New-York tribune., 1871-07-03
WOMANS EQUALITY And FREE LOVE-


To me Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: | have just received your issue of June
IT, which contains told your third attack upon me,
for which about much inclined to cay thanks
TO find any fault, inasmuch my resolutions with hut
few bunders have had place. and they speak for them
selves. In all discussions should deem myself uncOur
teous and unjust IL failed accord the fullest right
to dissent from my opinions. Fair, full and free dis
cussion is the only way TO at truth. 1t is my
habit to discuss principles without personalities;
hence / shall not be forced into any de
tense OF myself or my domestic relations
make proclamation Of my motives OF action.
The resolutions make demand. that is. freedom
for woman in all the relations Of life Twenty-sx
years ago. when made the demand for woman's
equal education, especially in the medical profession,
there were far more disclaimers, among women.
than there against these resolutions which dis
turb you much That profession is now fixed fact.
When demanded wOman's pecuniary Independence,
the hue and cry raised that wished TO destroy the
marriage relations woman 1t said, must be depend
on man, and he rule her, there could be
no marriage Whore tho happest marriages Of to-
day3 No one OF observation fails to that they
where there approximation equality in the rela
ton II TO present principles thoughts for discussion
"is assumption" then Epead guilty to the charge;
but when take the opposite ground and say that II
10 not represent women utter their desires" when
say that they the people, and "know what pure
women want" better than do beg leave to say that
they remind OF he three Tooeyst tailors. notwith
| standing their numerical majority.
1t Is impossible for To represent women. No con-
venton body of women gave Jhom authority to
do So and their part 1t is usurpaton. Nor can a
woman represent man neither has she ever attempted
do In the order of time, was first developed;
woman was under his care as elder. he might have
been 10 her teacher and guardian, but he misunder-
and abused his privileges and became her master
through sheer physical power Thatpower has no higher
authority than brute force. Having educated her as
servant being to subserve his wants, slave, petted
spoiled plaything, he finds himself king without
queen perverted by his long selfndulgence he deter
mines TO hold his and scepter alone till woman can
| wrest by her energy her half of the kingdom.
In the resolutions which have reused such bitterness
there is not one word or hint Of divorce "aDties
"a very hateful word, by the way). They simply ask
that woman the subject shall be her ruler shall he
the queen Of her realm; shall give the marital law,
and everywhere to regulate her own life in ac
cordance with highest idea Of truth and then
when she shall lind in her ideal Of nobleness and
purity she will
In one pure love that will lat her long"
If women from hepessness, free from timd-
ity from compromise they would be good enough, and
strong enough, love and all human beings, from
the richness the funes, and not from the poverty OF
their natures thus Free their love would go out to the
wretched drunkard to the Of type to the
Parah OF their sex; by the power OF such love- so
| large and free, s the world TO be redeemed.
This is Free Love- But you say woman enjoys the
right of sefownership till she chooses to marry Every
| woman dependent father or brother knows better
than this and 1 know that oftentmes these chains,
though OF gold been CALLING TO drive woman
while vet "A child TO the arms OF husband who, while
! lover paints marriage all cOuleur de rose Not two
months since, woman, thirty years wife, wrapped in
an shawl robed In velvet and lace of almost fabn
Ions value came to IN advice; holding out her i.
,eyeIed hands and Ifng fearful eyes TO mine she
| asked "How be freed from this bondage (worse
| than DEATH to a man who knows no law save
| his own base passions? 2" This is only one OF many.
| The written statute does not, indeed, require any
woman to marry in the Of love; but when man
by bcsiay has turned her love to loathng 1t does
require that she shall live with him, and endure only
such torture as pure woman, mothercan know, when
she finds her children with inheritance OF evil pas
sions intensified by the very adherence OF her soul for
vices which, the innocence and purity Of her nature,
she never dreamed existed until revealed to her III
| marriage.
The horrible crime Of infIntcidc has meaning in 1t
when prsctced by wives. Can the Editors Of THE TRIB
UNE see I'm it only the evidence Of woman's fryoy
If YOU cannot, then 60 with and listen to histories
which viii curde the blood in your veins and wiring
from you little pity for the gay butterflies you are 50
| in the habit Of sneering at.
Iassume to speak for the conhdant Of huna-
reds in all parts Of the country, many Of whom have
! never met. Says in letter just received: "You
have struck the keynote and the old tyrannies are
trembling their power not at the balot-box but at
the re-side" Says another: am glad OF that point
made about Free Love. What misnomer what "a
shameful abuse OF anguage The last point to be yielded
is the person woman. Men fear to have us vote
on account OF the expression Of individual than any
effect might have party questions" These are
among the gentlest and truest OF our noble women;
many who have never been identified with the move
ment write very strongly, more strongly than should
care TO publish Now, is not your claim to know the
opinions Of the pure women Of the country, Just
a little assumingl Let me ask one OF TWO
ouestiOns: Have YOU ever watched by the bed
side of a dying wife, diseased, murdered by the faess-
ness OF her husbandl Do you know Of no men who find
il for their pleasure to their wives evening after
evening alone, while they amuse themselves with
Younger fairer womenl I do not call these acts Free
Love- Christ gave the proper name TO them VIZ lust
and lust discrimination in language ia quite proper
In science every term its meaning, and IN the
science Of life il equally desirable TO be exact IN the
use of language; the two words beginning Win must
not be confounded. One assumption-woman must
everywhere demand as high standard Of purity III man
as in woman The Divine Law knows no sex, nor Dates
one lot OF its penalty for man. matter If II be KING
I'm his royal robes, Judge the bench SENATOR
nrest of the highest ordera regarded alike by the
Infinite Judge who ruleth impartialy.
Procidence, Il. l., June 2s, 1871. J. W. DAVE
WEATHER REPORT