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qlw ^ ys conceived that drops water not , so to speak , hold a meeting and resolve themselves into an . association proprio motu , nor can we reconcile thej atomic theory with Christianity . However , we venture this doubtful expression with great deference , having a dread lest Miss Bremer should thunder down upon us with Lucretius and his great work in defence of Christianity . It is rather remarkable that the rescue
which Miss Bremer proposes is neither applied specifically to the East , warred upon by the West , nor does she propose to blockade "the bleeding wound" against the intruders ; but she proposes that the Association of Ladies should devote themselves to the care of the destitute , the education of the children , the protection and help of the sick and aged , compassionate exertions- for prisoners and fallen fellow-ereatures , and the encouragement of institutions to promote such purposes . The fair philanthropist has "been
somewhat anticipated in her good , intentions , in this country at least ; since a subscription has been opened , for the relief of the wives and children of the soldiers sent to the East , without waiting for their "being wounded . Muck , also , is already done for the education of children and the succour of tile sick and aged—as much as the sectarian , differences of Christians will permit . ' Fov unluckily jit happens that although Clmstians can execute their ' . duties . ' tolerably ^ y themselves , especiaily if they are allowed to preach while they are
benefiting , yet if they eonie tdgefclier for such purposes , they forget their ' proteges to quarrel about their own doctrines . " We seriously apprehend that if , under the presidency of Miss Bremer , the ladies of Sweden ., England , " Russia , Prance , G-ermany , " and America , were all collected together , especially in their " Christian '' capacity , the di sputation of the doctors would pale its ineffectual fire before that confusion of tongues . It appears , therefore , that we should only be introducing confusion into those things which our excellent ladies are already busy about .
We do not know what more she would have us do ? O yes ; there are the " prisoners . " "We find them , by the logical method of differences , to be the special object of Miss Bremer ' s anxiety . " What prisoners , indeed , we can have ia this touutry except i&ussiau we do not at present see , and therefore we must regard Miss Bremer ' s affectionate epistle to the Times as a plea for the ^ Russians . Let her be pacified ; for if any Russians full into our hands and
come so far as England , she may rest assured that not a hair of their heads will be hurt . We do not scalp or cat our prisoners in this country . If , indeed , it wore permissible to enter into a controversy with the lady , \ vo might ask her whether she is improved upon the old relations which womanhood had to all ? "We have an affection for that old chivalrous picture in which " a gentle knight was pricking on the plain , " and the lovely representative of Christianity rode upon an ass by his side , lowly and yet so splendid in tho purity of lior lovelinoss , that when sho entered into the
wood , " slio made a sunshine in that shadowy place . " But tho ludy of that < lay , not entirely fictitious , left Btiitosinunsliip and war to men ; and remained herself in gontlo retreat , to soothe tho Avenry warrior , or tond his wounds—tho wounds of her own knight , not those of tho enemy . Tho Una
of our day , it eeoms , cries out upon tho cruel ways of Qt . George , and wants a great association , taking in Duossa aw well as Gloriiuin , to counteract her own vassal . Is there , in the famed Laud of Turnips , no faithful icniffht , who will , courteously and kindly , roplnce tho gontlo Una on hor lowly stoe ' cl , and load tho Wmuloring huly homo ?
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There is no learned man but will confess he habh much * profited by reading controversies , his senses awakened , and his judgment sharpened . If , then , it be profitable for him to read , -why should it not , at least , be tolerable for his adversary to write . - *—Milton .
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THE DOMESTIC MOX . OCH . ( 7 b the Editor of the Leader , } Sir , —As you kindly inserted our former letter in the Leader of the 19 th inst ., we resume the subject at greater length . The only use of' -writing upon such painful topics lies ia the power of the pdn to make people act . There -was onee a poor porter , who , in carrying a heavy load up hill on a frosted pavement , fell and broke his leg . A crowd collected , and alt were profuse ia expressions of pity . " Poor fellow . " " I am so grieved for him , his occupation is gone . " " What willbecome pf Men . " "I am so sorry . " . A French - man standing by at first said nothingj but presently pulling off his hat , put a sovereign into it , and handing it round , said ; "It makes me one pound sorry , ho \ y much sorry makes it you ?"
But on such a subject as Jhis , open discussion is so great a step in advance , that it may really be held as action . The abolition ; of prostitution as a aiatural instijbutioa is not to be effected by money > or by the forming of societies ; the only hope lies in such a wide-spread knowledge and feeling on the subject as may act > qn the daily conduct of individuals ^ rahd in a vigorous support to all endeavours towards attaining better marriage laws , and giving to women other means of gaining their bread . As regards the first point ; the arousing of public opinion . The most careless observer of the public journalsi cannot bat be struck jit the . weekly details bearing on the topic in hand , -which start into upper air , and cause remark in every circle .
In May of this current yeajr , the Law Review gives an article on the laws relating' to women ; in which among many liberal opinions , the writer opines that the subject of prostitution is best left in a decent obscurity , and says that , " Bui for that unhallowed association , some -think that females of purity would not be so secure as they now are . " The writer is alluding to attempts to restrain the " unhallowed association" byV ««> , but it isevident that the reasons he adduces would equally boor against public discussion of such , since ho says that " if it bq i > ossible to refrain from crowding the statute-book with misdemeanours , the CornnionLa \ v \ vill be more honoured , the abominations of iniquity will outrage the eye and ear with less frequencj' , and the vices of our country bo withheld from an impolitic publicity . "
Such is the opinion of an eminent leading periodical ; one which would be echoed in tho most respect . able domestic circles , and which would l ) o most of all urgently enforced by the guilty themselves . Yet during ; tho whole of the pro-sent summer , since tho above lines wcro penned , England has beon ringing with , on . o instnnqe after another of a sin and a cruelly not now for tho first time perpetrated , Lut for the first time brought to light , We now know sonicthing of what is going on around us . From tho pages of low noTolists , tho peculinr theories of life supposed to bo unfit for the very knowledge of respectable hvdies , are drugged into tho hig'l ) class
public prwits , and Baron 1 / oIIqoic civnnot prevent that " ho who runs may read . " Ami , side by side with paragraphs illustrative of prostitution , as practised among us , come curious collateral facts concerning our conjugal relations , tho connexion botveun which and tho former must strikeovery unprejudiced mind —vide Evans v . Robinson , where a couplo , separated from each other , and supposed to live eolibato , aro loft to form other relations in life without the sanction of society , < uid aro respectively driven , tho man , probably , to prostitutes , and tho wife to tho chnueo of cruel publics reprobation and remarks of tho moat disgusting description .
We would dww attention to the prize essay on . tho Laws for tho Protection of Wunion , by Jiiuuch Edward Davia , barriater-ut-law , whore , sneaking ( page 2 M >) of the progress of refinement in tho dutails of vice , he says : — " In lieu of tho disorderly hou « s « a wo huvo whole fitrceta presenting nothing oiftjuslvo by day or by night , U > tho yyo or ear of the ciwiatl observer , but every house , tind overy inmate of every houao in which , is nevertheless supported by prostitution .
The arrangements are very frequently of this nature : —The house is taken by a man and woman husband * and wife they may or may not be . The woman ' s history is soon told . Sho has either been engaged in a vicious course from earliest infancy , or , perhaps originally chaste and happy , was seduced , brought or fled to London , or some , other large town , where , from the mistress of one man , through misguided affection and lust , she becomes the prostitute of many and any for food and money , until she grows too old to maintain a subsistence in that way . An alliance is then formed with some one of the other sex , equally abandoned as herself . The house taken by them is
underlet in single rooms to ' girls of the town , ' who bring men there from the streets . The ' landlady' is not seen ; a servant or child , perhaps , makes " appearance with wine , of which a stock is kept , it being the duty of the girl to press the men she entraps to order it , the price forming part of the gains of the woman . In proportion to the quantity sold , and the punctuality with which the rent is paid , the girl is esteemed . AVhen her attractions cease , she is turned into the streets to take a lower grade in her profession , until she perishes miserably , or / has the doubtful good fortune to postpone that evil hour by taking a house on her oavti account . "
Mr . Da vis's essay , laid before the " Associate Institution , for improving and enforcing the Lawsfoir the Protection of Women " in 1 S 53 , has been illustrated for many months by disclosures such as that of Alice Leroy and Margaret Keginbal . _ Now , however difficult to curerT-lioweyer ancient in date—however iutervoveii with those coarse elements of hunaanity whose entire eradication vbuld be almost equivalent to a milleniuni , ^ -we are quite safe in asserting that this form of intercourse between men and women is essentially unnatural , abnormal ,
destructive to either sex , and a disease at the very core of society . Some way . of cure there must bs , and we must find it . Society is ; indeed , off the balance when the census tells us that while men are driveu down almost universally to the dregs of female society , nearly . 360 , 000 unrnarried -women over forty are left in old age stranded , -as it were , oft' the sea of humanity on to a barren shore without husband , without children ,. without a hold on the next generation , a sacrifice to the very " -institution' '' said to be set up for th . ir protection . B . —B .
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DUTIES OF THE CLERGY . { To the Editu ? of the Leader . ) Sir ., —Your correspondent " Archer Qairney , Curate of Buckingham , " seems indignant that the Clergy of the Church of England should be thought shams and pretenders , and labours under some difficulty in reconciling the conduct of that Clergy with their duty , as well , as in de ( ining the duties of" their office . He protests against the English Church being judged on the testimony of one who seems incapable of estimating the needs of the age , &e . Now , Sir , I propose to furnish Mr . Gurney with testimony which he will not object to , and by which the clergy of the English Church must stand or fall , viz ., the 59 th canon : — " Every Parson , Vicar , or Curate , upon every Sunday and Holyday before livening Prayer , shall for kulf an hour or more examine and instruct the vouth
awl ignorant persons in liis p : \ rish in the Ten Commandments , the Articles of the Belief , and in the Lord's Prayer ; and shall diligently hear , instruct , and teneli them the Catechism set forth in tho Book of Common Prayer . -And all fathers , mothers , mastors and mistresses , shall have their children , servants , and apprentices , which have not learned their Catechism , to come to tUc Church at tho time appointed , obediently to lie : ir and to be ordered by tho Minister , until they have learned tlio samo . And if any Minister neglect his duty therein , let him be
sharply reproved upon the lirat complaint , and notice thereof given to the Biah'jp or ordinary qf the place . If \ vo shall olFond therein nirnin , let him be suspended , if the third time , thpn excommunicated , and so remain until ho be reformed- And likewise , if any of . the said fathers , mothers , masters or mistresses , children , servants , or apprentice ;) , sluill neglect thoir duties , us the onu sort In not causing them to come , and the other in refusing to lenrn us aforesaid ; let them be suspended by their ordinaries ; and If they ao persist by the space of a month , then let them bo cxcoimuunk-aU'd . "
Docs this canon contain an important part of tho duty of every parish I'riest , whotlier Jtt- 'Ctor , Vicar , or Curate , nnd how is that duly porfonnvd ? ^ i'licre cun be no doubt of its importance . How itia pvv ~ formed I lonvo Mr . Gurney to any , and reconcile Us noii-p'M-foriiumco with tho ordination vows ol liuiiaeU nnd <)<)<) of every KiOO of I No Kiitfllsli Clergy . It ja impossible to rei-oiidlu tho nogk- < . 't or evasion of this most important < lut . y ( ' »•<» 't Ih of fur moro Important }© than Clio Sermon or Common Prayer ) , with common honesty . , , . . . I . idinlru Mr . CJuruoy ' w conduct la givinghm name , and follow hi . i example by auhrioriblng mine . . Jamkb Uomvii-us , 22 , Acre-hu » o , Brixton ,.
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[ Ilf THIS DEPARTMENT , AS AtX OPIKIOKS , HOWEVER EXTREME , ABE ALLOWED AN EXPKESSION , THE EDIIOIl J [ ECES 3 . U ! IL . T HOLDS HIMSELF JIESFOSSIBLE FOB WOJIKj
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of Septembeji 2 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . g
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 2, 1854, page 827, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2054/page/11/
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