The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-03-15
From the Boston Post.
FREE LOvE--FREE FIELD.
We Love but While We May--Vic.
tOria woodruff i'm Boston.

WIS n8ntiy threatening, Dut Ine lar
gest audience of the season gathered
together. filing floors and balconies
and side-aisles. The extraordinary
furore occasioned by the delivery Of
the lecture announced, in Steinway
Hall, New York City, on the Goth of
November last, had its legitimate in
fluence, and the greatest curiosity TO
see and hear the lady banker and dip.
lomatist prevailed. She made her
appearance promptly at 1880 o'clock,
clad in drab dress, wearing her hair
short, aud
SMILING VERY PLEASANTLY,
as patter of applause cnsncd, and
giving people to understand that she
intended to talk about The Princi-
pies of Social Freedom" she began at
once, and spoke substantially AS fol
lows:
OUR GOVERNMENT
is based upon the proposition that all
men and women are born free and
equal aud entitled to certain inaliena-
ble rights, among which are life, liber-
", and the pursuit Of happiness
Now what we, who demand social
freedom, ask, is simply that the Gov
ernment of this country shall be ad-
ministered in accordance with the
spirit Of this proposition. Nothing
more, nothing less. All the relations
between the sexes that are recognized
as legitimate are denominated mar
riage. But OF what does marriage
consist. This very pertinent question
requires settlement before any real
progress can be made rs to what
social freedom and prostitution mean.
IL is admitted by everybody that mar.
riage is union of the oppositcs in
sex, but is il principle of nature out
side of all nature law, or is it law
outside of all nature. Where is the
point bofore reaching which il is not
marriage, but having reached which
il is marriagcg Is il where two meet
and realize that the love elements oi
their nature are harmonious, aud that
they blend into and make one purpose
OF life. or is it where soullcss form
is pronounced over two who know nc
commingling OF life's hopes? II
seems TO be the general argument
that if the law of marriage were an
nullcd it would follow that everybody
must necessarily separate; yet 1t is IN,
opinion that less than fourth of those
now married would Immediately sep
arate and onc-haif of those would re
turn to their allegiance voluntaril,
within one year. Ii it be primaril,
the right OF men and women TO take
on the marriage relation OF their owl
free will and accord, SO, too, does i
remain their right to determine how
long it shall continue aud when j
shall cease. Who is TO determin,
whether there will be more happiness
sacrificed by continuation or a sepa
ration of parties married? In al
otter things, except marriage, it is al
ways held to be the right thing TO d'
TO break bad bargain or promis
just as soon as possible, and / hol'
that all things in which this rul
should apply, it should first apply Il
marriages. 1t can now be askd:-
What is the legitiment sequence o
social freedom! To which | unhesi
tatingiy reply, free love, or freedom
of the affections.
"ARE YOU a FREE LOVER"
is the almost incredulious query.
repeat frequent reply: Il am; an,
/ can honestly, in the fullness of m
soul, raise my voice TO my Maker an
thank Him that / am-tfaint applause
and that ] have had the strengt
and the devotion to truth to stand bs
fore this traducing and vilifying CON
munity in q manner representative {
that which shall come with healing o
its wings for the bruised hearts an
crushed affections of humanity
, (Applause) And to those who d.
nounce me for this l reply: "Yes,
am free lover. / have an inalien;
BILE, constitutional, and natural rigl
to love whom l may, to love as Ion
, or as short a period as | can;
E change that love every day if
g please"
Q A STORMY SCENE.
At this point in her lecture Mr.
: Woodruff was interrupted for Il
first time against her desires. 1t W
. apparent at the preliminary words
u the last sentences that the audien
9 in part would not take it well, and
. she progressed with her delivery Il
growing dissatisfaction manifested
/ self in few slight Kisses, viii
e struggled, then deepened and final
q burst forth in all the fury of a ma
diction, commingled with cries al
and clapping of hands. The appro
It ing and disappearing forces seem
le to be about equally matched; in CO.
rs monplace phrase it was about six
g one and half dozen of the other.
n Some were very much oyerwroug
te and showed it in voice and gesture.
1T Several arose TO their feet. One or t,
left the hall. It was becoming qu
20 interesting, when, just as the leetul
14 essayed to proceed, man in the RIG
:, balcony yelled "Good," and 9TH
u followed him with cries of "Or
vi more" which served to soften W
us angry passions, and somehow to p
an woke laughter. She was little tire
n ulous at first, but stood back and
e. family eyed her detractors until
or excitement subsided. She finisl
:, the sentepce--"and with that ris
III neither you nor any law you J,
Is frame have any right to interfere
And | have the further right to
!. mand free and unrestricted excl