Should Husbands Open Wives' Letters?

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 143, 18 June 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

Should Husbands Open Wives' Letters?

Tins question has been- answered in the affirmative at the conference of French lawyers which has recently been held at the Palaii? de Justice at Paris. A writer in the "Temps"on hearing; of this death blow to "la galairterio francaiso," has asked some of his celebi-ated countrymen and women to give their views on the subject, and has received several interesting letters, from which we take the following extracts,, Mr Alexandre Dumas : "It is impossible to hesitate for a moment .with :an answer to the question. The lawyers, in answering it in the affirmative, have been guided by simple common sense. Where are the traditions of most ancient humanity : Man and woman are placed in a Paradise, and stay there as long as the man obeys God's word. The first thing he doss is to listen to the.advi.cp of the woman. He is driven out of his happy homo. And what does-the only, woman between whom and the God-man there is a link of unity ? she, too, tempts Him at the wedding of Cana, and tells the ' servants, 'Do as Ho tells you.' At that moment the Virgin accepted, in the name of all women, eternal absolute submission, A husband who doubts his wife, and who hesifcatfcs to jopen the letters which she receives in order to enlighten himself,.is an imbecile." M. de Pressence takes a different view. "It is difficult," he says, " tq answer, this delicate question very definitely ; but at first sight I am inclined to tliink that the husband should respect the secrets of his wife. . . . If the measure whichi the lawyers have taken concerned only adulterous women, it might be defended; bu tare .there only adulterous women in the world ?" Madme. Adam is, of course, indignant at the insult offered to;her sex.' "If the lawyers have said Yes, I am convinced that all educated men will say

. . . Woman is at liberty to think, and to communicate witli her mother, her sisters, her daughters, her friends : she is at liberty to receive and to open her letters, and to judge whether she will show them to her husband, Without this liberty she will be obliged to have recourse to the honest secrecy of the restanto, and to reply on the doubtful and degrading complaisance of the postman and the servants." Mdme. de Peyrebrune approves of the lawyers' verdict. She says: " The lawyers have been logical in saying, that a husband has the right to open letters addressed to his wife. This is a consequence of the laws which retain the moral liberty of a woman in marriage. It is one more means of trying to keep her in that obedience which our laws command. To deny tho husband this right would be to deprive him of one of his prerogatives as legal guardian. The conference of lawyers has decided wisely."