Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-06-23
Breach of PrOEMise-Wh
Charles Lever thinks about
Cornelius ODowd, in May Blackwood

Now / am fully persuaded
that the horsewhip and the hail
trigger were far more effectua
in suppressing these Offences
than trial at bar. The redress
which can only be approached
by a humiliation and a terror
is no redress at all and if We
sounded the depth of public
feeling, we should find there is
a more contemptuous sentiment
for her who has gained the
damages than for him who has
paid them. AS [ have said be-
fore, the real hero is the de-
PENDANT; he has had his lark,
and he has paid for it. Two
thousand or three, perhaps,
seem a good deal for a filtration
and a confidential correspond
ence but he has shown the
public what q dangerous dog
he is, what a terror he might
be in a neighborhood-not to
say that he has cast a shadow
over a whole life, and left an
undying memory of treachery
where he had DrOmised fidelity
rand loyalty.
Why will not public opinion,
so unforgiving to the duelist,
extend some OF it's severity to
the cases that duelling knew
how to deal with -? or, if it will
not permit the pistol, why not
measure out to the betrayer
some of that Indignation it now
bestows on him who fights !?
Declare these men infamous.
1t is no case for q money repa-
ration. We have in part dis
carded that base amende in
some other cases let us have
done with it here. Degrade
the man who breaks his pledge
when solemnly given to make
a girl his wife, from whatever
station of honor or profit he
possesses, and pronounce him
disqualified to serve the Crown.
If women depend on men for
their protection, here is the
case of all others that calls for
that protection. To accept
these men in society, to receive
them in our clubs, to make
them associates and compan-
ions, is shame and a disgrace
on us. To shun the sharper
and the blackleg, and to know
one of these, is an outrage on
sense as we'll as on decency.
In the laxity with which we
treat this guilt we contribute
to its frequency. Make breach
of promise of marriage as dis
graceful as cheating at play,
and you will suppress it more
effectually than if you quadru-
pied the damages or, if you
will not do this-if you will
maintain the pleasant theory
that courtship is a game where
the players stand on equal
terms, and that it is national
gain to us if the ladies of our
families learn to temper the
flow of their affection with
some knowledge of the law of
contracts that girls are better,
and better fitted to become
wives and matrons, from hav-
ing their minds plentifully
armed with distrust, and pre-
pared to regard every man as a
possible blackguard-if, we say.
you desire to maintain all this,
the result will be q very acute
class of young ladies, which
will lead to fewer cases Of
breach of promise, but in return
give you a larger crop Of suits
for divorce and separation. 1t
is not merely because | am an
Irishman that I like a little
Lynch law, but really believe
'lynching' enlists a larger
share of public sympathy in its
exercise than all other forms of
Justice ; and it has two other
merits-it is both speedy and
inexpensive.
A friend of mine, for whose
opinion and judgment | have
great Difference, tells me that
in my zeal to punish these trail
tors of false faith, | am likely
to put down that pleasant pas
time called Irritation. But l
demur to this dictum I'm sure
1 never heard it alleged that the
Universal Peace Association
decried fireworks, and actually