Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-03-04
MORNING LEADER.
T,he Bill 70 Punish seduction.

Extract from the remarks Of NJ. PARSONS, ot
| CHVahOga, made IN the House Representa-
tires, upon the Bill Of Mr.. HARRISON, Of Mad
ison, making seduction punishable By impris-
Onment IN the PeniteRtiary.
Mr. SPEAkER:-This bill provides that if any
person under the promise marriage, shall Sc
duce any female under the age of eighteen
years, he shall be punished on conviction, by
| Imprisonment in the penitentiary. Sir, l in
sist that it is high time such an offence should
be stamped by Law as a crime; for in my judg-
ment it is second only in corruption to murder
| itself The man who with cool-deliberate-
premeditated skill wins the affection ofa young
and gueless woman, under the solemn pledge
of making her his wife, pours into her eredu-
lous and willing ear his tales of love, and then
with hellish art consummates her ruin, and
leaves her to the scorn of the world, and the
sorrows of her own breaking heart, deserves
the seYerest penalty the law can infict. Iagree
with the gentleman from Madison, that such an
offence against ones own family justiies resort
to the "hgher law" and can only be sufficient
ly avenged by the death of the wretch who has
caused this sorrow and disgrace. But while
gentlemen endorse and avow their belief in this
sentiment-while they say that such an act de-
serves death and only death, they are unwilling
to stamp upon the act itself the legal signifca-
ton of a crime, and punish it accordingly. They
say leave the matter to regulate itself-lesve
the friends of the wronged woman to avenge
her BY mortal combat. Sir, 1 speak for those
to-day who have no father-no brother-no
friend, to avenge their wrongs. They are the
ones who seek protection at our hands-it is
for them that we are called upon to legislate.
Gentlemen all of sudden have become fear
fully alive to the necessity of protecting their
own sex. They are fearful lest some "sehem-
ing Jezabel'' may entrap by her arts some un-
fortunate youth, and lure him on to ruin and
the penitentiary. They are fearful lest some
body may be wrongfully convicted if this bill
becomes law. Sir, if that is an argument, it
is an argument against all criminal laws. Ev-
cry year secs a score of innocent persons con-
victed of crimes they never committed The
walls of our penitentiary at this moment doubt
less contain many sorrowing and broken
hearted man or woman, who are wholly inno-
cent of the crimes for which they have been
convicted. The mere thought of such injustice
II axes the blood run cold through our veins
But alas, human laws at best are but imperfect;
and human wisdom in its best estate falls short
of perfection. We must do all we can for truth
aud Justice, and leave the 7, st to the protection
of watchful and guardian providence.
| believe it is substantially impossible to con-
Wet a person improperly under this bill. The
| girl injured must have borne a perfect charac
ter-one on whom the blight Of suspicion even,
has never fallen. To gain such reputation it
must be deserUed. Who does not know that
the slightest deviation from the path Of pro-
priety by young girl, is seen and felt by all
| Hundreds are eager 10 seize upon the slightest
cause for suspicion, and blow 1t into an iInpor-
tapce, often false and cruel in its conclusions.
Breathe upon a woman's good name, and it is
gone-taint it ever SO lightly, and the injury
can never be repaired.
| Sir, when l introduced a bill the other day
which in its provisions seemed to affect injurI-
ously the right of dover of married women, the
| gentleman from Mahoning sprang TO his feet,
armed cap-a-pie like Don Qaixotte, ready to
shiver lance for their protection. But for the
protection of that priceless dover which God
| has given them-that virtue which buds and
blossoms in this life, only to bloom in immortal
beauty and loveliness in heaven, the gentleman
| has no lance to shiver-nO word to say. HIS
sympathies are suddenly called in another di-
rection. Sir, Iappeal to gentlemen around me-
if in every village churchyard within their &C.
| quaintance, there is not some monument-some
lonely, obscure, and neglected grave, which tells
the story ofinnocenee ebetrayed-hopes blighted
character ruined-and life Destroyed Alas,
that this shoul1 be so truel And yet upon the
wretch who made that uRtimely grave, are we
! to hesitate from false notions to afix the name
of criminal trust not In the name of our com
mon humanity.
Sir, remember village ehurchyard, where
in lonely corner now rests all that is mortal o.
a once lovely and innocent woman. She lieI
there in her last sleep with her baby upon hel
bosom Her life and her cares and her sorrows
are all over, and her disgraced and broken hear
is now still as the graves around her. He who
should have protected and made her his wife
he whose voice to her was as the music of the
spheres-.hs is far away. He is called one o
the noblest in the land-and his voice has beer
heard in the highest councils of the nation, ell
oquent in the defence of right In society ht
has been fatteIed, eourted, admired, and hi
words have been caught up like glittering gems
But Sir, if he ever thinks amid all his greatness
of that village churchy yard-if he remember
that quiet crave which the summer sun coveri
with violets, and carpet of green; and upol
which in the long winter nights the cold star
look pityingly down, it must speak with thunde
tones in his ears. Sir, Ienvy not that man wheI
those tioO meet him face to face hereafter befor
the throne of Eternal justice. Till then, let u
leave him; but in my judgment he is just a
much that woman's murderer, as though in tn
middle of the night, with knife in hand, he ha'
assassin-hke crept to her chamber, and stabbe
her as she lay in virgin innocence upon he
pillow