The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-26

The seduction Of = poor dsfencelsss girl. The
laws have no adequate penalty for his offence,
and he struts at large, Boosting Of his infamy,
proclaming the disgrace of his victim, and
Wanting Of other achievements Of like char
acter contemplated by him. To say that this
would justify the act of killing, or any re-
vengeful deed by the hand Of the injured party,
is at once to outrage al law and every principle
Of conservatism upon which the welfare of
society depends; and yet to expect the practice
OF total forbearance on the part of the injured
Is in effect to assume that instead of possessing
the feelings of wronged, an erring and sin
full woman, she has all the purity, charity,
love, and philosophy that true religion can
impart. Ii is in truth the assumption of q
condition of things altogether beyond the pro-
bable, if not the possible. The absence, there
fore, of heavy penalties, both by fines and i'm
prisonment, is in effect an invitation to the in
Fiction of private vengeance, and is so recog-
Missed in the communities in which it is per-
milted to continue; and the voice Of mercy
calls, even in behalf of the wrong doer, for the
enactment and enforcement of laws adapted to
the punishment of his offence.
The records of our criminal courts are full of
instances of the escape of offenders of this class
offenders whose hands are crimson with the
blood of the betrayers of their wives, or sisters,
or children. But the case before US is q fair
type of the whole. The betrayer goes unpun
ished of the law, and glories in his guilt. His
victim wreaks her revenge upon him, and he Is
slain upon the city highway. The community
at first shudder at the terrible deed, but in
moment recover from their horror and condemn
the laws, to which alone they can look for
protection, by justifying the highhanded mea-
sure. In due time the homicide is arraigned
before the tribunal of justice; the prosecuting
officers, it may be, come short of the duty
they have sworn to perform; the court as in
voluntarily leans to the side of the accused;
the witnesses testify more particularly of the
culprips grievance than of her offence; the
jury earnestly desire safe pretence upon
which to hinge verdict for acquittal; and the
prisoners advocate anticipates their wishes
and finds legal loophole through which they
may escape.
Such is briefly the history of each case in
which the sacrifice of life occurs; while of the
many instances in which the cruel wrong is
unatoned, and the spiritless snd detected victim
sinks to infamy, or the still more welcome
grave, no account is ever taken.
Ought not this state of things to be reormed2
Should not the violator of the peace of homes.
the author of woman's misery and degradation,
be CONSIGNED 10 his plsca with the outc7st and
the felon} This question must be met. There
must be living, operative laws on this subject;
or, If there be none, every man will be law
unto himself, and every injured womrn too,
though her revenge be ten times more lmpas-
stoned than her love. The choice is before US,
and We owe it to justice, to the laws that pro-
tect US, TO the helpless whom it is our duty to
protect, to secure such reforms as are necessary
in regard to this subject.