Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-22
ABORTION IN NEW ENGLAND-A
FEARFUL PICTURE


A few weeks ago the New York Tri-
June had leading editorial on "the
conspiracy against marriage" in which
it alluded rather darby to causes which
are at work to prevent the increase of
families, which it regards as fearfully
prevalent in the Northern section of the
Union That paper declares that "there
an army large appointed, organized, COM
missioned, waging war against the
marriage institution. To this army-the
vicious the foolish, the criminal so mis-
cellaneous, so diversely accoutered-be-
long no small number Of the people who
find marriage an expensive luxury, and
great many of the people who consider
it announcement to rear large family"
And the Tribune further declares that
"the married do as much to bring
marriage into dishoaor and reduce it to
ineffciency as the unmarried This is
terrible Indictment to bring against a
people who boast of their superior civil
zatiOn. The Banner Of Light, Boston
publication, is more explicit than the
Tribune, and furnishes data upon which
the latter's indictment may be based
Here is the fearful picture of demorali-
cation and crime which the Banner of
Light presents
We will state a single fact, recently come
under our notice, which illustrates, as we'll
as anything can, the fatal corruption that
infects what is styled our Christian civiliza-
ton and before those who NAV read these
lines shall pay out another dime for the
proposed redemption of the "heathen." we
beg them to pause and reflect if il would
not be wiser to abolish the worse than
heather, the shockingly inhuman practices
that faint and are certain to destroy our
social system unless early checked by an
efficient corrective.
At a recent meeting of the Medical As
ISOLATION of Androscoggin county, in Maine,
DR.. Oaks made the remark that, according
to the hes; estimate he could make, there
we're four hundred murders annually pro-
duced by abortion in that county alone
This astonishing number of infants de-
stroyed deliberately every year, in a single
county Of Puritanic New England! Think
of il. The statement is made in all posi-
BILE seriousness, before a meeting of "regu-
lar" practitioners in the county, and from
statistics which were az freely exposed 10
one member of the medical fraternity
as another. Ii this is indeed the civ
ilized condition of things of which
we are wont to hear such fire.
quent and such loud boasts, the mention of
so barbarously inhuman a fact must send a
shock 10 the heart Of every reader. This
practice, above alluded 10, comes under the
notice of practicing physicians in particu-
lar. They see what others cannot see, and
know what Others cannot know. Secrets
are revealed TO them, in the course of their
varied experiences, which would never be
given up except in extremity. Ii is for
this cause that a family physician is re-
garded az the repository of confidence
which society compels him to keep sacred
ly. Ii is only when statistics Of so start
ling a character force an open allusion TO
the facts, that we get certified statement
Of them like this one.
Now, il such things are done to such
frightful extent in one remote county of
New England State, what are we 10 expect
Of the entire State? and of the six New
England States together? How many
living native children are likely 10 be num-
bered in the coming generation? And
what proportion of those that live may be
expected, after successfully resisting these
murderous efforts of inhnman parents, to
enter the world with whole faculties and
powers such as belong to every being born
Yet this great and frequent crime is COM
mitied to 20 fearful an extent in conmuni-
ties that boast Of spires pointing TO heaven,
and spends large sums of money for preach
ers and teachers to cover up the cave Of so
hungry a sepulohre.