Fruits of philosophy, or, The private companion of young married people / by Charles Knowlton.

  • Knowlton, Charles, 1800-1850.
Date:
1845
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Fruits of philosophy, or, The private companion of young married people / by Charles Knowlton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    pellcd to “tug at the oar of incessant labour throughout their lives,” thousands of young men do not marry, but go abroad into the world, and form vicious acquaintances and practices. The truth, then, is this, there is so much of illegal connexion in the land, because the people had not, twenty years ago, that very information which, it would seem, some, doubtless through want of due reflection, are apprehensive will increase this evil. I might quote pages to the point from “Every Woman’s Book;” but I fear my communication would be too lengthy. I content myself with a few lines. “ But when it has become the custom here as elsewhere to limit the number of children, so that none need have more than they wish, no man will fear to take a wife, all will marry while young; debauchery will diminish; while good morals, and religious duties will be promoted.” It has been asked, if a general knowledge of checks would not diminish the general increase of population? I think that such would not be the result in this country until such result would be desirable. In my opinion, the effect would be a good many more families (and on the whole as many births), but not so many overgrown and poverty stricken ones. It has been said, it is best to let nature take.her course. Nowin the broadest sense of the word nature, I say so too. In this sense, there is nothing unnatural in the universe. But if we limit the sense of the word nature so as not to include what we mean by art, then is civilized life one continued warfare against nature. It is by art that we subdue the forest; by art we contend against the element; by art we combat the ^tural tendency of disease, &c. As to the outrageous slander which here and there one has been heard to utter against the fair sex, in saying that fear of conception is the founda¬ tion of their chastity, it must be the sentiment of a “carnal heart,” which has been peculiarly unfortunate in its acqiraintances. “ To the pure all things are pure.” Chastity, as well as its opposite, is in a great degree constitutional: and ought in a like degree to be regarded as a physical, property, if I may so say, rather than a moral quality. Where the con- stitution is favourable, a very indifferent degree of moral training is sufficient to secure the virgin without the influence of the above mentioned fear; but where it is the reverse, you may coop up the individual in t> -» narrow dark cage of ignorance and fear, as you will, but still you must watch. An eminent moralist has said, “ That chastity which will not bear the light [of Physiology] is scarcely worth preserving.” But, verily, I believe there is very little such in the market. What there be is naturally short-lived, and, after its demise, the unhappily constituted individual stands in great need of this light to save her from ignominy. What might it not have prevented in the Fall River affair? And.';'1, one of two things must happen, either the destruction of fecundity or the uestruction of life, which of the two is the greater evil? In these cases, alone, this light is calculated to do sufficient good to counterbalance all the evil that would arise from it; so that we should have its important advantages to the married, in a political, a domestic, and a medical point of view, as so much clear gain. This of course is my opinion; but since I have probably reflected more upon the subject than all the persons concerned in my imprisonment put together, until it can be shown that I have not as clear a head and as pure a heart as any of them, I think it entitled to some weight. FINIS.