New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-27
PHASES or INFANTICIDE.
A WOMAN's VIEW.
n OlIN4N
To Ghe Editor Of The Tribune

| A WOMANS VIEW
| To Ghe Editor Of The Tribune
! SIR: was gratified to read in The TRIBUNE
this morning interesting editorial article on Causes
Affecting Population" The topic one so vital to the
interests Of humanity dealt with both by Church and
State that seems strange that the press and pulpit have
been long silent upon t. The prolific field OF thought
and study in this direction vailed in mist Of In.
difference or befogged under the masms Of ignorance
and superstition to degree which has not charao
terzed any other subject Of investigation since
the worlds escape from the dark ages.
To the student OF correspondence the history Of hui
man being srikngly eptomizes the history Of the world
conceived 1t amid the accamatOns OF angels and
nodded during embryonic existence by the hand Of ON
nipotence then, after ages Of darkness sent for its
place In the heavens, the embodiment Of life Al Ill
the mysteries Of marriage and parentage as be m
and blessed, under intelligent and oonscentiousimp es
as they are hdeous d accursed when given over to the
powers Of darkness But living witnesses OF this truth
are so comparatively few to throw but pencil OF
light into the depths Of ptiable error Of often pabe
crime, through which so many OF the human family
Struggle 10 place among men-or in which they sink
nste no ar,oro MAJ you 30 Icey u,scII
IN the stll larger death-harvest of infant mortality.
These three enemies to human life and well doing not
recognized by the public coming under the head of
crime-and this very fact proves how. low the public
otherwise high moral principle stand with stained
hands which to their blunt sense seem pure.
Granted that there are yet mysteries OF tho subtle inu
ences OF climate OF governments Of empoyment food,
ana dress TO be studied ana solved there Is at our hand
to lay aside for such fascinating investigations
upon rudmentary principles, for those who are far
enough advanced TO digest such discussions are
Gle the millions who o. need first to know the very
first principles Consider agriculture horticulture 1or
borrow from them the lessons they practice
rately Think OF it! Years Of study have resulted
the improvement Of the brute How the horse the
OK the swine and every other domestic animal has been
flowers and Vegetables are Thought worthy Of this same
Yet the precious caket OF the human soul left
TO dwinde down from one stage Of degeneracy TO
another, till large proportion OF the human race are
employed in the yocatons that can only flourish upon
human decay With drugstore every corner
a physician for every mans neighbor, the mart
teeming with nostrums and the whole vast machinery
for preventing and Furnishing crime-whch Is hut
another form of disease-are we not pitiable race
Would similar specimens IN tne above named l0"er older
very men who would be ashamed Of such scrofulous,
scky dwarfed domestic animals, do not even recognize
these imperfections when reproduced In the bone OF
their bone, and flesh OF their flesh" From the perhaps
miserable and detected mother, down to the present
scion of the stock If scions there be at ALL
broken chain of evidence thatthOuCh by no means g
human family is through abuse Of those laws. mourning
more fearful than those OF mere de
alone that we should strive for so much as higher
ahISIG 81 9ua o bnt meT az" o e oSpoTed
than the dangerous forms Of moral and physical
disease that nsnuae themselves into the life currents
and once there claim their right TO Transmission But
speaking in the aggregate II not that children are or
reaper Death gathers in his fullest harvest at the unpe
ages Of from birth TO five years In our own city mark the
young life that the tenement houses DO these
uncanny specimens stay always IN BABY form Tor here
morn and night and from toll and yagrancy, never
half equal In numbers the babes that ten or twelve years
ago happened into their families What cuts their num-
her doEni Natural death never swept down such wind
rows Of candidates for manhood and womanhOOd NhOB
hans, though the builder and landlord Of tenement
houses the Street Commissioner the licensed vender"
could tell US something about H. lmust DC hat uhhome
like dews foul air soant water reekng streets, and vile
food have somewhat to do with the question But i'm.
pOrtant this phase when dwet upon there are yet
other bearings by higher phases that after az seem nearer
tie root Of the matter Cleanliness and other physical
comforts are wonderfully conducive 10 human WeDelhR
but when these conditions obtain ana yet the accusing
finger Of offended virtue is lifted what answer shall be
deylsed The answer is paIpaDle 70 us
tracngy sobut, with reference 10 the people OF our
own Government TO those Of our metropolis, the
that generous public would tolerate, for
dish, even when served with sauce piqtanr less st
Garnshed asst must be in this case with only bitter
HERBS Though the chewing thereof leaves the mouth
Popnsr taste ia unaccustomed however and It is in
view OF this that from wOmans heart thank You that
through journal-whch has to-day been read by humid
reds OF th0usands-yOu have spoken good wore on
so needful topic Speak again pray thee and lay
thy future lashes light" upon the women Who arc 80
largely involved In these terrible for which they
are but in part responsible for standing as do 80 near
the pulse OF woman humanity, II seems 10 ne that II
omts or uctuates because the currents back OF IL
lacking inspiration drawing for strength upon false
sources. SO am glad to hear you urge inc improve
ment OF whatever pertains 10 the household" For when
the heart OF good true leaps under the i'm
pulses Of purity and freedom and She be- not stuted in
wholesome food for the mind as well AS the body then
this veXed question Of population which always re
solves itself into a question OF intelligent, normal
motherhood Will approach solution. Again. the neces-
sty OF always keeping the amount OF physical ana men
tai effort equal 20 the amount Of that ris tergO which
can never be exhausted without injury 10 the individual
Ia hardly recognized among The whole course OF an
American life is pregnant with abuses OF this law,
a consideration Of which fact gains great weight
when II is remembered that nervous conditions
have quite much TO do with the possibility Of offspring
and the quality OF the same DO purely physical ones
making moral obligation to guard well such lnyldi
GUS influences as undermine the powers through the
effects Of dissipaOnOf stimulating fOOd-and the thou
sand and OOshy adopted and persisted In practices
which year by year asserting supremacy that is
fastening upon us the guilt OF being the most restless
discontented, graspng, and generally, uncomfortable
peOpe-hence least fitted to be fathers and mothers
under such free flag ours, whose glorious stars and
stripes can only unsulled over race Of natural
nobemen and nOblewOmen. This brings us back 70
the responsibility OF my own sex, the which must haf
defend, while | remind you how nseparable Is the
destiny OF nation race from that OF Its women
As TenDysoD has 80 beautifully said
Together, duarfsd or Go1llke. bond or free
Ror be bGt out Of Lethe With
shining Of nature, shares with man
His might. bis days moves with bin TO any goal
fair Young planets Ia hor hands.
Ifshe be small. tightustured, miserable
How shall men grow Y - =.