The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-04-10
A CouNTRY,S SHAME.
4 Christian Lndy's reflections on the
Pollard Breckinridre Affair.

4 Christian Lndy's reflections on the
Pollard Brcckinridso Affair.
The following extract is from o pri-
vato letter received by an INTELLIGEx-
GER reader from a Scotch lady. It's
sentiments will doubtless be echoed by
every woman who reads it:
To-day my heart ia broken, and I
have spent portions Of the morning in
bitter tears-tears for womankind and
for shame for what may and SO often
does come to her through men who
boast OF their honor--are ready to shoot
one who does impeach it before the
public, but in private life, sure OF secrecy
in their acts. destroy, without care or
a thought, the life OF poor young
creature, who, however wrong or guilty
with thcm), has no knowledge Of the
world through her own experiences;
has no watching father or brother, no
worldly wisdom acquired in. long con.
tlicts with her equals in courts OF
justice no knowledge OF the laws OF
the land, nor eli human weakness.
While all that the world can teach him
in nearly half century'ot experiences,
eren-his honorable position and name
are turned in to overcome the womanly
instinct that every girl has till it Is
wrested from her.
"What shame that tho greatest coun.
try in tho world, the ono to which
every poor oppressed one looks for 70.
lease from oppression and tyranny,
should present in its capital tho pitt.
jul spectacle now shown in its courts
A man who is representative of one
OF the states Of no mean position in
our Union, n Christian man, even re-
ligious Christian, very strict, a1d quite
prominent in his church, with tile help
of able lawyers. quite an array, indeed,
at his back, badgering and tormcnting
woman thirty years his junior, whose
life he has ruined-in every way posi-
bic to devil! Not the least the con-
cealinG OF life OF shame for ten years
while living it continuously-this alone
enough to make an infamous character
of any woman! The breaking OF the
seventh commandment is not his only
sin, and was near saying he had tackled
every other crime in the calendar 10
that The only dcfense is, apparently,
for tho whole array OF talent to search
the young school girls letters, and
probe and construe. and try in every
vile, insinuating way to make q plea
that she was not SO innocent when lie
ruined her US she should have bcen!!
What spectacle! l am shamed for
our country. for mankind, for the legal
profession, for Christianity, for Preaby-
terianism. for Scotch blood and name /!
~ am not excusins anything nor pal
liating tho evils OF q wicked woman, but
many children are misled early-and a
life OF agony is theirs then forever.
What n penalty to pay for q folly of
youth, almost childhood! But it is best
so. 1t must be made as near impossi-
ble-as can be ior such 4 folly to be COM
mit,ed. Enough OF this-only my
blessings thousand times on those
vino inaugurate and conduct tho prose-.
cution! Ii the poor, miserable plain
tif only lays herself miserable sacri-
flee on the altar for the good OF woman
kind, OF humanity, in fact. We may for
give her much, and hope that when she
has 'crawled into her narrow bed q
high place in the future lilo may
await her! One a Presbyterian, the
other an Episcopalian, and when
trouble came and no place OF refuge ap-
peared, they seem to have fed to the
Roman Catholic Church-and were not
disappointed OF refuge there.
"rhis trial is to the coming war on
evils such as it deals with what John
Browns raid at Harper's Ferry was to
the war for the emancipation OF the
slaves"