, 1874-03-22

stood in the relation OF mistress, NOT VILE, to
Pericles, she ought to be held up as an o1ample
to her sox, and her character pronounced
.'pure" and irreproachable
As to the first point. but one opinion is e1-
pressed BY the ancient historians. While
acknowledging her beauty, talent, and influence
at Athens, they place her IN the category OF
abandoned women, who, like Cleopatra, cared
little for reputation, provided they could secure
as lovers the most distinguished men OF tho
time Among her contemporaries, and those
living few generations Later. her dlssolute mode
Of life was 60 we'll known that it had passed into
a proyerb, aud witty and wanton women we're
called Aspaeias. A notable example OF this Is
afforded in the career Of the Younger Cyrus.
who lived q little later than Particles aud who
gavo the namo Of Aspasla to Ills iaEonto concu. Gt
biue, though her real nauie was different. suen
fact IS this outweiebs volume OF the spefu~
lation Of those modern writer's who hold that:
because this remarkable woman had an eloquent
tongue, and drew around her host Of Rdn1refs
IN the fashionable and learned World gne
could not, therefore, be lax in her morals. This
is too, too thin. and is very Fnuc, like the enofe
of tue learned Roscoe, who tried to make the
! world believe, several generations after hef
time, that such moral 1erer az Lucretla borE1a
Unfortunately, the world is, and always mas
been, full OF women in whore souls "ae ana
wantonnegs seem to struggle for the mastery.
or, rather. aid each other in achieving CIVIL COZ
quests. On the other hand, there were Ill
sncfeut times, IA there are IN modern, larger
class Of true and pure women, bright and bea11-
tjru1, witty and wise, who attracted around tnem
the most refined circles Of both sexes. tectured
uuon the highest themes, and, by their genius
and virtues. elevated onr common humanity.
| upe of the brightest examples of these was the
ceic ;,rated Hypatia, OF Alexandra, daughter
Of tho learned Theon.-beautiful. modest.
graccd with all the learning Of her time,
who, in an ago Of general eorrnn-
ton, gaze public lectures upon .ta95 fn1os3P1y ny
all the beauty. fashion, and intellect OF Alex
and1;a. Why do not our learned women, both
lecturers and writer's, hold up to tho public gaze
| and admiration such an example among tno
anc,ents as this Why waste 80 much i2 3fea.n
! tcrs. to say the least Of them? Is . female OF
degraded or doubtful reputation better subject
Tor the lecture-rou1n or the columns Of q news
paper than QUO whose life aud character arc un-
sullied? Can she better point moral OF aootn o1.
| =. tale? Or ia it not the prurieut taRte OF the
thing which induces our learned risteia - !oo
hy some toct,1osity OF mind, to prefer to handlo
| pitch rather than cleaner ohjects.-to wade
| through sinks and sloughs rather than walk On
| solid ground?
But hasten to consider tho other point. in
this controve1sv.-the purity OF such
woman as AEpasia is admitted to have been. On
this point your stellar correspondent is qnte TO-
nacous. and, it must be admitted, throws some n,
peculiar ligbt-a light TINT is calculated to die
nei the OPACITY of moral vision Of 81 such
Numbering morta1s az believe with " Justice "
That amoIern monagamlo marriage u the
highest form, yet discovered. OF the rolaS.on be.
tween tho sexes Her definition OF purity II II
means anything, means simply that, IN this re-
iat,on. man or woman should be guided b!
natural impulse. 'sPurity is Of the heart ane
nature y and, though it would nn
doubtedly be preferable . for woman man
il pofsible no not to ;,rss,ar eoItraco ,r,;.ee ~es
vet. it sha does 40. 4'ahe is not necessarily i'm
MIRO. though careless tongues may call her 80
This is the very doctrine that *.care'es.
tongues" call one OF the forms Of free-iove
and such as is illustrated in the 1io Of aIrf Ii
woodruff et id on1,,e genus. According to th1
doctrine. the forms Of marriage are non-essen
tai. Let neople simply follow the heart an
nature" This is the true aud only test o
! purity.
This favorte view Of the marriage-relation i i
portrayed by your correspondence. frequent
though erroneous, application Of the moder
; | doctrine of heIedity. I do not diasent iron
! auy lust aud proper application Of thus gfea
: = doctrine. Taken in connection with the pr1t
cip1e Of natural selection, it teaches US snas
tha progress Of civilization, Which Is constant u
toyard higher and higher forms OF good. NJ
av;1 The acquisitions aud habits OF former gene
, atoms. derived through long experience, ot
come the natural endoTments and heritage
| succeeding ones. But TINS ooctl1,lo i..". -; +
to make it serve in her alusion to u o1monlst
Snch ey5tem could find no footho!d among II
!. nconle Of Illinois. much less become part
our public policy. Your correspondent 10 e e
astray II trying to make the principle o. ne5eu t
serve IN illegitimate purpose. No do1n
among the r7ldo and igt GRANT people, Wht
1 snch IN institution IA "cornmuna1" marr1a'
prevails, polvga1ny might tako root and honr1:
. far time, because it marks the advnncemen9 =
race towards higher and better things. p
1 ftis would afterwards be succeeded BY tt
puror aud uobler System OF naonoEa1ny'
|. Vat it is no less true that, when you con
t down to individuals in any given society ye
vii! sometimes find this principle to oe 1eseEs -
i rood old times" They are not happy exec
0 in retroqression and an abnormal deVelo
+ merit. Such a disposition is to be d
= counted for on tho principle OF "reverslon y.
to some ancestral typo Of character: bns' - 10
confined to few individuals, and does not ane
2 society at large. The great body OF the cor c!
l munlty move on in the settled CONVICTION tna
with respect to marriage, the modern + Ptact. +. H.
and legislation are right, "n1ch Ies1'ss ~ y aa.1,
r ali other sexual relationships, OF svery nan
y and nature to Re llccnt,ons, impure, and det,
mental to socety's bcs. interests. In rain the
male reformer comeR along and ines 70 desel
this decree OF ul0OeIu Gtt41<'. -
'r ~ view. rs brilliant and distinguished e1amt
n of personal purity ono OF hcr own se5 who liv j.,
in acknowledged illicit connection all her III III
and then by arguing that IT eat - op psa s
eu6lime e1'b IN " purity" Yes let call things
i their right names, and call this doctrine
n doctrine Of free-1oye. 'us1'c1'
n
n AN ECONOMICAL WIFE.
s.