No. XLVII.
POLYGAMY.
Great and striking is the difference of position which
womankind occupies in Europe and in the countries of the
East. In the latter they are men's slaves: in the former his
companions. In the latter they are objects of contempt even
to their own sons. In the former they are the honoured
instruments to impart the first elements of learning and religion.
Here in Europe they appear as co-heirs, with man, of
reason, of intellect, of liberty and immortality; but there they
seem to be an inferior race of beings, at the very most a better
sort of domestic animal. That the European state of things is
more agreeable to God's intention in the creation of male and
female is evident from the consideration, that there one half of
the human race is doomed to degradation and misery, whilst
here they enjoy a becoming respect, and a much larger portion
of happiness; and still more from observing the effects of the
two systems. Here the intellectual and moral powers of
mankind have far advanced towards perfection, but there the
human race is still debased and barbarous. Now that, which
makes happy and improves, must necessarily be more agreeable
to God's purpose in creation, than that which degrades
and makes unhappy; and this argument will also go far to
prove that another striking feature of difference, which distinguishes
the West from the East, is also more in accordance
with the will of God; we mean the fact that here men have
only one wife, whilst there they have many. There can be no
doubt that this characteristic of European life conduces much
to the well-being and the peace of families, as well as to the
moral and intellectual improvement of individuals. In these
two great advantages and means of happiness the Jewesses of
Europe participate. They are not illiterate slaves like their
sisters in the east, neither do they divide their husbands' affections
with many. Here the Jews, like the Christians, have
only one wife. It becomes, therefore, a most interesting
subject of inquiry to know to what the European Jewesses are
indebted for this superiority of respect and happiness. Is it to
their own religion, or to the religion of Christians, that is, is it
to Judaism or Christianity? We might answer at once, that
Judaism has certainly not produced this salutary difference, for
then it would have produced the same effect in Mahometan
countries, but we prefer referring to the oral law itself. We
have already shown that modern Judaism degrades women to
the level of slaves and Amharatzin: we shall now prove that
the Jewesses are not indebted to it for the abolition of polygamy.
