New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-01-28

The Herald has . horrible story, yet we presume
a true one Of poor, friendlen girl Of sixteen who
recently came 70 this City from Bridgeport Conn.
In search Of employment, and who here fell into
the company Of clerk, who, protesting fervent
zeal FOR her welfare inveisled her into den Of
insmy under pre.ence Of taking her TO his aunt s.
aad there having induced her to inhale Chioroiorm
in ignorance Of its nature and so produced COM
pete nsensibility, made her the UNCONSCIOUS, IN
resisting prey OF his demoniac lust-s'nce ~n'cn
abe has been q rsving maniac.-Ouuages Al ne'a
Mons In their nature though not quite 20 daring a.
this are Of almost daily occurrence. vi Tue zen
,Aon..nd ure.ebed victims Of libertine depravity
,.ho w.lk the streets Of our City wasting away on
., average in FIVE years by disease, delirlum' dis
.;ns.ion and despair being annually recruited
-. a, le,st one thousand fresh victims, one half
oo,d doubtless tell true tales Of black perhdy,
deeplsid conspiracy, direct outrage or base cd
vantage taken Of gratitude, want or uncon-
sciousness. which should crimson with shame
the brow Of the mos. hardened lbertine And still
the work Of ruin goes on, facilitated by the igno
rance destitotion and friendlessness Of those II
mainly destroys, and sbsmefully encouraged by
the guilty laxity and partially Of the laws OF the
land, which punish with austerity the poor wretch
who steals the loaf for which his children famist
and leave the deliberate and most nefarious seducel
| exempt from all criminal prosecution II ne oe
wealthy, and his victim has parent or guardian
At hand thrifty enough and mean enough to sue hin
(or the loss of thai vctims seyrices during confne
rnent &c the parent may, in small class OF cases
recover money but this is not punishment for Sc
duction, either in substance or name. The biackes
and most injurious crime short Of murder that car
be committed 10 allowed to pass anpunished In de
Gance Of yearly petition and renonstrance because
Political Power is vested entirely in men, whC
usually have some property TO protect and no have
n personal interest in having depredations thereon
repressed, but a msjority OF whom feel no direc'
interest in the preservation of female purity, bu'
often nm interest rather in its defeDceless exposure
to destruction. The enlightened and powerful
virtually say 'Our sisters and daughters are Toe
well instructed and protected TO become victims
of seduction, or, at the worst, can be shielded
from exposure and utter ruin as for the low-borr
and destitute let them take care Of themselves
while the fathers aud brothers oi our nilllners
manufacturers, houses servants, and other young
women, daily exposed to the Vaccinations OF the
crafty and the vile are either corrupt themselves
or too unthinking to insist on the passage OF sucf
laws as even handed justice and public morality
empbstcally require. SO it has been, is, and pro
baby Will be for years 10 come.
We have ceased to have any patience witt
the sophistry by which the passage OF laws pun
ishng Seduction are opposed One will gravely
argue that there is great danger in such lsws-tha
female depravity and malice will often swear the
virtuous into prison-as if any man who hsbitually
shuns the vile and has preserved spotless charac
ter need fear the testimony of dozen fallen crea
lures Another il sure the woman is often equally
guilty with her alleged seducer--sn assertion
which nobody believes, and which, if true in any
/ cass could easily be made manifest on trisl and
would have itz full weight with jury composed
of men only. A third talks as if vengeance FOL
the fallen and not protection tor the yet innocent
were the object aimed at, and says nothing &c
| the purpose Still another doses long suffering
public with the neiable cant OF Moral Soasion,
as if it were possible with this to detect and deter
| the lbertine And again we lectured on the
evil influences Of serere infections, though any
such Rad been asked for. We are willing the mis-
creant who entices aud deceives daughter 10
shame and ruin shall be punished no more than i
ne had stolen a horse--can any man who pretends
TO a conscience wish to have it less than that