Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-09-26
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Miscellaneous.
nj Murder of Little Girls.

THE proclamation printed below has
been lately issud by the provincial treas.
urer oi Hupei, district in China, con-
demning the destroying of female chill
dren. 1T is interesting both from its
quaint language and as illustration the de-
gree ofciviization which prevails in some
parts Of that country -
The provincial treasurer of IIupei has to
issue a proclamation prohibiting, iu the
strongest terms, the drowning OF female
children. In ancient times the girl Trying
begged his majesty to permit her to sacri-
flee her liberty in order that her father,
who was in disgrace might be released from
bondage. In another case again, the girl
Mulan wished to serve as soldier In order
to take upon herself the liability of her old
father to serve in the wars. The instances
show that with what filial instincts girls of
old were mbued. At the present time,
too, the treasurer apprehends there is nj
lack of daughters equally ready to sacrifice
{ themselves to their parents, or to render
the names of their family as illustrious by
tilial acts of devotion. Such being the case,
how comes it that the female infant is look
ed upon rs an enemy from the moment of
its birth, and no sooner enters the world
than it is cousighed to the nearest pool of
water Certainly, there are parents who
intertain an affection for their female in
fants and rear them up, but such number
scarcely twenty or thirty per cent.
The reasons are either (lst) that the
child is thrown away in disgust because
the parents have too many children already;
or (2d) that it is drowned from sheer cha
grin at having begotteu none but females,
or from apprehension that the mother will
not conceive again readily enough if she
has to suckle the child or lastly, in the
fear that the poverty of the family will
make it difficult to devote the milk to her
own child, when the mother might other
wise hire herself out as wet nurse. Now
all these are the most stupid of reasons.
People seem to be ignorant of the fact that
no men are born from heaven without some
share of its blessings, and that hunger,
cold or bodily comfort are matters of pre-
destination so also with sous and heirs,
which are even in a greater degree depen-
dent upon the destiny of heaven and con-
not be torci5ly coaxed out of it. All that
I those have 20 do who are unable through
povcaty to feed their children, is to send
| them TO the Founding Hospital, where
/ they will be reared until they become wo-
men and wives, and whore they will always
be sure of enjoying natural lifetime.
With regard to the question of money or
no money in the bridal casket, means, or
no means of bringing up family, why, the
bare necessaries of life for such children in
the shape Of the coarsest gown and head
gear do not cost much. There are cases
enough of poor lads not being able to find
n wife all their lives long, but the treasurer
has yet to hear of a poor girl who cannot
find a husband, so that there is even less
cause for anxiety on that score. But there
is another way of looking Mt it. Heavens
Il retribution is sure, and cases are common
where repeated female births have followed
those when the infants have been drowned !;
that is, man loves to slay what Heaven
loves to beget, and those perish who set
themselves against Heaven, as those die
who take human life. Also, they are
haunted by the wraths of the murdered
children, and thus not only fail TO hasten
the birth of II male child, but run risk of
making victims of themselves by their De-
havior. The late Governor, hearing that
this wicked custom was rife in Hupei, set
forth the law some time ago in severe pro-
hibitory preclamations Notwithstanding
this, many poor districts and out-of the
way places will not allow themselves to SEQ
what is right, but obstinately cling to their
old customs. IIia Chen yin, a graduate
from Kam hia, and Others have lately Pc
titioned that q proclamation be issued once
more prohibiting this pratice in strong
terms. The treasurer has now to issue
this prohibitory proclamation for the in
formation and instruction of the people and
sodiery of the whole province -
Wherefore you are now required and re-
quested to acquaint yourselves all, that
male and female infants being of your own
flesh and blood, you may be visited by
some monstrous calamity if you rear only
the male, and drown the female children.
lie. all henceforth start up from their delu-
sive lethargy, and eXhort their neighbors
to eschew this dreadful abomination; let
them cause their families and neighbors TO
become alive to its terrible nature, and with
one will and consent wrest themselves from
under its perncious influence. If these
eXhortations are looked upon any more as
mere formal words, and if any people with
conscious wickedness and neglect TO turn
over n new leaf, they will be punished (but
with ono degree of additional severity un-
der the law providing for The punishment
Of "wilful homicide Of children and grand
children" Relatives living with such Of
tenders and neglccting to rescue the chill
dren, or deliberately melting the parents
TO drown them, will also be severely dealt
with. Beware and obey Beware.
Seyeniy-fve rattlesnakes have been killed
at one lumber-camp in Clesrleld county,
this summer.