Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-05-20

was made TO me, which was made to
me when [ was virgin but to easily
confding in the persons sincerity that
made it, unhappily lost my own hon
or trusting to his, for he got me with
child, and forsook me. That very per-
son you all know; he is now become
magistrate Of this county; and [
had hopes that he would have appear
ed this day on the bench, aud endeavor-
ed to moderate the court in my favor
Then | should have scorned to men
tion it; but I must now complain of it
as unjust and unequal, that my betrayer
and undoer, the cause of all my faults
and miscarriages (if they must be
deemed as such), should be advanced
to honor and power in that govern
ment which panishes my misfortunes
with stripes and ifsfamy!
esL shall be told, tbs like, that were
there no assembly in this case, the pre-
cepts of religion are violated by nv
transgressions. If mine is a religious
offense, leave it to religious punishment
You have alread y excluded me from
the comforts Of your Church Commun-
ion is not that sufficient? You believe
[ have offended Heaven, and must suf-
fer eternal fire will not that be suffi-
cient? What need is there, then, of
your additional 6nes and whipping? [
own, [ do not think as you do !; for if
| thought what you call sin was really
such, | would not presumptously COM
nit it. But how can it be believed
that Heaven is angry at my having
children, when to the little done byme
toward it God has been pleased to add
his Divine skill and admirable work
manship, in the formation of their
bodies, and crowned it by furnishing
them with rational and immortal souls ?
"Forgive me, gentlemen, if [ talk
little extrayagansSy on these matters.
[ am no divine but if you, gentle
men, must be making laws, do not turn
natural and useful actions into crimes,
by your prohibitions. But take into
your wise consideration the great and
growing number of bachelors in the
country; many of whom from the
mean fear of the expense of a family
have never sincerely and honorably
courted woman in their lives; and by
their manner Of living, leave unpro-
duced (Which is little better than mur-
der) hundreds Of their posterity to the
thousandth generation. Is not this
greater ofense against the public good
than mine? Compel them, then, by
law, either to marry or pay double the
fine Of fornication every year What
shall poor young women do, whom Gus
tom hath forbid to solicit the men, and
who cannot force themselves upon hus-
bands, when the laws take no pains
20 provide them any-and yet severely
punish them if they do their duty
without them the duty Of the first
great command of Nature, and of Ma
tnre's God--increace aud multiply !
duty from the steady performance Of
which nothing has been able to deter
me; but for It's sake [ have hazarded
the loss of public esteem, and have fre-
quently endured public disgrace; and
therefore ought in my humble opin
ion, instead of a whipping, to have
statue erected to my memory
The judicious address influenced
the court to dispense with her punish
ment, and induced one of the Judges
to marry her the next day. She ever
afterward supported an irreproachable
character, and had fifteen children by
her husband. Another account says
her name w;.s Sarah clifton.