Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-11-08
luoY sroNE.s NUprIAL PROEEsT.
Marriage should Be an Equal and Perma-
nent PartnershIp.
rom the Boston Aaverttss

nent Rartnership.
From the Boston Adverttser.
Among the innumerable events OF
note in the wonderful career Of Lucy
StoRe not the least memorable was her
marriage to Mr.. Blackwell and the pro-
test against existing marriage laws
which was drawn up and signed by
them both. The ceremony was per-
formed by COL Higginson, of Cambridge,
then less widely known and spoken of
as the Rev. Thomas Wentworth Hig-
ginson.
The clergyman sent the protest to the
Worcester Spy that the world OF 1855
might know the bold stand that had
been taken. Following is Mr.. Higgin-
sons letter to the SPY:
at was my privilege to celebrate
May day by officiating at wedding in
a farmhouse among the hills Of West
Brookfeld. The bridegroom was a
man of tried worth, leader in the
Western apti-slavery movement, and
and the bride is one whose fare name Is
known throughout the nation - one
whose rare intellectual qualities are OK
celled by the private beauty OF her
heart and life. never performed the
marriage ceremony without renewed
sense Of the iniquity of our present sys-
TEN OF laws In respect 20 marriage, a
system by which man and wife are one,
and that is the husband 1t was with
my hearty concurrence, therefore, that
the following protest was read and
signed as a part Of tho nuptial cere-
mony, aud / send 1t to you that others
NAV be induced To do likewise"
Here is the protest as drawn Jointly
by Lucy Stone and II. b. Blackwell aud
subscribed to once more by the bereAved
husband:
While acknowledging our mutual az
lection by publicly assuming the rela-
tionship OF husband and wife, yet in
Justice to ourselves and great principle
we deem it our duty TO declare that this
act on our part implies 20 sanction OF
nor promise Of voluntary obedience to
such OF the present laws Of marriage as
refuse to recognize the wife as an indie
pendent, rational being, while they
confer upon the husband an Injurious
and unnatural superiority, investing
him with legal powers which no honor
HDlb LHHu WOulu CAOlCioN3 oh0 "AiNh LO
msn should possess. We protest espe-
clally against the laws which give to the
husband:
l. The custody of the wife's person.
2. The exclusive control and guardian
ship of their children.
8. The sole ownership OF her personal
and use OF her real estate, unless pre-
viously settled upon her or placed in the
hands Of trustees, as in the case OF min
ors, idiots and lunatics.
4. The absolute right to the product
of her industry.
5. Also against laws which give to
the widower so much larger and more
uermanent an interest In the property
of his deceased wife than they give to
the widow in that Of her deceased hus-
band.
6. Finally, against the whole system
by which "the legal existence OF the
wife is suspended during the marriage, "
so that In most States she neither has a
legal part in the choice of her resi-
dence, nor can she make will, nor sue
or be sued in her own name, nor inherit
property.
we U6li6No tudJ pCISOh1i luuOpChu
ence and equal human rights can never
be forfeited, except for crime, that
marriage should be an equal and per-
manent partnership, and so recognized
by law; that until II is so recognized
married partners should provide against
the radical injustice OF present laws by
every means in their power.
We believe that where domestic diff
culties arise no appeal should be made
to legal tribunals under existing laws,
but that all difficulties should be sub
mitted to the equitable adjustment OF
aroitrators mutually chosen.
Thus, reverencing law, We enter our
protest against rules and customs which
are unworthy Of the name, since they
violate Justice, the essence OF law.
HENRY B. BLACKWELL.
Lucy STONE.
"Of course" said Mr.. Blackwell,
"that protest was worded to apply to
laws that have been repealed, replaced,
or greatly modified. We drew it up to-
gether. Col. Hgginsoh-the Rev. Mr..
Higginson he was called then-sent it to
the Splb and it later appeared in the
Boston papers and was widely copied
and deridsd. Newspapers deal with the
equality cause much differently now