The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-06
Rather Late in findir. out,

To the Editor OF the Suu-S Be
lievng that persona experience, ugolv-
M tie welfare ot society are l.htull i
the property 81 tie whole >pc x. TIE
undersigned feel, It incumbent upon
hlmse.. 10 make known lhe conclusion
ot social event which has caused no
little public interest aud comment.
Nine and a half years ago Martha
Matte Strickland u 81. Johns. Mlch..
aud my sell formed evil and cOniugal
union. without the customary sanction
F. OF law. and published to the world cur
4 declaration and contract. TIN, step was
taken with the conscientious Couy ctiou
4 ,Aat tlc proceeding was. under the cir
4 cumStanees, right and iuotitlable. and
+ through. all those years We have con-
! rnucd to live together in the most en-
deariug relations OF virtual husband and
wife, Notwithstanding the repeated as
scrtons Of the press that we had scpar-
1ted. We were led to form this unu-
sual alliance in order to secure and eu
/ JOY openly what we conceived to be our
natural, couuubal rights, denied Us by
unjust and oppressive divorce laws.
was at the time a resident Of New
| \ Gork aud the husband 81 woman with
| whom il was not possible for me to live
IN peace and happiness. The divorce
| laws of that State do not permit legal
separation of married parties Tor any
cause other than that OF adultery and
had | such grounds Ofcomplaint | would
| scorn 70 purchase my freedom at the eX-
/ pense OF a.woman | had once taken to
my bosom as wife b. dragging her into
court and there pub'iel5 blasting her
f, character beyond the hope ofredemp-
4 ton. In departures from virtue, soci-
ETY., unlike Jesus is relentless in its
condemnation of the weaker sex but
/ inconsistently, tolerant and torgiy.ug
toward the masculine sinner
| became acquainted with Miss Strick-
land. and mutual affection sprung up
between as. we desired to unite our
lives and dies tinies in that most sacred
Of all human rc atlous. marriage, bat
could not do 50 under the ordinary
usages ot society because OF the iron
bands that bound me to another. After
! deliherutin2 0pel the matte. ior i year.
/ we concluded to assume the RESPONSE
/ bilty and the consequences, whatever
/ they might lie, of forming an open con-
/ iugal union in detlauce OF law.
Years of reflection and ryperieuce
! have brouoht viii, them tbn conyicfion
/ that thn sten NJ tool. vas Hi advised
ana yrongt tba+ Il would have boen
/ wisar and noblar to have sacrificed ou.
/ own nerconal hanninaes ana yhat we
/ daamad IN hn our natnral ri,bts than
/ to bave r,aln tbis re,,ol1tion1ry assault
mon M marria1e ein.titnfion, MARRIAGE
Is ot divine orjgin. an outgrowth OF tie
/ birber moral sentiments not oftbe lower
nronansities In tha carly animal life of
/ 10 80 hotoro ~, .,,,o,.,I ana .piritn,1 !
nature had attained anyvrry consider
/ o(,I, ',lo,,,oo M da,olo,n,.n M Ln,,,y
I that no}yaamv nalyandry ana general
/ nroniisrIousnpss c6aracterize the rela-
/ i;ors of tho saves Rut with tbe eyoIu-
/ tion of tho Li,I.e,. natrra comes tbn
voice oftle Divine revealing the ultimate
j intentiaus of tbe Creator rcspectino the
i prouer social relations Of man aud wo-
NON The whole Tendency of civiIiza-
tiou marked esnn..ialIv nv thn senfi-
ments osnirations and Ionuings Of the
nobIest and purest specimens Of the race
MONT roncIusivelv TO the fact that mon
4 noonv-tba union fo. life Of one man
! and one voman-constitutes tbe only
! trn6 MARRIAGE ,raained nv nature and
4 Inv nature,s God for noble rational be-
/ mos: and it is uudcniably the RIGHT and
4 duty Of the earthly LEGISLATOR TO trans
aribe This higher marriage law to his
4 statute books and enioin its observance.
Inst and Discriminating provisions
] should be made 10 release parties from
no norriaga bonds whore from any
cansn tbay dafaot tbo ends Of marriaoe
a,J uo,.l, e,ii ratho,. tban oood misery
ratI,nr tban honnfness but "a strike
down an law would lead to universal
social anarchy. While the race has made
groat advancement from its primitive
+, statn AVERAGE human nature is still
cr1 l. qa1 disorderIy. ana needs djrec-
ton and restraint. Tie few might be
a law unto themselves and observe all
the requirements and propueties OF true
marriage out the masses mass, lelI Wnolis - y
r,,u'' = s'',. so1 alassos l,, R,t fha IaH
can make no dissemination in favor Of
the few, all must observe its require
\ II" "peIiett "uu oPl'lt7a,NG; Nc 9i'o''''
sem - itloI ~ ~ 80 go, ,,
" i'Nls ~. ooli9y'eI 'I,o;,2 -
oTo''iile ,'i.'o ''ut' 49, ,,'i y fa+
c' u'il .tio liil,l" In to'i,' M
l"iN llt,s s,,' NJ So
,''lN llii y q 'ep -
, anu I''N Va . 7idNe ~ 'rNoi 'ilio'.7
{ otra IN in.y IJnno, anI dnty ) Gb
re,,,,ira that the ONLY reparafion nov
nossih1o in tho case sIouI5 he made viz
I I,nhlic rennnciation oftha solf.in.tltu
-,