The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-08-08

rampant and unblushing. Our columns daily exh-
bit details OF human depravity, and so numerous Is
the calendar, that offences hitherto deemed pos
ssssed of great cnormity, are now commonplace
The village of Abbevllle, South Carolina, has been
much astated of late by certain disclosures, which
place Mr.. Cunningham OF that place before the
world in light of no very pleasing character. Mr.
Cunningham, however, differs from the mass OF his
neighbors, and deems his acts but as ndscretions,
which by them are s,igmatized as dishonorable.-
The particulars are thus given by two gentlemen Of
that village, in a letter addressed 10 the Augusta
Chronicle and Sentinel:''-
In the fall of lS4l, a young lady of our village,
living in highly respectable family, and received
as equal III the best society OF the place. oil great
intelligence and worth, and OF character eminenty
above any reprOach or suspicion, received through
the post office letter with fictitious signature,
containing the most base and insulting solicitations
Having no family connections here, nor other pro-
tectors than those numerous and respectable trends
whom her character and conduct had won ior her,
with that sensltiveness OF virtue which naturally re-
coils from publishing shameful offer, she hastily,
and without consulting with others, DESTROYED this
note.
In the spring OF 1912 she received by the same
conveyance a second note In the same handwriting,
with the same signature, and reekipg with the same
infamous overtures. She could now no longer doubt
that she was deliberately insuted and beset in her
unprotected condition; yet still shrinking from the
full avowa that any one had dared to assail her vlr'
tue, she only said, in her grief. to some of the
family in which she lived, that she had received an
insulting letter through the post Office and this let
ter too she destroyed. On the 18th February, 1913,
another letter addressed TO her, bearing the same
marks as to handwriting, signature, and foul pur-
pose with the two former, was take from the post
office here by the gentleman in whose family she
lived, and we are now permitted TO give them to
the public, suppresslng only the name OF the lady,
ABBEvlLLE, C. H., Feb. 10, ls43.
MY MOST Lovely JrNo -
Enraptured again brings me bsforeyou. feel
at disposed apologize for The past and yet to enreat
for the future My acquaintance with you is limited
TOO limited for to have formed accurate and deep
estimated your character as my position has prevented
passion for you acsts as thunder cloud the
depths of my soul feel as if it would be ecstacy to
pillow my head your BOSOM and while there slipped
the cup of earthly joys 10 give hearing to ambition aad
love, ard dretln 0, the ideal perfect.
have, too a curiosity you. You are woman Of
strong serse energy and dignfed severity OF m 1pnei
and, would think, of deep and soft mr.l,es Yet There
passicnlcss opably is Pr,de. sefh coldness
Of naure Are yon tue creature OF the Prudery and ar
braiy nstors of society," do you use the pinion Of
your own nature and reason3
app-ars there is in your soul yet 10 be
llled, either by mere consenai occupation 81 your
nina, OF by flow ri your feelings? understand
YOU say you do rot believe in love- You admit, then
you have 20 speak phrenologcaiy) no adhe no
ieality cor centra,v no hope, amatv
this last preponde-atc the others, that
youreaze only the ecsatic impulse OF passoni or Is 1t
that you have iei love- ard live r maiden medta
ton fancy iree?' Be al this as it may, something tells
me sympathise with you; that you love the love
Of Eoise for Abelard. That enchanting form can but
be til tenement Of soul that and will uxuriate in
its enjoyments, and that but sympathise with the
wild thrills it produces
Ipredict you will never marry. You will never find
united those social advantages and that congeniaty
which will induce yon into 1t. Yet yours cannot be
contened old madenshp The destiny of the mind no
doubt worthy of and commensurate with its immor.
tay its divinity its sublime thinking principle that Of
the body physical and dissolution The hea
OF the mind ledge that Of the body sensual
moment for the latteri But one!!
Write me-let me commune with you; meet me and
let drink with you the most delicious drat that time
oilers to nature.! Address MIR. James Cudworth.
Yours 1evotedly and with esteem,
The gentleman who took this letter from the post
office, alter comparing the hand writing with the
writing OF Mr.. CUNNINGHAM, and the impression on
the wax with the seal OF Mr.. G.. became satisfied
him, "a member of my family has been grossly in
suited by some one in this village, and know the
man." when MIR. Cunningham turned pale and sud-
denly left him, saying, 81 have writiag to do at my
office" This letter was afterwards exhibited to
several respectable citizens Of the village, who all
concurred in attributipg the authorship to John
Cunningham, Esq. The character of the hand
writing, al hough to some extent disguised the sur
name employed as signature, which was known
10 be the name OF a connexion OF his family, tie
identity of the initials OF the fictitious name with
those of Mr.. G., calculated TO secure return OF
any to his box in the post Office the tene OF
conceit and audacy running through the epistle,
formed mass OF evidence which was irresistible,
even TO those who wished TO doubt
About Two months after the date Of this last let
ter little girl about fourteen wears old who being
an orphan, had been adopted as daughter OF our
late Ordinary and after The death OF her benefactor
resided in the family OF his son, our late sheriff, re-
ceived from Mr.. John Cunningham, through fe.
male servant, the maid of his wife and the nurse Of
his child, verbal message conveying an impure
proposal. She is poor orphan Irish girl, but her
virtue is as much above Impeachment as that OF any
lady any community, and she especially deserved
the support OF society. In this community, at least
the creed is not generally received that the unpro.
ected are the first prey OF seducers. and that men
OF honor are TO be restrained from intrigues only
by the fear Of the vengeance OF husbands and blood
relations The sending OF this message MIR. Cum
nngham confessed, and valnly begged that the mat.
ter might be smothered. This affair thus admitted,
gave greater notoriety to the attempt upon the for
mer lady, and increased the indignation against the
supposed author. Mr.. Cunningham repeatedly de-
MED all knowledne of and connection with the letter.
loudly denounced the base calumny which imputed
IT to him, and patheticay appealed to his old friends
for the sake OF his innocence assaed by secret VI.
tuperaton at least to suspend their judgment until
he could refute the caumny.
AT this crisis, when hundred men would have
risen up and sworn that he was the author, he, ma
king virtue OF necessity, explicitly Confessed his
authorship of those letters The following is a CO.
pv OF his communication to the lady, her name on
ly being suppressed
ABsEvnLE, c. H., May 3d. 1s4s.
Miss
vita feeling Of deep pleasure thet take this &C.
to make you amende; have done Injustice to
your character and deeply wounded yoir feelings, Tor
which as gentleman, feel poignant regret, and soici.
What have expectation you can eive-your pardon
In writing you those letters was carried away ty the
phren7y Of passion. This amenie I would have given
long ago. but Cor tie 'La pursued owa-ds
in this vage and whilst neither admitted the author
ship made the amende Under the stori Of vrueIce
tnst r'ised against me, nov do rom OF jus.
ice to y0u wi should forever have refused to the de-
mands CT nsolence, the call o. covert ypocrcy and
malignant treEchery.
Your course Miss -, has been that OF the lazy Of
delicecy virtue and prudence and to on am wiling 70
mahc ecnement you require that becomes the gen.
tleman. Yours, respectfully,
JOHN CUNNINGHAM.
The lady never regarded this communication as a
satisfactory atonement Tor the insult so persevei-
lngy offered to her. and wed 1t only as proof
OF HE guilt. These acs, in conneXon with an
ahaxair,. hla Iihel anothar laLLu Of niirx VILLAGE