The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-08-02


has been maintained, while many Of the more
agreeable customs Of the ancient population have
become Obsolete. The fact, that of late years, the
sums extorted from the husbands have been appfo-
pfatcd for some charity, has palliated the offence
against good manners, and induced the police Off
GERS to overlook the infraction of the law Then,
too, the leader of the Sheet-Iron Band whose
name is synonyme Of generosity and philan-
thropy, has kept it in credit.
But, with the improvement Of the city in morals
with the rapid increase Of families and the conse-
quent elevation Of society--that which was tole-
rated, and even encouraged in ruder condition, is
now beginning to be scrutinized, and OF course
condemned.
What right have knot Of wild, jolly, good
hearted fellows to do with the alliances, or mis-
alliances of their neighbors Suppose an old
man marries young woman, or young fellow
p,arries an old woman-.is That an offence to be
punished by nocturnal insult and annoyance"
! conmutable BY heavy imposition? Who make
these gentlemen the guardians of matrimony I?
And then to heighien their offence, they are
themselves bachelors, who might prevent this sac
ri6ee of young maidens, by making them the
wives Of young men. They not only will not
marry themselves, but they punish with discord, or
AA~fsy
accord with their notions Of propriety.
We suppose Dean Swift would have been
treated to charivari when he MARI ied Stella
And poor old Scarron would never have heard
the last of his marriage with the blooming
D'Aubigne. The last, match at first sight, most
| incongruous, and yet when the circumstances are
known, proves an act Of delicate gallantry worthy
of the age when the rights Of woman are recog-
L n N. Il L
ding-donged until he gave up half of his fortune
Matches, which to the world appear either un.
suitable purely selfish, may yet have ariser
from proper motives. Certainly, if young mar
marries wealthy old woman, we all feel con
tempt for him, yet we do not see that such mar
is avoided. On the contrary, we know Manti
lin Of this description who sometimes visits New
Orleans, and young gentlemen are very willing
to eat his dinners and drink his wines, and helT
him enjoy his vacdtions. If man may be in
suited and annoyed for act, why not for another
If the public are to sit in judgement on mans
marriage, why not any other important event
in his life
Beside, u is a a0Gr on a0onaen. The husbands
do not care If the tin kettles and horns, and al
other instruments of discord, were kept in full
blast for month. But the wife is more easily dis
composed, and the gathering OF a mob at nigh
around her house--the discordant notes.-the
brutal merriment-the coarse jokes of the crowd
all would throw woman into Mysteries. Under
such circumstances the husband is compelled to
buy of the charitable and philanthropc reformers
on their own terms.
1.-THE Northern cities they have Asylums for the
Blind, the Mute, the Insane and the Poor but they
are not supported by these forced contributions.
No Sheet-Iron Band annoys and insults newly
married couPles-there is no money extorted from
misalliances-but they rely on the true, unpur-
chased generosity Of the citizens.
If the few charities of New Orleans can only be
maintained by nocturnal insults and annoyances !"
let them fail DR.. Dodd committed forgery to
aid charity, and he was executed. In Boston
something Of the kind was recently attempted, but
the city police at put it down. In one of the
Western towns the tables were completely turned
l Cake was sent out to these self-invited guests,
which had been charged with an emetc.
That this mode of raising money, even for a
good purpose, should be abandoned, is now the
universal opinion Of the citizens. And we hope
the gentlemen who have so often levied this
tribute, will reflect the subject and abandon
practice which involves an infracton Of the laws o
the land and the courteses of life.
THE DISSENTING CoUNcIL-M AN.-Mr. Cope
land, of the Massachusetts Council, gives his rea-
for dissenting from the decision of the Execu-
tive and the Committee on Pardons in the case OF
Professor Webster He says there is no evidence
shown to prove generalization, and adds:
Under the law-as laid down in this case by
the Court-a jury is bound to bring in verdict Of
wilful murder in all cases of secret homicide, un-
less the accused can proUs himself innocent If a
man is attacked in any place where there is nc
witness, and in defending himself kills his assail.
ant he is liable to be executed for murder he may
be able to prove his innocence, but his chance fol
doing is very small. The law presumes malc,
when the homicide is proved, and thus is liable t.
create the crime of wfu murder out Of iustifabl,
homicide. If in this case Dr. Parkman had beer
the aggressor, not in words only. but had followed
them with blows, and if Prof. Webster had in self
defence killed him, the result would have been thu
same; the ability Of Webster TO prove the facts
+ and thereby establish his innocence, would hay,
q been in no manner increased, and he would stant
where he now is with his life forfeited, for doing
, an act which the law would justify if the trutl
:" could be made to appear"
- |