, 1875-03-07
A FAULT III OUR CODE OF LAWS.

I'm. THEODORE T1LToS-S1R The great tri-
ais through which you are passing are again
making prominent ono glazing fault in cur code
OF lars, VIZ: that there ,s no adequate punish
nent under the common Law, for the crime Of
adultery, and for the seducer. In consequence
Of this, We seq in print, and hear expressed
statements like ti,e following:
Adultery is the only crime IN Anclosaron countries
which cannot bc punished by law and tie p:ct,n. is
<1t JTes to redress his oae4 uTonas. It would lave
have stood higher III community, had he put away his
wife when be was convinced OF her criminal conduct
and then punished Beecher as he deserved.
No1, suppose we put tho above sentiment in
different words: ''If Mr. Tiltcn had deserted
his wife, whom he had solemn1y sworn to love
and cherish, to taka for better or for worse
thereby breaking his oath, and thus made him
self q criminal of the worst hind BY takine tho
life Of another, he would have stood better be-
fore the public" This is 4 spurious morality,
which. if q woman should practice it, would
brand her With shame for tho rest OF
her natural life, and. it followed up by
every wife who suffers, would create
civil war. Instead OF this, however, you have
followed the dictates Of higher law. When
Joseph was "minded privily to put away" Mary
hia betrothed wife, the angel Of the Lord ap-
EcaAHA ulto Mu du0 &4flstN 1uLl W project ueE
and take her to wife. You havo, Iko the wifa in
many other cases, condoned the crime. and at
tempted to bear tho shame and degradation in
tho sa:ne heroic way Tint woman 30 often does,-
M1s. Eeecher for instance. Tho ahsurdity Of the
popular advice cannot be better illustrated than
by applying it to Mrs Deechar. Let her 1eaye
Mr.. Boecher, and then poison Or shoot Mrs. Til
ton. It does not Kcund we'll.
There ara two sides to this nneafinn ~ to what
is manly end what Is womaniy. What Was Mrs.
Beecher q true coutBo towards her husband and
Elizabeth Tiltonf Vas it to ignore the crime,
condone the ofanse, aud to suffer in silence un-
til her very soul was crushed ont under " the car
Of the great JuSzernaut," adultory? Othor
women have done so llrne out OF mind, and no.
body ever suggested private revenge. The lau
gave them no redress; they could not appeal to
herself, better and = wiser man 7 No; he could
buy her up legally With An alimony, which he
might never pay, aud tiaunt;ta row wife IN the
faco OF her nady1ng love- This Is woman'a
only redress. .
But xou, si1, actuated by Christian sentiment,
tried the vom1uir course, sud learned the great |
anguish which theron Hes.-attemptipg and !
seellng forgiveness from out your own heart for !
the t1anegressor. The transgreasor repaid you
such is too often the effect which condonement
has upon adultery. Women's heatta have
sesp sssp.ir, Ednk snd thers was no s 4sdress: ~
they have lived On and on, = living death. until !
he sleep Of the just kindly intcrposed aud gavs
them rest. Thie. sir, is what you have tried to !
10; and your manly nature ravolted; it re-
1ulted more than human power. Tell unto |
Is, o ye voices whst is this element in uau's |
1atu1e that sus:aius itself; that shrinks not
rom danger in ths face Of his vilest and most
,owerful enemy; this element that meets wrong
md asserts itse1f7 Aht 1 fear the reply. 1t is
he right OF 4 free man; men are NOS slaves
Tell us asain, Q 70 voices. is this manineas that
'uhtly cseeps into Eea's houses that violates
he aacsedest love that God eTer gavo
. man; tbst seduces tbs loving wife OF
Lnotner; that doceivea the loving wife. The
Ute ct his own bosom, aud traduces her IN the
:3rs OF his raistress Tell u.s. o ye voices, 10
his mans prerc2stive? Ah, no! the voices are
1lcn:; the spirits of, wrong are eousrds, and
Ley Eould tha: darkness might hide them for
'yer from the Light Of II nth
Eut, sir. tsoo rnanlineas has through yuu dis
'la5ed itaelf in obeyink the command to forgive;
:-an testing tho lav,-testing its etrsngth,-test-
NC III vsA2asss, ,-tsat!ns The Mn1allty Of man