Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-07-05
Noble Tribute to Woman.

The Boston Courier, in commenting
upon the remarkable clap-,rap speech of
Mr.. Graham, counsel for Mr.. SIckles,
made grand defense Of woman whose
general character for virtue Mr. Graham
shamefully slandered. The Courier says
Mr.. Graham seems to be one of those
fluent speakers of whom Campbell re-
marks that they have not SO much com.
rnand of language has command OF them
No matter how simple or automatic a
statement Is TO be made, he wreaihes
round II so many artificial flowers of rheto-
ric, he overlays 1t with SO much tawdry
ornamentation, that the wearied mind
refuses to search for the hidden point
His argument seems only adapted TO a
Justices court OF the time of Me,huselah,
when the lie OF man was Mrs hundred
years; for II is quite out Of proportion to
the present allotted age of thre escore and
ten. Passing, without comment, over
the absurd and lmpioIS argument drawn
from the Bible-passing over his state
ment 10 the jury that they were {" 10 pro-
nounce the estimate of an American Jury
on the value of the marriage bed, pas
sing over the comparison of the killing of
Key 10 the execution of the condemned
Baltimore murdererS--passipg over his
unchristian remark that TO an injured
husband there remains only suicide or
murder--we must protest in the name of
the women of America against the insul-
ting estimate put upon female chastity
and strength Of virtue, by the argument
Of Mr.. Graham.
He commenced by telling the jury that
hadkey not been slain their own wives and
daughters would not have been safe that
they might have been marked for seduc-
ton, and that they would have been cal
led upon to g satisfy the insa;iate appetite
of the deceased" He then told the twelve
Intelligent men before him that if an
action for damages was 10 be the only
redress against the murderer, their wives
lived IN a very perllous atmosphere, and
they might as well let the infamy come
at once he next stated that woman was
the weaker vessel, that her name was
frailty, and that the strong arm of her
husband was needed to restrain her
within the paths of rectitude ; and so
on, through his entire address, he was
constantly implying that the general
character of woman was such that llber-
tine had only to beckon to her and she
would follow him with eager wantonness
TO her own destruction.
1t is impossible for us to know from
whom Mr. Graham has ever gained his
ideas of female virtue but either his as
socialions have been most unfortunate, or
else his own nature IS deplorably of ap-
precia,ing the character of women.-
There is no fortress SO impTegnable as
the citadel of a vIrIuous wonan's heart !;
there is power In the silent influence of
felmale chastity TO make strong man
quail and became as an infant. Are we
TO be told that the only protection we have
against the adulterer is the fear he has of
the husbands avenging arm: That our
wives and sisters have no safeguard IN the
purity of their own souls, but If our pro-
lection is removed they will fall at once
into the palpable snare!
The remarks of the counsel are Insulting
TO the dignity of every virtuous woman in
the land. Shame on that man who dares
to Judge of female honor by the conduct
of that wife and mother who would 60
from her own house at the waves of a
handkerchief to place of deliberate
assignation, and there give herself to the
embraces of a paramour As co.apen-
sation for weakness of body, there is
given to woman strength of soul more
mighty than the strength of armies, and
in defense of her purity she will awe by
her moral power the boldest hbertne that
ever dehed the laws of God or man.
Yet Mr. Graham seems to think that bolts
and bars alone can keep her from the
degradation of lust. We pity him upon
whom no better appreciation of the no.
bility of woman has ever dawned.