New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-08-12
cytue and Punisbrneut.

/ on tue tate hEtfhNbtch tesS VI
/ City, and comments as follows
The only means Of punishment that civilized s'-'
posses. are the tsAogthe prop-ry mor'ouos sIre.dy
an or tsking the Hir Of a convict 1her5 ar ',si
simple means provided ~ law for pupishIps damages.
+ 10 sueh case above cited IN p~eun,ay orov.d uy
Pot neither hi. nor the death psnsty -,e sPr,ls ,ns
Tk< Ty,5an, int paper nDos remedy !" .,n. IN
inhr,niues q human nature soo .-pd thiih.
u. jti In tne spove case Ys ptr, vy-ye NOT al in
or on. Of the parties OILY but u 'u " ,,,b To 70,
9, 4, ,.,.ld soov its crest remedy 10 posD- - -
man o, uarnsu IT. Jail ms " 20 ~ ~. -. IT,,
a. ~ Yo,k Tribune and u - "a 49, I. ...s.,.
10" " - T.. -. development In ~nicn NtHnoiN
20 yed and selhsh and ss injurious ~ Tvs con
.saneoce. - the weakness or gum "ouio 'eeA "
Ths ,, 10 the great psnsces OF TIE Ir'oan. i1r hn
and erisse and socisi ils. When woman fails from
honor not nth the cruel Judgment OF TOE "oro
/, would consign hST and her partner IN Ruit 70 tne
.boesone ADD snoObing discipline Of the jail u has
the sams remedy for iDiemprrAnce spd inoeeo Al
though vr-ss-dy hostile 20 capital punishment Tor rra
,oD. which inp~ach The ~hol- policy Of punishment
l. the z~alOus sd gocsfs Tor extending inc Hn"'
penalties Of The law y and almost innumsrsoie
class # cases.
For ourselves we d.tru.t the efaceucy of The TIT.
Bnnss r~n-s and much Of the i.l"ey 81
such rr.ncss 10 believe that the sociz millennium Is 10
be .ougt, through the g-t,s 4 the P-ntsnrary
Bu, IN, Tribune though II may justly assume mat
We b.v. no s,uv.ihy with that cruel and unjust puphc
opno the xi.t. nee of which The vOrst 81
i- crime If the seducer sn1 desire 70 extend ia 90
minon and power By calling 10 TOE agency OF 'ne pou
fIr its victims mistakes us 10 part W. "ouo pIooe
the weakness Of Childhood and. oecAus' W. sho" "
no o,b.r remedy would resort ~ the errors 81 lmpls
onmen, We would not hope much from H. nut u y -.
that IL ssinsble and not 90 extended 80 70 eonoDn
III ideas of distinction 10 guilt might pOssiby % "o
ac,iVe Nbsnever the discussion Of this subject mss
come I'D IN Legislature, We hzve advocated ,no P
Of laws projecting IN" in"Np*renc" 81 iou'n-
Their. We have stopped in the 'ugsesnon OF penaur'
We do rnt rsgsrd - chst-ls belonging 70 nv.
tsnd or father beings without moral resppp''o,
tee and W. would not make them snch nor "ou'u
80 .Nr.fE f4UVFt
syns to irr.trsvabl dishonor ana o. crime spd apps
hog ,uferings The victims of single error ~" ~
Jne w. hi,k in its adherence Of these consfqn'ne's
would sggravate the injustice vhieh ia IN pAft mr.
cans, s,d s- are convinced would create new spd
wor.e evils IN the remedy 10 which Il appears 80 shN
ious 10 resJrt"
Before exposing the false reasoning OF the
Atlas let Us correct one Of its most glazing errors
Of fact The Tribune has never advocated the legh
punishment Of the O,etim Of Seductioo-no'hngo Of
the sort We would punish Perhdy and Gullt' not
Weakness and Misfortune. In our view the victim
already suffers punishment eDough-conhnement
enough. If the seducer were papsbly exposed to
as much his crime would be rare lnoeen'
Now to the subject matter.
The Atlas is quite right IN guessing tor we
think we have not before indlcatedl that we regard
with little favor actions for pecunisry damages IN
these cases They seem 10 US out OF place democrat
izing and calculated even 10 facilitate and mutt
Div transgressions by holding out TO unprnciPled
aud srtu females the ten ptatlon OF acquiring rches
and living in luxury the avails OF alawsuit Tor a
pretended Seduction. But the logic whereby the
Atlas transnlutes tins civil action for damages INTO
a LEGAL penalty for crime is iDcompehens'be to us.
Punishment should be threatened to and visited
ID hut IN a
which can be inflicted only on those who have
property-which has no terrors Tor the thrtess
and the destitute. Clearly this is no penalty at ALL
any more than the requistion that men shall pay
for bis neighbours horse which he has accidentally
killed il a punishment
And now as to the Penalties generally What
we ask is Justice-equal and impartial laws IL the
County or the tate is ready for the experiment OF
treating all transgressors with tenderness ana
loving Kindness, we say Amen let us try if. But
we protest against making fish OF one class OF ras
Gals and flesh of another. Solong as we hsve legal
penalties for crime we demand that there he penal
ties for all crime which is clearly and ilagrantly
such. II monstrous--nay it is vIllanous-that
there should be severe penalties for the cupnt who
robs a man of his purse to feed starving family
but none for the mscreant who by long series ol
artlul devices, simulatons and Perhdies- robs a
daughter of Der honor and her hopes father and
mother of their priceless treasure, and family OF
its peace and Joy. The evil done to the especial
victims and the society at large is infinitely greater
here than in a case OF simple theft. And we say
again, il Libertnes were not Lawmakers, this
strange anomaly would not endure.
The Aaass talk OF protecting the weakness OF
Childhood the nexperience of Youth evinces an
obliquity of vision regarding the object and infu-
ences Of legal penalties. Seduction should be pun
ished, not merely that Childhood may be shielded
from the libertines wiles, but because the offence
aimed at is deeply prejudcial To public morality
and wellbeing. whether the victim be child or
not Not merely that the immediate sufferers by
thus crime may be shielded, but that the moral
sense of the community may be vindicated, and It's
moral purity defended, do we demand the punish
meut of Seduction.