Chapter II: Preface

The introduction of Dr. Jacobi has saved the author from the onerous task, ofttimes a graceless one, of writing extended prefatory remarks. It was in the course of some researches into the origin of the Child Protection movement in this country that I discovered how little attention had been paid to the historical aspect of this important question. This book represents really a process of elimination, behind which were many fascinating byways, alluring blind alleys, and seeming countless beckoning theories. Toward the last, for a person with human instinct writing on a humane subject, it was hard not to tilt. In the main, however, the author believes that he has hewed to the line.

The author is indebted for many courtesies to the officials of the New York Public Library, likewise to the Congressional Library at Washington, the British Museum at London, and the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris. His thanks are due also to Dr. C. C. Williamson, formerly Chief of the Economics Division of the New York Public Library, who took a deep and serious interest in the work; to Professor Richard Gottheil of Columbia, for many helpful suggestions in connection with the Semitics studies; to Professor Hiram Bingham of Yale, for some helpful notes on the Incas; to Mr. A. S. Freidus, Chief of the Jewish Division of the New York Public Library; to Professor Adolf Deissmann, of the University of Berlin; to Mr. Elbridge T. Gerry, whose library provided a wealth of material; to the late Thomas D. Walsh, Superintendent of the New York S. P. C. C., a humanitarian of the first water; to Mr. Jesse B. Jackson, Mr. W. J. Yerby, Mr. Charles H. Allbrecht, and Mr. E. A. Wakefield, all of the American Consular Service; to Mr. J. William Davis, for supervision of the Bibliography; to Mr. Gabriel Schlesinger, for assistance in reading the proofs; and, above all, to Mr. Robert E. MacAlarney, of Columbia University, to whose sustaining criticism and deep personal interest the author owes more than can be here set down.

GEORGE HENRY PAYNE.

KINGSBRIDGE, NEW YORK
January, 1916

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

MATERNAL AFFECTION THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN
ALTRUISM—SYMPATHY AND PARENTAL LOVE THE BASIS OF
OTHER VIRTUES—THE WEAKEST SACRIFICED IN ALL PRIMITIVE
SOCIETY—NEGLECTED CHAPTERS IN THE HISTORY OF THE ATTITUDE
OF SOCIETY TOWARD CHILDREN 1

CHAPTER II

HUMAN MARRIAGE—EVOLUTION OF THE PARENTAL INSTINCT—SOCIAL
CONDITIONS AMONG PAPUANS—CHILD’S PLACE IN THE TRIBE 15

CHAPTER III

THE KILLING OF TWINS—OTHER EXCUSES FOR
INFANTICIDE—RESTRICTING THE FAMILY—ECONOMIC REASONS
ACKNOWLEDGED—DYING OF DESPAIR 31

CHAPTER IV

THE DROWNING OF DAUGHTERS—EARLY MONGOLIAN CIVILIZATION
MARKED BY ANCESTOR WORSHIP—SEVERE CHARACTER OF
CONFUCIUS—“BEGINNING” OF INFANTICIDE 200 B. C.—REFORMS OF
THE EMPEROR CHOENTCHE AND THE MANCHUS IN THE SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY—DECREES REDUCING THE COST OF WEDDING GIFTS IN
ORDER TO STOP PARENTS FROM KILLING FEMALE CHILDREN 46

CHAPTER V

DEATH BY NEGLECT AND SACRIFICE IN JAPAN—THE NEW-BORN
TABOO—MYTH OF THE EXPOSURE OF THE CHILD OF THE
GODS—GROWTH OF THE MARRIAGE CUSTOM—THE ARRIVAL OF THE
CHINESE—MODERN CANNIBALISM—MODERN LAWS ON THE SALE OF
CHILDREN 71

CHAPTER VI

MESOPOTAMIA THE EARLIEST CIVILIZATION KNOWN—FAINT TRACES
OF CHILD-SACRIFICE—LAWS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN—CENSUS
FIGURES IN STONES—CODE OF HAMMURABI—THE STORY OF SARGON 90

CHAPTER VII

MOST ANCIENT NATION WAS KIND TO CHILDREN—ECONOMIC
PRESSURE BROUGHT NO SPECIAL CRUELTY—PICTURE OF THE
PROLETARIAT—ABJURATIONS OF THE OLDEST BOOK IN THE
WORLD—EGYPTIANS AS SEEN BY DIODORUS SICULUS—DEGENERATING
EFFECT OF GREEK SUPREMACY 106

CHAPTER VIII

CHILDREN IN INDIA—STORY OF THE MAHABHARATA—FEMALE CHILD
DESPISED—A HUNDRED COWS THE PRICE OF A SON—RECORDS LEFT
BY HISTORIANS OF ALEXANDER’S CONQUEST—ATTEMPTS BY BRITISH
GOVERNMENT TO CHECK INFANTICIDE—WORK OF JONATHAN DUNCAN
AND COL. ALEXANDER WALKER 120

CHAPTER IX

SEMITIC DEVELOPMENT IN CANAAN—SACRIFICE OF THE FIRST-BORN
PERSISTS—ORIGIN OF THE IDEA OF SACRIFICE—THE CUSTOM
WORLD-WIDE AMONG PRIMITIVE PEOPLES—ASSOCIATED WITH
CANNIBALISM—THE FOUNDATION SACRIFICE—DISCOVERIES IN
PALESTINE 138

CHAPTER X

HEBREW WRITERS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE RELIGION OF
HUMANITY—CHILD SACRIFICE CONDEMNED IN THE STORY OF
ISAAC—CIRCUMCISION SUBSTITUTED—REVERSION TO BARBARIC
HABITS IN CANAAN—TRIUMPH OF THE PROPHETS 157

CHAPTER XI

ANCIENT ARABIANS WERE CANNIBALISTIC—DAUGHTERS TOO
EXPENSIVE TO REAR—CONDITIONS BEFORE THE COMING OF THE
PROPHET—THE INJUNCTIONS OF MOHAMMED—HIS LAW AS FOUND IN
“AL HIDAYA” 169

CHAPTER XII

EXPOSURE BY A CIVILIZED PEOPLE—LACK OF HUMANITY AMONG THE
GREEKS—THEIR MYTHOLOGY AN EVIDENCE—CHILDREN IN HOMER 184

CHAPTER XIII

FEMALE CHILDREN NOT DESIRABLE AMONG GREEKS—PRECAUTIONS
FOR SAVING EXPOSED CHILDREN—ORNAMENTS AS A MEANS OF
IDENTIFICATION—ADOPTION UNDER STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES 199

CHAPTER XIV

FIRST RECOGNITION OF RIGHTS OF CHILDREN—LAWS OF ROMULUS
AND OF NUMA POMPILIUS—THE TWELVE TABLES—ATTITUDE OF
PARENTS SHOWN IN TERENCE—PATRIA POTESTAS SPARINGLY USED 209

CHAPTER XV

HUMANITARIAN MEASURES OF AUGUSTUS—LIFE IN THE
IMPERIAL CITY—FIRST ATTEMPTS OF THE STATE TO CHECK
INFANTICIDE—TRAJAN AND THE VELEIA LOAN—STOIC SPIRIT IN
PLINY’S CHARITY 223

CHAPTER XVI

REFORMS OF HADRIAN—PUNISHMENT OF FATHERS—VALERIUS
MAXIMUS—FAVOURITE STREETS IN ROME FOR LEAVING ABANDONED
CHILDREN—MUTILATING CHILDREN FOR PROFIT 236

CHAPTER XVII

PROGRESS UNDER THE ANTONINES—FAUSTINA’S EFFORTS TO
SAVE FEMALE CHILDREN—CHRISTIAN SENTIMENT GROWS—PLEA OF
LACTANTIUS—ITS EFFECTS—CONSTANTINE 245

CHAPTER XVIII

PLEAS OF THE CHRISTIAN FATHERS 257

CHAPTER XIX

CONDITIONS AMONG THE PEOPLES WHO CONQUERED THE ROMAN
EMPIRE—IRISH SACRIFICED FIRST-BORN—THE WERGELD—THE SALIC
LAW—CODE OF THE VISIGOTHS ON EXPOSED CHILDREN—THEODORIC
AND CASSIODORUS 272

CHAPTER XX

GROWTH OF THE HUMANITARIAN MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT EUROPE—IN
THE DARK AGES—CHURCH TAKES UP THE HUMANITARIAN WORK IN
THE SEVENTH CENTURY—SALE OF CHILDREN COMMON—STORY OF
SAINT BATHILDE—CHILDREN SOLD FOR FATHER’S DEBTS—DATHEUS
THE FIRST TO OFFER CHILDREN A HOME—APPEAL OF POPE
INNOCENT III. 287

CHAPTER XXI

CRUELTY TO CHILDREN IN THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY—ATTEMPT AT REGULATION—DEFORMING CHILDREN FOR
MOUNTEBANK PURPOSES—ANECDOTE OF VINCENT DE PAUL—HIS
WORK AND HIS SUCCESS 302

CHAPTER XXII

RISE OF FACTORY SYSTEM—THE CHILD A CHARGE ON THE
STATE—CHILDREN ACTUALLY SLAVES UNDER FACTORY
SYSTEM—REFORM OF 1833—OASTLER AGAINST THE CHILD
SLAVERY—“JUVENILE LABOUR IN FACTORIES IS A NATIONAL
BLESSING” 312

CHAPTER XXIII

INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS IN AMERICA—PROTECTION FOR
ANIMALS—FOUNDING OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF
CRUELTY TO CHILDREN—SPREAD OF THE MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD—ORIGIN IN NEW YORK CITY 332

APPENDIX A—NAPOLEONIC DECREE OF 1811 341

APPENDIX B—CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF THE NEW YORK
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN 346