Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1860-01-28

The evil tendency Of these teachings is
~, confined TO the developments at Har'
per's Ferry, bot have spread through So
cieiy, perverling everything that is sweet
and sacted in the female character where
a poisonous seed has fallen near The
Since that time, females
have ceased to blush when Free Love as
an institution is mentioned. but discuss II
side by side with tie negro question. The
slavery OF lhe South and The slavery ot
marriage take now about equal PTomi'
nence. Woman's rights and negro rights
ride the same side saddle, and women ap'
pear now with a shameless audacity and
pariake in discussions which the most
hardened of the sex would have shrunk
from twenty years ago.
The irreigion, the want of reverence,
thc audaciOus ambition which this state OF
uings has developed in women, is terri
BILE feature Of the times. A thirst Tor no.
lprie,y is driving the sex insane. They
call il by thousand specious names, but
the fountain is in the insallate vanity
hich nothing but the lightning OF the
press or the clamors Of a multitude can
appcase. The women who have SET the
example and given their talent 10 produce
This state of things, are as culpable as the
man who poisons well at which whole
village must drink. They are line little
boys who have the power to unlock a
food gate, but none to arrest The cataract
Of water that Pours through.
Mrs. Beecher Steve, and her train OF
small imitators, have something more TO
answer Tor than the death of those who
have had faith in their sincerity. When
Old John Brown, the victim of their tea
chings ,atones for his fault on the scafiold,
| i, will be the most piliful or repulsive pic
ture that the teachings of these unwoman-
| lv women have inflicted on society; for
the execution Of man is not half so re-
voting as the Generalization of one wo,
man, The evil which his death will
spread, is nothing 10 the spirit Of defiance
to law ADD order which overshadows ma
ny New England hearthstone, where
our mothers performed their household
duties, worshipped God, and reverenced
the laws.
If OLD John Brown is executed on the
day appointed such women as Mrs. Stowe
and such men as Henry Ward Beecher,
will heve his blood OIL their souls, if not
on their hands. |, was his belief in their
courage and sincerity that led the old man
into The crime which he must expiaIe on
the gallows, while the lncendiary words
which lured him and his followers to
death, coiu for their writers fame and mo-
ney, with which to purchase appliances
for luxurious living. lncendary acts, IN
cited, encouraged and (ostered by these
mercenary teachings have led braver souls
than they will ever possess TO the scafiold.
And what have the anti-slavery men
and women done 10 help their victims
| Why, contended themselves with vitupe-
raiions against the South; fed 10 Canada
for safety, or sent artislicslIy prepared
letters asking permission TO visit old John
Brown in his dungeon, that each word
gathered f!om his miserable lips may
hereafter be turned TO "a grain of gold.
The auli-savery women have talked and
written any amount of sentimental lncen'
diarism; bul now, when these teachings
take form, and are about to make the wife
of old John Brown widow, what can
they DO {! They cannot write him out OF
prison. or preach the gallows from under
bis feet. They have urged an excilable,
ardent and rash fanatic on to bloody
death, 81 instead of going on their knees d
praying Almighty God to forgive lhis hor'
rible sin, content themselves with writing
letters for publication, or making sen'i-
mental journeys to their victims prison.
During the last few weeks, letters have
been floating, thick as leaves, through the
newspspers-all calculated 10 eXalt a
&andfuI of unhappy rioters into martyrs,
>snSio give the names Of the writer's TO
the p0bic,-a bliss for which some wo.
men OF ardent vanity and mediocre minds
would. believe, take place on the gall
lows themselves.
Mrs. Lydia Maria Child first sets the
example, and writes letter beautifully
adapted for publication, 10 Governor
Wise, asking permission to console, COM
fort and sympathize with John Brown in
his prison. OF course Mrs. Child knew
that she had perfect right 10 visit Vir-
epia and that .here was no more danger
in doing so then in seeking her own bed
chamber a, night. In this country wo'
men are more than respected wherever an
American citizen is 10 be found.
There was no more necessity Tor send
ing this letter 20 Gov. Wise. than there
was to ask the Governor OF Massachusetts
for permission TO eat her breakfast. AS
for ahmiiNnce 10 the nrisnn. Mrs. Child,