The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-02-09
THE WOMAN QUESTIONING. 4.
PoRTLANp, Feb. 4. ls72.

and refer me to an article entitled MAR
rying on Time" upon which infer that
you have misunderstood my observa-
tions in regard to marital relations and |
have classed me among free loveists. / |
was fearful of not having sufficient time I
nor space to make myself clear thereon,
and am very desirous of being under
stood on that most delicate subject.
There is no institution so beautiful, so
fraught with golden happiness, and |
which seems more to be designed by
Nature and stamped by the seal of di- /
vinity than marriage. All admit, how
ever, that it is abused and corrupted, |
and all are devising and striving to
lessen the evils connected with it. The
painful question, therefore, hangs over
it, How may it be purified? ? Many an
swer, improve the morals of the COM
munity which is true, as 1 pointed out
in letter No. 3. The best of people will
imperceptibly fall into or be tainted by
the average vices of society, by which is
meant the whole community in its gem
eral commingling. But to improve
morals in general has proved equally
difficult. Anyhow, the institution has
which has the power to make or unmake
it. By general consent this sacred insti-
tuition has been made subject to the leg
islative enactment, so that il is in the
] Il, ~ l..
lished by God as perfect, yet needing a
/ legislative creation, which can at best
be imperfect. II is considered divine
institution and at the same time civil
contract, and both rs a divine and civil
institution it is considered in theory rs
| being based upon love. Now this para
doX exists in every other civil, social
and moral institution. The reason of it
is this, that every true moral, political
and social law is founded in the laws of
nature, which, if properly availed and
applied, would work complete harmony;
but the ignorance of man makes it diff
cult for him TO find out these laws, so
/ that our laws are made according to an
expedieney philosophy. Without know
ing the laws which counteract an evil,
1 it becomes eXpedient to force it down
without regard to how many more may
spring up on account of that force; and
we erect purely artificial systems and
regulations, which appear to work good
just before our eyes, but in their extern
sive ramifications, which we do not see,
do much mischief Expediency, how
ever, is the wisdom Of ignorance, and
must be depended upon more or less
while man is ignorant but it should be
our aim to be released from it rs much
as possible, and this is the tendency OF
the times. Every development of sci
ence is step. 1t is now discovered that
constitutions grow, and are not made
that political economy is a science
that is to say, founded on the laws oi
Nature, and so are the laws of trade
which are only violated by artificial,
regulation. 1t is the same with all so
cial and moral phenomena, whicl
most of the great writers of the age af
firm, and rapidly is it being discovered
that all laws and systems of man ART
founded upon natural laws, and tina
legislatures should seek to discOve
them. An English statesman has af
. firmed that every improvement and re
, form in England for the past century
has been by the repeal of some statute
and that over-legislation is the creates
evil of the age. In relation to marriag,
it may be seen that il has not only beeI
, subject more to eXpediency interfer
/ ences, such rs force and artificial regu
lation, but the idea of divinity connect
> ed with it has clothed its legislativ,
acts with kind of divine infallibility
while these acts and their great numbe
; have frequently done much mischief
= Now ! affirm that, while there shoul,
be well defined marriage system, will
! some legislative restraints and protec
r tions, the infallible power which legis
: latures have assumed, of property regu
| lating it, should be given up as ignoran
oppression; that for fear of error, Their
should be just rs little legislation as pos
sible, and when legislation seems abso
lutely necessary, they should seek tin
laws which Nature has established in
stead of attempting to dictate their own
The explosion of this infallibility no
tion is the first thing necessary, and TIN
f next which will follow is to recognize
! that natural tendency of gro,Ch int,
right order and permanancy, whicl
this institution has. As now, mar
riage is a conventionalism more than
natural union Of hearts. In France the
, heart is allowed no liberty of choice, a
matches are made by parents or guar
dians, and the consequent immoral IL
eenses of married people there, and the
general immortality of the community
are n shame to the civilized world
Neither our laws nor public opinion re-
, ouire love rs indispensable to complete
marriage. 4 mere contract of union
which shall be continued all through
life, is all they require. This may have
, all the outward forms Of marriage, but
not the elements, and there is of conse
, quence many breaches of these forms OF
, violations behind them. But if tru,
marriage is based upon love, and per
f haps most people will not deny that i
is, then these are not marriages, and ar,
lust as immoral before Heaven as inter