The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-01-14
WOMANS NH UMANITY.

''"' S""S iOhS 49, VI hiu' iihu-
manity to man." and the world since then
has applauded his beautiful sentiment and
proved by action its approval of his mo-
rality. Yet, in the widest flights of the
poets Imagination, it did not occur to him
to try his muses. power on the cognate
subject ot"woman's inhumanity to woman;
possibly for the reason that in his day
the claims of the sex to the worlds notice
had not advanced to the stage which they
now occupy. Nevertheless, the theme,
although not new, contains in itself much
that tends to sadden and discourage the
believer in the untarnished since rity and
| goodness of woman, and convcos
him of the presence of sefshness
and vndctiveness which he
would not willingly accept ms part OF
her character. We have been led to these
reflections by the daily notices which the
telegraph and press force upon us in the
proceedings on the trial of Mrs. Wharton
now progressing at Annapolis. Here is
woman, lady, who, until this charge
was brought against her, was among the
most favored of the best society of Balti-
more. Intelligent, refined and hospitable,
her house was the center of all that was
bright and gay and she was the cynosure
Of the beauty and wit which gathered
around her. OF course weare to pre-
sumo that most Of the bright galaxy which
visited her, protested to be and were in
their own belief her friends, ms warmly and
devotedly attached rs equality Of stand
ing and similarity of sentiment would ma
turally induce them to be. Perhaps all Of
them had, AT some period or other, sworn |
undyng love and friendship to her and |
pledged their lives as test of their earn
sstness. \ change has come over her for.
tunes, and instead Of reigning queen Of |
society, she dwells nm inmate of prison |
cell, charged, how uujustly God only
knows with the awful crime of murder. |
" Woman's inhumanity to woman" has |
seldom been illustrated with greater force
than in her case. Those who wish TO think
well o! her case are not Of her own sex.
The thoughtlessness with which refined
intelligent good, and, in most of the rela.
tions of life which call for commiserltiy
tander-hearted women, pronounce her
guilty and call down the Judgment of
heaven upon her, is one of the most pain
Iul and offensive instances of the Injustice
.! womens impulses, For one man who
undertakes TO defend Mrs. Wharton ten
members Of her own sex will de-
1ounce her ana this without even
having followed the testimony elicit
ID on her trial with care, or
having arrived at anything that deserves
o be called an intelligent opinion.
We do not propose to undertaken de-
ense Of Mrs. Wharton. Her counsel and | :
witnesses have-thank the Justice of {
ieaven-saved us that task. We are sim.
Ny mentioning with emphasis, the sad
act that that most wretched lady's bitter
-, '"Smies are to be found among those
""o Nh0N what it is to be wives and
mothers
If Mrs, wha,>pn i. innocent, she is still
wre'ched and the iaqre holds ont little or
no promise oil happlh>s. for her. How
ever chaste woman's vso mas, ha,o
been-and Mr., Wharton sap,,o.-,.,
been absolutely without a stain !, -
spect-is it nothing To have all the -,
and sacred intricacies of her dome,r
carserl wrenehed open to the bold gaze OIL
the rude world Is it nothing to have
ones constitutional weaknesses and
faults exposed to the unninchng light OF
courtroom evidence, with the ieers and
scandal Of a vulgar audience beating
down upon them?
II Mrs. Wharton is guilty, she is inf.
hltely more wretched but since the
~retchedness in that case is the compile
meht Of the crime We have no word TO
utter beyond those which apply to mystic
nous and unhappy humanity as a whole.
Whas we plead for what we desire TO urge
upon every woman who pretends to possess
one iota Of reason and feeling is that she
viii suspend her verdict, If she cannot af-
ford the charity of her sympathy, until
such facts shall be brought to light as