New-York daily tribune., 1843-06-28
Unuunished Crime.


triurnphs of Lbertinism. In Michigan, young
woman of Is, hitherto virtuous and respected has
lust fallen victim to the centious wlles of
ried relative, yielding up her life IN dlshonor and
agony among strangers and bringing disgrace on
her yrtuous relatives. The name of the author
of this ruin is Alonzo Plumstead, and he goes un-
whipt OF Justice. +" 1t is SAID says the Brooklyn
Eagle that the laws of Michigan cannot reach
the villain - True, most astonished Loco -Foco,
but why do you not state the farther truth that
The laws could reach him until your Legislature
repealed them last winter? Why conceal the
evidence Of their looseness of n,oras-helr criInl-
nal derelichon from duty
Another revolving case has ust come to light
in Delaware. mere child of fourteen has been
compelled to bear witness to the centious villany
of her guardian, named Thompson, OF whose
wife she was the niece, and to whom she had
been confided on the death Of her mother. And
this most loathsome wretch will also doubtless
escape upon the payment of small pecunlary
settlement!
Now we have as little faith in penal legislation
merely as such, for the reformation of morals as
any man can have, but we ask those who dcridc
all efforts for the repression of Llcentiousncss
what is to be done? Shall such enormous and
desolatlng depravity 60 on for ever in apparent
impunity and triumph If others act unwiseIy
In opposing this hideous evil, why do not their
critics take hold of the work and show them how
to do better? Admit that no thunders of the
law will ever deter directly the prowng libertinc
from pursuing his brutal career, will it not lave
an effect in forming and directing Public Opin-
ion? Would not Just laws against Llcentious-
ness lead often to the exposure, at least, of the
criminal? Would they not contribute to the
creation of more healthlul public sentiment
Would the libertine for whom the State Prison
doors were yawning be received and caresscd i'll
virtuous Society, the courted associate OF the
pure and the lovely? We have faith that laws
denouncing penalties for Seduction equal TO those
visited upon Robbery and Forgery would prevent
an inniensity of wretchcdness and ruin.
And yet we have class of readers who ap-
pear to think that the community has only to
shut their eyes to the moral murders every where
perpetated around u.s. and all will be well. In
their philosophy, like that of the supersubtle We
netian,' the great desidcratum is mot to leave
undone, but keep unknown. If any mention,
however guarded, is made in our paper of some
peculiarly horrible outrage on Female Purity,
they arc shocked, not at the crime, but its expo
sure They are in terror lest the innocent should
be corrupted, not by the licentious, but by the
indignant denunclation Of RIGHTEOUSNESS! They
seem to think that if the newspapers would say
nothing, the young would grow up in utter igno-
rance Of the existence of lmpurlty. Were this
true, as it emphatically is not, what of it Is
the lamb safer for being brought up in ignorance
that the world contains wolves Is it more or
less likely to beware of harm, knowing that the
wolf is on the walk and that it is his business to
deyour lambs VIII not our virtuous people who
contemn all exposure of Llbertinism consider
how exactly their views on this point coincide
with both the sentiments and the interests of the
hbertine, and ask what mischance it is that ranks
them In such company
How this vast evil, LcentiousneSs, is to be
eradicated, and the ocean of misery flowing from
1t drled up, we may not clearly see but we do
see that 1t will never be removed by letting it
alone. We will hope that those who now con-
denim all discussion will be brought to see it also
MAINE.-The Loco Focos held their State Con
venhon last week, and nominated HuGH j. An
DERsoN Of Waldo date NJ. c. for Governor
This was wrong: Edward kayanagh, the present
acting Governor, is one OF the ahes, and most up.
right men III the State, and ought to have been
nominated HIS Calhounism was probably the
cause of his defeat, as the Convention nominated
Mr. Van Buren, for next President by IA to IA
Delegates were appointed to the National Conven-
tion to meet in Baltimore in Nay 1874,
q. S.-We have fuller and more accurate
account The vote for Governor stood, Ander
son l62, Kavanagh l24 Scattering Is, The
vote OF LA to IA occurred on motion to lay the
Van Buren, resolves on the table, which was so
negatved. There was pungent and stormy de-
bate of three hours on the resolutions, in which
Messrs Van Buren, and Calhoun were both rough.
ly handled by their respective opponents.
II We hope no son of New England will make
anyrepv to the rbald attack of The Plebeiqn on
the character of her Pilgrim Fathers and their Re
evolutionary descendants. in Its article on the
Bunker Hill Celebration. The title, The Farce
and the Mountebanks' should repress any other
emotion than contempt.
D The Aurora positively denies that Mike
Walsh was engaged in the shameful fight on Sta
ten Island last Sunday-denies it so confidently
that we must believe it. We implicated Walsh
on the authority of the Herald.
U A destructive FIRE occurred at Boston on
Saturday last 1t broke out in the steam planning
mill occupied by Mcssrs. Washburn and by Mr..
Curtis, and DESTROYED that together with the dwell