apparent? That Mrs.
Stanton's views: Of marriage, whatever
they may be-, are not endorsed by a
majority Of the suffrage organization
requires no further proof than the d.
vision OF the two parties upon this
ground, furnishes, It is difficult to
understand why the speaker should d.
minish the force of his own assertions
by quoting arguments against divorce
from the "Easy Chair" the editor Of
which-(George William tCurtiss,) has
most persistently in bis, writings and
lectures, favored the enfranchisement
of woman. ..., .,,,.. f., ..~....... .
One great object Of the suffrage
movement is to so reform the laws re-
lating to marriage, that divorce shall be
unnecessary as it always il undesirable.
! As the law now stands in many States
woman is compelled to incur all the
odium that attaches to public divorce,
in order to secure from the extrava-
gance Of a, dissolute husband a rem
nant of her property, which may be
the only means Of support for her chill
dren.
Although opposed to divorce in all
hut extreme cases, I am yet far from
sharing in the lecturer commentator
of a woman who will continue in che
closest relations with depravcd drunk
ard, and who for tie sake of "shieli
ing her husband from public shame"
will bring into the world helpless chill
dren weakened and tainted by the
mothers wretchedness and the father
sins, ready victims to an inherited ap-
petite for strong drink. A woman
who for the sake of clingiug to the ou'-
ragged and distorted image of man
from whom all manhood has departed
sacrifices herself physically, mentally
and morally, for moral deterioration in
some degree is the inevitable result Of
such life. And the man who approving
ely depicts these sacri6clal tortures en-
phatically reitera:es on another occasion
that, "a mans first duty is to himself; .
a discrepancy Of opinion the only ex.
PLANTATION Of which is, that he uses the
word "man," in a limited instead of q
generic sense.
To the implication Of impure motives
Of those who desire a change in tn,
distinguishing divorce 1 do not wisl
to- reply. The nature of such ins,nua
tons is sufficient answer. How true i
is that ones judgment of others is of
ten but the reflex Of his own mind.
In reply to the melo-dramatic de
scriptlon Of results that are to follow
any innovation in the present system
will quote few words upon this sub
ject, from distinguished writer. II,
says: eve need not fear the boldest ex
periments which the moral sense Of tn,
best women conceive and advocate. Ger
tainly liberty is in danger Of running
into license while woman is excluded
from exercising political as we'll as so
cial restraint upon its excuses. No
is the state planted securely till sh,
possess equa! privilege with men in form
ing its laws and taking a becoming
part in their administration"
The pathetic picture that was draw,
Of woman's peculiar trials woull
have been moro complete and etfeotiv'
had the speaker adverted to their pri
mary cause; her dependant and subor
dipate position under the law. VIII.
one who so freely admits the self-deoy
ing virtues, the patience and long suf
feriug Of woman, and yet stands aghas
at the suggestion of a co-partnershi]
with her in power, is incxplicable.-
The question, also occurs to me, Why
I if this movement has its foundation i,
error, it should be thought necessary t
assail it with 80 much vehemeuce. Tn
nature of all error is self:destructiv
and ultimately defeats itself; while re
forms based on. truth and justice a
surely 60 forward. q: I'll ,ss is then n
I need Of excited defamation. The trutl
Will prevail against all odds. whethe
the ,mista kes of its friends, the .opposi
'I|tiou Of those who speak with all tn
prestige Of authority and conventional
1ism, or any other obstacle whatever.
i saThe future hides in 1t
- - .t0Adness and sorroW:'& re. 532s< 'ss {:
! we press still thorow,
Il -! N0uyh that dbidss in t. %,;,1:ls -. ....s
= E''1 ga "A. NJ. ".
I In the New York Tribune of NJ