Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-05-11
NUMBER 10.
FREE LOVE DEFINED,

poets. This is something to know. A
doctrine at once scientific, philosophical
and poetic must be worthy of attention.
And when the cXpoundcr possesses, aside
from her superior personal appearance"
/ the capabiity, by no means necessary to
pretty woman, of instructing an au-
diencc," what more can be demanded
The above prospectus Of Frances Rose
Mckinley's lecture attracted to Irving
n very remarkable audience. A large
number of young were suddenly possess
ed with desire to know the exact defni-
ton of free love, rs given by n modern
thinker. a very few women seemed to
have the same desire No better oppor-
tunity could have been chosen by these
seekers after wisdom. Mrs. Mckinley
was definite and special. She did not
content herself with glittering gcncral-
ties, but dissected her subject with the
bravery becoming your true free-Io lover.
At eight o'clock the lecturer with "su-
perior personal appearance appeared
upon the platform. She was dressed
neatly in n pale silk walking costume,
with lace at the neck and wrists. She
wore diamonds, and her hair touched her
eyebrows. One would suppose that an
intellectual free-lover would prefer an
inch or two of forehead, but the Greek
prevailed in the present instance. Mrs.
Mckinley began to speak and her youth
/ fnl A., a. IL.
So much trouble about position was new
er known before. There was also much
running to and fro in that part of the hall
not occupied by chairs. The lady bore
all the annoyance with true missionary
grit. When one goes among cannibals
one expects to be eaten up, was evident
! ~ her motto. After gentle initiation
the boys were informed that Pythagoras
founded the school of free love that is in
dorsed by the free lovers of to-day. The
rcc-lovcr is the true lover and having
loved one truly learns to love all man
/ kind. There are three kinds Of love-the
hast and most perfect is free love. Wo-
man, learning to use her intellect, is be-
ginning TO emerge from the first phase of
love. Love in the largest sense of the
word is the Indictment of all worship, the
creative impulse Of the universe. Free
dom to love is freedom to be happy.
Love dellcs restraint. Only by obedience
/ to its own laws can it be regulated. The
modern movement of free love is an out
ward expression of what has always been
latent. The material mind cannot under
stand the position of the philosophical
free-lover. From this philosophical plat
form the speaker proceeded to the delini-
ton Of the term free love. Free love to
| the animal man means the indsclimin-
ate licentiousnoss in which most men in
dulge who have the power and money.
Long appause.l The conscientious be-
lever in restricted marriage is of the
same opinion. To the free in thought
the two words convey the idea Of freedom
/ in the noblest attributes Of the soul. She
believed in her freedom to worship love,
which to her is God, and in her own way.
/ [Appause and hissesl There is "A rea-
son for the rebellion of many against
what they conceive To be free love. The
speaker quoted st. Paul ut this juncture,
a saint who probably never expected to
! be made authority nt New York free
love lecture. Our loves cannot be better
than our lives. The world has never yet
produced true lover-it must first pro-
ducc a true man. [Groans and applause.1
The true lover cannot exist as society is
/ now organized. The average man of the
nineteenth century is but fighting and
craving animal. Laughter and groans
Only here and there is specimen that
suggests the possibility of the race. Tho
Oneida communists, a much abused and
little understood society, are illustrating
the medium between the Shaker and
Mormon [Laughter.l Marriage it but
a tie Of the body, cannot fetter the soul
The freedom that the speaker desires she
believes to be universally practiced in Sc
cret, however, people make pretences in
public. Freedom to mate is the demand
of the free.l lover. Love confined to one
will be unknown when love is perfectly
developed. [Great cxcitement.l This
would be called to day promiscuousness
or anarchy. In n true society il would
be the harmony of the spheres. In the
bygone history Of the race woman has
had love made to her, but in the strict
analysis of love it is the woman who
makes love. [Groans.l Thoughtful men
and women do not fall in love. They do
not mistake attraction for intellectual
love. Men are already free lovers in the
lowest sense [groans, Kisses and applausel
and woman is slave. When woman is
truly developed she will no longer be a
toy, and she will learn that her first right
is to dispose of her person ms she wishes.
How free the Greeks were in their love is
expressed in their religion. Venus was
adored in all mythologies. The time will
come when the State will take care OF the
children. Fathers and mothers must learn
to love other peoples children as well as
their own. This sentiment was consider
ed to be remarkably funny, and was
greeted with the peculiar enthusiasm of
the audience. As the speaker developed
her millennium ideas, various women,
who had heard quite enough, evidently,
went quietly out, and by the end OF the
lecture the boys had the hall mostly to
themselves.
Mrs. McKinly deserves great credit for
the bravery with which she managed her
/ ha