Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-01-06
RUFUS CHOATE ON FILTRATION

The Dalton divorce case, which has
been on trial duIing the last week or two
before Judge Merrick, Of the Massachu
sets Supreme Court. sitting in Boston.
is nearly finished. From Mr.. Choate's
speech on behalf of Mrs. Dalton, the de-
fendant in the case, We extract charac-
teristic passage.
cit is said thst there was an intimacy
between Helen Dalton and Sumner, be-
cause of the drives. the rings exchang-
ed. the books given. An intimacy Of
some kind light and frivolous, objec-
tionabe intimacy-one which as long as
she is a living woman, is to be the sor-
row and repentance of her life, did exist.
They will say, as Mr.. Z. o. Coburn ex-
pressed it. that there was Irritation be
tween Sumner and Mrs Dalton. | an
swer, yes. there was. and exactly in the
words of E. o. Coburn. that it was only
Irritation; that it went no further, and
that it might have gene further, but it
was stopped. 1 answer, this second
great piece Of circumstaniial evidence in
the words of their witnesses, that it was
a Irritation only, and there it stopped
/ answer in my own language. also. in
the next place, gentlemen, which l great
ly prefer, that this intimacy, which since
the days cf Joseph Addison has been
called Irritation. { a vulgar. gross, but
most expressive word. but with the sane
tion of the great master of classic lore.
Addison, however)-this which We call
Irritation, as circumstantial evidence,
proving the fact of adultery, wholly
worthless.
l have the honor 10 say. and shall re-
fer TO authority to warrant it. that, as
circumstantial evidence of the crime of
adultery. it is not entitled to the slightest
consideration. There is no fact in all our
social life better established, than that a |
young married woman may admit fir
talion. and accept a certain degree of
pleasure frcm it, end yet her heart not
be touched for an instant by sentiment
OF dangerous love; and yet start back
when proposition Of crime is inteIligib,y
made TO her, as if hell yawned under
her feet. submit that our own obser-
vaticn and the books we read-our Adj
disons. our Edgeworths, and our Walter
Scotts-all we observe and all we read,
goes upon this distinction, and turns and
reasons upon 1.-THE firters are in one
class, and the adulterers in another
They belong to totally distinct species,
with totally distinct moral and seDsorial
developments. Everywhere we ridicule,
gentlemen, and saiirize, her whom we
call vain, and slight, and coquettish; she
is ridicuIed and characterized; but from
The adHi'cress We turn with aversion and
derision. We satirize one as foolish: we
turn from The other as wicked. We hold
up one as warning for herself, for her
own correction; of the other we say
"Oh. no, We never mention her."
One is giddy, and the other is wicked.
Il is fact not creditable to any of us,
hat many married women hover, for the
great part of their lifetime, in this region
Of vanity and fattery, and yet never
dream of taking the dark descent. Is it
not fact? How many q wife will flut-
er her plumage to the music of fiattery,
and yet. when the romance is broken by
. solicitation of chastity. will start. and
with hands upon her ears. fly as if a COB
in damned stood before her. 1t is fact
well established by all obser-
yations of life, that woman may indulge
n these sentiments. accept this treatment
md feel this pleasure. whose heart is