Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-05-01

''It is but few days since many of our
best citizens were exasperated at what seemed
TO be the perverse determination of Judge
to doom little girl six years Of age, once
snatched from ruin, TO a life Of infamy."
The foregoing is taken from an article in
yesterdays Gazette, entitled "An Appeal in
Behalf of the Young 0utcasts Of Cincinnati"
The article itself, column in length, is one
of those twaddling efforts which belong to
the advocacy of the perfunctory institutional
charities Of these days-a compound Of sta
tistics and stupidity, unenlivened by the evil
dence of particle acknowledge of the human
characteristic first requisite in such as write
upon that order of subjects. But it is alone
with the quotation above that we have to
do at this time.
The incident referred to was the attempt of
the Judge of the Probate Court of this
County to restore child to its parents, from
whom it was withholden without legal right
on the part of its detainers. To resist the
decree Of the Court in the premises, mob
was audibly hoped-for, by highly-respected
citizen, whose age should have taught him
better things-the moral effect of which was
to retard the processes of public justice, with
what ultimate influence over the condition
of the parties Immediately interested-if
any-we have not learned.
When, few months ago, a Hebrew child
was "torn from its parents" by certain eccle-
siastics of the Roman Church, in Italy, bap-
tized and sent TO school, all Protestant Christ
endom was in fever of excitement at this
outrage of parental rights. Europe and
America resounded with the cry raised in
behalf of violated natural affection, govern
ments were solicited to interfere, and many
wondered why our President, in conjunction
with Queen Victoria did not proceed at once
to demolish the Scarlet Woman of Rome,
and all her aiders and abettors confederates
and machinery. The tears and sufferings
and pains and scruples of the bereaved
father and mother were paintedby free hands
and glowing fancies, and case of hardship,
such as could not fail to arouse feelings of
indignation in the dullest bosoms, was pre-
sented.
1t is a little strange that those parental
rights and feelings which we were so prone
to recognize and so anxious to see vindicated,
in the case of the Jew, seem to lose all their
Importance in the case of an Irishman. Their
recognition by a sworn officer of the law is
termed, by highly respectable newspaper,
'perverse determination" and to give them
legal force is spoken of as delivering a child
"to a life of infamy." 1t may be that the ap-
parent condition of the child Would not be
bettered by a just administration of the law;
but what of that ? Indeed, who knows, or
has the authority to judge and determine
which custody of the two is best for the fu-
ture woman? And what parent would be
willing to permit his own rights to depend
upon the question as to what mob may
think of the manner in which he may exer-
else them?
The truth is, prosecuting bigotry, born of
perverted religious feeling is at the bottom of
the whole affair, and explains all its phenom-
ena. In Italy the wrongful holders of the
child were Catholics; therefore, is the cry to
vindicate parental rights; in Cincinnati, the
parents are Catholics; and therefore has the
tide turned, and nothing can more easily be
overlooked than these same sacred parental
franchises. Does anybody suppose that had
the child gone from Protestant into Cath
olic family, our cotemporary would have
thought a determination of the Judge to
restore it to its parents "perverse," or such
restoration blooming" of it ito life of
infamyW