Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-07-31
ARPEAL.
"a. -, Trus % srsslf-

FfVu the Boston POST phffalel-
There was a nardsr trisI lately n n Of a
phia. The seduction By a married N ,sful
YcunE woman was followed by these 61aA al
and shocking results the misery and meBe
wreck Ct The boating husband and the death by
he injured Han Of the seduceT. The unhappy
lculprlt was acquitted on the ground Of insanity.
When be killed bis adversary the voice Of the
public was, served him right /" and the Jury
confirmed The popular verdict. We DO think
the public or the jury were in the wrong. The
seduction was a grievous sin guev0usly an
swered. ButWhst shall We say Of the woman
the p~GTticeps crimiais with him whose crime
occasioned these terrible conseqGences2 The
press. e~icouenf Ia its dsnuuciarions Of her
partner IN sin, has had no more to say Of her
than If she had no accountability in the mat
ser. This il not the silence Of mere g~aliantry
there is q bad philosophy and worse morality
a. the bottom Of it. Tns man was = sinner,
and, in recompense, is dead and damned, it may
be but is the woman 10 be held excused, OF
mentioned only as q Z" victim p Half Of the
world says @yss," regardless Of the fact that
the Affirmative implies an inpeachGent Of the
goodness and justice Of God in creating a re-
sp0nsible being 50 utterly blind and helpless.
A writer in the Philadelphia Press says, With
great force Of argument:
sara we all ready 10 sanction the monstrons
doctrine that woman Is 10 man as tie poor bird
20 the fascinating aerpsnt2 When the A.
mighty completed EIs creation By making
man, male and femzle, I'D He fail 10 give 70
woman &c much power over herself as was
necessary for the same sex ia the brutes that
peTishP Even they have s3me free agency
s. Drink not in this breath Of sbominatiOn
on the subject Of what is miscalied seduction.
Be il your cardinal maxim that woman is her
own great-one NAV say her oWn real Destroy
Ct. Such misery never comes upon her unless
ehe has first. in the recesses OF Der Own bosom,
lighted a fame. which the breath Of lying lips
is always ready to fan Il is strange how east
" the man Of appetite guesses her fatal Sc
eret weakness, while be stands silent and re-
spectful before the eyes Of another woman,
who has not broken down those hedges Of in
noceucs and reserve which God Almighty
causes to grow with the growth and strengthen
with the strength Of maid and mstron alike.
There are novels without end in our day.
Their general moral, or rather immoral pur-
pose, IS to make human life a love-drezm. De
perrur, JG1e Eyre, C0asGdO, The Mysteries Of
Paris, and other productions Of the Don Juan
school Of morality, form a circle large enough
% comproniss all sorts Of sensual dreamsrs.
Women who consider Swift and Smoliett hor-
ribly coarse and vulgar, are not disguised with
the delicstely-told and skillf1lly psliiated re-
suits Of unlawful love-"
Ths writer concludes with bringing the sub
ject hone to the q business and bosons' Of his
readers in the following Pungsnt terms:
Look around at your own wife and daugh-
tsrs-viTtuous, bright and hsppy-wauting
nothing that can contribute TO their comfort
and real enjoyment. Then take Up the fash
ionsble reasoning about seduction and settle Il
in your heart as one Of the mysterious things
about this present evil world, that any woman
is Tirtu0us, and bright, and happy, only because
IL has CHANGED that som sedUcer. married OF
unmarried, has not msenstizsd her and made
her a victim. Do you like such doctrine about
the help-Deet FOR you, whom God has given
Do you ike to think il was true Of your sainted
mothsr7 Do you think it is the law Of the
nature OF your houOred sisters and your tender
and beloved daughters?
It is stroci0us cruelty towards the wretch
edly poor and sorely tempted women Of oul
large cities, when those who sinned, full Of
bread, are called victims, fer whose sake the
ssducsrs must fall into untimely graves by The
hands Of violence. Such popular sentiment
makes womsn's honor the most pTecsriOns, ths
most Insecure thing il the moral universe. Il
Ehe stands it is only because she is well watched
BY z male sentinel. But It was said long ago
even II plays, q that the virtue which always
needs a ssntinelis not worth watching"