The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-11-03
The Social Erjl.

| AseV COCtSSS GttSs
A confding sister of Col. jacques ha:
informed the public through the LouiSyill,
journal that her brother has been acquit-
ted of the charge of procuring abortion
upon the victim of his lust. She has mis-
taken the Colonel's release on bail for ac.
quittal; he is yet TO be tried His case
attracts attention from his former clerical
character and his recent notorietv as an
officer, not because it is peculiar. Such
crimes are, unfortunately, too common to
attract much attention or provoke COM
ment. The case of the poor girl from Buf.
falo, lately butchered at one of the noto-
riOus establishments in New-York where
abortion is a regular and most remunera-
tive business, was but an item of a day.
and is forgotten generally before this time
1t was thought an extraordinary act OF
magnanimityin her seducer that he consent
ed to marry her on her death bed, impartial
atonemcnt for his great wrong. -Four 9TH
er young women were in the same e>tab-
lishment, risking their lives in the attempt
to conceal their shame by monstrous out
rage upon nature. These are but single
instances of 4 crime that has become fear
fully prevalent. The social vice is bring
ing shame and ruin upon thousands of our
Young men and women, and there is no
where found any means of successful re-
sistance to the de>olating flood. Vice
walks the streets with consummate bold
hess. and temptations beset the unwary on
every hand. Ecentiousness is not sought
by stealth: it openly seeks its victims:
and no family. however pure and well
taught, is safe from lis insidlouS approach
e.. Indeed, 50 perverted has public opin-
ion become that seduction is no longer de
nounced aS a crime, but man NAV boast
of it and vet hold up his head among re-
spectacle people, and the respectable talk
lightly of il aS if it were good joke. The
pulpit is a> silent As if the seventh com-
mandment had dropped out of the deca-
logue, and the earnest warnings of Solo
mon against 1.-the strange woman are
taboocd and scrupulou>ly avoided as too
indclicate for modern ears. The press al
50 avoids the subject altogether, or dresses
ii up in @roteSque and humorous style, as
If that which is the source of more misery
than almost any other crime were matter
for mirth rather than tears Worst of all.
some papers making special preten>ions 10
piety and religion betoul their columns
with advertisements of no>trums for pro-
,iucing abortion and for curing the foul
diseases that grow out of sexual unclean-
ness. and so virtually teach the Young and
inexperienced the false and monStrous doc
trine that the divine law can he amulled
and IFS penalties evaded. Thus spiritual
and medical quackerv unite TO deceive and
beiray men 10 their ruin and both from the
same mercenarv motives.
Is the case hopeless! Must American
society, sink into worse than P:,risian de
baucherv and misery, Is there no foot
hold left where stand can be made in
behalf Of pubic and private virtue. or
must we all wallow in the mire together
l. the true idea of chivalry. the protection
of womanly virtue bv manly strength.
clean gone forever! No man with con
science can deny that the highest crime
man can commit towards woman is TO
dcspoil her of her virtue Murder is mer-
citml in comparison. The true woman
would infinitely prefer death 10 the los of
her good name And Yet with strange in
consistency women of irreproachable puri-
ty endure the society OF avowed libertines.
and risk their daughters with those whose
very presence and look is contamination.
\ society for the cultivation of social
science has been organized In Boston
Public education and public health are
among the subj hiects which they will inres-
tigate Will il not be legitimate for them
TO consider the great social evil and in
quire for means Of promoting public virtue
and de.encv, now in danger of being Who'll
ly swept away and forgotten. The grand
passion is !, controlling element in human
nature. and all the mere because of If
universality and POWER does ii need TO be
brought under the direction and limitation
of divine law and of sound public opin-
ion- Why may not our young men be taught
that As they value the virtue of their sisters
and sweethearts, so they must respect the
persons and the regulations of every other
mans sister and sweetheart, and that viz
tue Is honorable in man rs well rs woman .
True chivalry, gallantry, honor, matrimo-
nial happiness and the sacredness OF home
all that makes ile'honorable and happy
arc threatened by the food of license
that is sweeping in upon US. Let it be
stayed--.SmmafeM Republican.