The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-06-26

gument made by Polly Baker which is not
only amusing, but instructive and logical
SPEECH OF MISS POLLY BAKER,
Delivered before a Court of Judicature in
Connecticut, New England, Where she
ras prosecuted for hauing a bastard child.
May it please the honorable bench, to in
dulge me in few words IL am a poor,
unhappy woman, who have no money to fee
lawyers to plead for me, being hard put to
il to get a tolerabe living.
| shall not trouble your honors with
long speech, for have not the presumption
to expect, that you may by any means be
prevailed Oh TO deviate in your sentence
from the law, in my favonr. All humbly
hope is, that your honours would charirably
move the governors goodness in my be-
half, tha, my fine may be remitted. This is
the fifth time, gentlemen, that have been
dragged before your court on the same ac-
count; twice have paid heavy fines, and
twice have been brought to public punish
ment, for want of money to pay those fines.
This may have been agreeable TO the laws,
and don't dispute it; but since laws are
sometimes unreasonable in themselves, and
therefore repealed; and others bear too hard
OH the subject in particular circumstances,
and therefore there is left a power some
what to dispense with the execution of
them. take the liberty to say, that think
this law, by which ain punished, is both
unreasonable in itself, and particularly Sc
we're with regard to me, who have always
lived an inoffensble life in the neighbour
hood where | was born; and defy my enc
mics, if have any, to say | ever wronged
man, woman, or child. Abstracted from
the law, cannot perceive, may it please
your honors, what the nature of my Of
fence is.
have brought FIVE fine children into the
world at the risk of my life, and have main
tanned them well by my ownindustry, with
out burthening the township; and should
have done it better, if il had not been for
the heavy charges and fines have paid.
Can it be q crime, in the nature of things,
mean, TO add to the number Of useful cit
izens in new country that really wants
people own it. should think il praise
worthy rather than punishable action.
have debauched no other woman's husband
nor enticed any youth these things never
, was charged with, nor has any one the ieas,
cause Of complaint against me, unless per.
haps the minister or justice, because have
had children without being married, by
=
. But can even this be a fault of tnine | ap.
peal TO your honors. You are pleased to
allow don't want sense; but should be
stupid to the last degree, not to prefer the
honorable state Of wedlock, 10 the condi,
ton have lived in. | always was, and ar
still willing TO enter into it and doubt mol
my behaving well in it, having all the in,
dustry, frugality, fertility, skin and econo,
my appertaiDiDg to good wife's character
defy any person to say | ever refused an
offer of that sort. On the contrary, read
lily consented to the only proposal of mar
riage that ever was made 10 me, which was
when | was virgin; but too easily confd
ing tn the persons sincerity that made it,
unhappHy lost my own honour by trusting
TO his. That very person you all know; ht
4 is now become a magistrate OF this country
and had hopes that be would have an
peared this day on the bench, and have en-
= deavored to moderate the court in my ia
your; then | should have scorned to hay,
mentioned it; but | must now complain O
it as unjust aud unequal, that my betraye
and undoer, the first cause of all my fault
and miscarriages, if they must be deemed
> such, should be advanced to honor anc
power IN the government, tha, Furnishes ms
misfortunes with stripes and infamy.
shall be told, 'tis likely, that were lher,
d no act of the assembly in the case, the pre-
y cepts of religion are violated Ivy my trans
: gressions. Ii mine then be a religious of
fence, leave it to religious punishment
You have already excluded me from thu
n communion Is not that sufficient Yo,
believe | have offended heaven, and mus
suffer eternal fire: will not that be sufficien,
What need is there then of your addiiiona
fines aud whipping? But how can i, be he
lieved that heaven is angry at nv havin,
children, when to the little done by me to
wards 1t, God has been pleased to add hi
= di' inc skill and admirable workmanship i,
the formation of their bodies, and crowne,
> it by furnishing them with rational and i'm
mortal souls!
Forgive inc, gentlemen, if l talk n litti
K extravagantly on these matters; am no di
o vine; but If you, gentlemen, must MAX
laws, do not turn rational and useful &C
,ions into crimes by your prohibitions =
= But take into your wise consideration th
u great and growing number of bachelors il
IL this country, many of whom, from the inca
- fear of the expenses of family, have neve
sincerely or houourably courted a woma
= in their lives, and by their manner of living
leave unproduced, which is little better tha
murder, hundreds Of their posterity TO tn
a thousandth generation. Is not this great
e. er offence against the public good tina
7, mine Compel them then, by law, eithe
As to marriage, or pay double the fine of fo,
Or nication every year. What must poo
e. young women do, whom custom has forbi
rs to solicit men aud who cannot force then
selves on husbands, when the laws take n
. care to provide them any; and yet severel
punish them if they do their duty withol
= them; the duty of the first and great con
~ u.and of nature, and Of natures God, {,
crease and multiply; duty, from the stead
performance OF which, nothing has bee
> able to deter me; hut for its sake. hav
"a hazarded the loss of public esteem, an
have frequently endured public disgrace an
punishment; and therefore ought, in m
'e, humble opinion, instead of a whipping,
-. have a statue erected to my memory.
: The editor Of the Green Bay Advocat