Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-04-16

perdltlon whose peStllential miaSma now
in the common arH We must have
quarantine for pestilence, and if it come too
near us, we break down walls and burn
buildings to drive il from us and If the
meanness of another state refuse us sand
bank, we talk of building on the sea to
keept far off. But here is a moral pesti-
lence that sails 10 the purple of Tyre adown
Broadway, that sets its pitfalls and snares
at our very feet, that oozes with its dam
nation through brick walls, from the Five
Points to the Fifth avenue--but this we
must not even speak about we must let it
all alone. Are you safe in your respecta-
biityY Oh, father, are no more sons to be
tempted 7 Are you safe 10 your own hon
or? Oh, mother, is there never more to
be broken-hearted mother Are you
safe, citizen, from the taxation of poverty
and crime These kennels and shambes
where robbers and incendiaries prowl; these
temples of devil-worship are all around yon;
will you put your hands upon your hearts
and walk about the halls of Eblis in mys.
terious silence No bring forth the
shame, like the guilty woman in the text !;
let it be accused aud marked, and let the
full light of Christ's truth and Chrst's pu.
rity stream upon it.
In the passage connected with the text,
we are told Christ said to the woman's ac-
cusers: "He that is without sin among
you, let him cast the first stone;" but, smit-
ten by conscience, they went out one by
one. And who is not in some way allied to
this great guilt 2 The fact of common
weakness should at least make rs merciful
1t is not just that upon the woman alone
should fall the blot of shame. The text is
a great lesson of charity and mercy, and it
is a great lesson of justice also. There is
neither justice, honor, nor delicacy in our
modern custom, which scarcely frowns upon
the guilty man, while pouring ont all the
yials of wrath npon the guilty woman. The
refined woman recoils with virtuous scorn
from her fallen sister, but often welcomes
with bright homage him by whom she fell
The mantle Of Christian charity is supposed
to cover everybody, though perhaps we
ought to allow little for natural shrinkage,
and if there be any whom it will not cover,
any who desire to be left outside Of its
folds, it is the man who trades in woman's
affections, drags her down to ruin, then
leaves her to suffer and die, and goes on
smilngly and boastingly to new conquests
The only use Of such men is to make us be-
ieve in a devil, or rather that no partcu-
lar devil is necessary.
1t may or may not be true, as some III
sist, that this foul cancer in society can
never be eradicated; but we ought at least
to insist upon it that the shame shall be
ia irly divided, that the SHINING man shall
be branded as deeply as the sinnng woman.
Suppose every guilty man bore the mark
of shame in his face, in Broadway, in the
market, or at church, how long would the
evil continue? But the meanness of man
has thrust the whole shame upon woman.
In some respects communities may stand
like individuals in relation to this evil
The position of our own city of New York
is not unlike that of the woman in the
passage before us, in that respect. Guilty
ii is ulpueStionably, and certainly most ve-
hemently accused. And who are the &C
cusers p? They are mainly those who share
its guilt. They are men from other com,
munitics who sojourn here for time, swell
the current of its abomination, add 10 the
food of its shame, and then go back to the
pure and peaceful country, to join in a
chorus of horror and indignation at the
exceeding Sinfulness of New York. New
York is bad enough, but not so dark as it
has been painted-bad enough, but let the
community without sin, without participa-
tion in the sin of New York, first cast the
stone "'They went out, beginning at the
eldest, even unto the last, being convicted
by their own consciences."
Mr. Chaplin next spoke of the various
classes of proaigates. He knew of moth
ing SO horrible and awfnl to contemplate
as pro6igate old mana sinner without
even an excuse. The father of family,
perhaps the principles of his sons are under
mined by his baseness, and the'very air his
daughters breathe is tainted. For the
young man who is about yielding to the
tempter there should be raised the voice
of warning. The best and purest might
bear indirect relations to this shameful
phase of life; they might be implicated
through neglect and Indifference,
In the great house of the abandoned
were hundreds and thousands who strug-
gled to the last, and yielded to temptation
only through positive and imperative want.
In London, probably ane forth of the
whole number reSorted to the streets only
to exc out living. In this city, one hrok'
en.hearted creature yielded to the tempteI
only to save dying and crippled sister frou
being turned into the streets to starye. -
But another heart was broken by the
shameful selfsacrifce; the sick and crippled
sister lived only few weeks. The survi
vor said; 81 do not like this life; | woulC
do almost anything to get out Of it; bu
now, having once done wrong, canuo
get any work Aud this is the evil to b,
covered up with the smooth tissue-paper o
deeeney and delicacy. 1t is indelicate Il
talk about it. Is it indelicate to starv
aud die
We are connected with this matter b,
our opinions as to woman's sphere of EN-
ployment. Better wages are demanded fol
women. Many sewing women have bu
one or two dollars a week. to keep OF
death and the devil with. One poor won
an made capsat two cents piece. Woul
her muni6cent employer be willing to sho'
himself2 He would probably need all th
/ caps the poor woman ever made 10 hide hi