Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-10-04
ANDRIA GAZETTE
To the Editor ofthe alexandria Gazette:

meetings OF the colored people, held In the upper
part of the town. Honestly believing them to
be attended with danger to their own health and
lives, and to the health and lives of the inhabi.
tants, generally, during the existence Of the Cho
lera amongst US. was induced to invite atten.
ton to the subject. and il my own fears were re-
sponded TO, Aattered myself that such measures
would be taken as the nature Of the case required
With the color Of the people, Except so far as
| their known habits are concerned or the color
of the Religion they were engaged in, had no.
thing to do; | shall always leave the latter SUBJ
jeGt to more consistent and ADLER hands than N.Y.
self. My own religion teaching the universal
love and federation, and inculcating feeling of
Justice and charity that will not permit me to
transfer my malice from the master to his dog. or
interpose an obstacle between the poor African
and the worship due to his Maker.
| am no Sectarian, Sir, and while am engas.
ed in the consideration or suggestion Of measures
for the preservation OF the health of my fellow
citizens, have no prejudices growing out of
| this relation, to nurse nv wrath and keep it
warm" To this kind of Observation-Disclosures
tic consistenc VI have no ambition to conform
| have alleged that these meetings afford
..nocturnal rendezvous to the dissoIute and de.
praved,r' and it does not appear that "Consis-
| tencv" has denied it. repeat the allegation,
and feel persuaded that the 4" Minister i'll charge
Of the congregation" will not deny that it il. to
a considerable extent. the fact. But why dis.
| continue them because the 6 dissolute and de-
! PRAYED" meet there in common with those whose
! Intentions are unquestionabiy honest fear If
this rule were generally established, there would
| be an end Of all meetings. 'Precaution" GER
| tain,y did not urge their suppression on this
| ground alone, whatever may be his private Opn-
ions on the subject But, ''the existence of
this state Of things, il IS supposed, wall hardly be
believed, upon the ipss dirit Of an Anonymous
writer" This is, truly, very modest hint,
coming. as il does, from one who stands before
the public IN precisely the same situation as
:. Precaution" himself. and whose ware, what
ever may b. his own opinion Of its value, can
hardly BE- presumed to command higher price in
market where he is alike unknown. If am
singular in the suggestions / sve advanced, is it
legitimate reason Why my honesty should be
distrusted and my motives impugned? And
evcn admitting that was mistaken in the facts,
5 and in the consequences apprehended from them,
does this afford an apology for torturing my Ian
guage into any and every thing but that which it
was intended to convey. But il seems have
been taken for shost--perhaps the ghost Of the
Cholera Ii this really be the case, then due al.
lowance must be made for the disordered intel
iect Of The gentleman who has had the courage to
"sptdh.' TO me. Indeed, as a proof that all was
not right with him, he tells US himself, that in
"reading the piece, he was at a loss to tell whe-
Their | was most displeased with the dissolute-
ness OF the depraved, or the degenerate exerci.
SEES Of the religious" This. it must be confessed,
was pi,iable dilemma for gentleman to be
placed in. How he got out Of the difficulty, he
mas not thought proper to inform Us. |, is to he
hoped that his ingenuity 'syperiaduced' means
OF escape. and that he was not left to the fate OF
the unhappy 9uadruped in the fable.
IL l. unnecessary here IA discuss the question
of C'niagion. Upon this subject 1t Is believed
public opinion is matured. and can scarcely be
stfec ted bv any evidence, pro or con, within my
! reach. Without pretending 10 know any thing
If she oninion OF Drs. Granville and Lefevre. it
is sufficient that the affirmative Of the question is
held oy many intelligent persons. and that va
rietv &c facts have been adduced to sustain the
postion. II Consistency" has leisure to de-
vote to The subject. I, for one. will be much pleas
ell to see any rational speculatiOns on Oriental
! Cholera. which he may be able to gather from his
| favurite authors
| There is one argument of " Consistency" that
strikes me as superla'ively Inconsistent He
! thinks me "a firm believer in the doctrine OF
contagion, in opposition to the great mass of the
| Medical Faculty." and in the next breath ex.
presses ,conder. predicated upon this thought,
:. that stould expect the Cholera to come from
the kitchen into the parlor!" IL the Cholera be
contagious. and gross aud uncleanly persons
more liable to it than others, there is uothing un-
reasonable in the expectation. as conceive, that
il viii first make ITS appearance III the kitchen,
and travel from thence To the parOr. Ii the Me-
dcal Faculty have heen consistent IN any one
thing it is in that of our diet; and the culinary
department has undergone a greater revolutions
within the last six moths, than the s. Kitchen
Cabinet" Of a certain great Hero can possibly
encounter within the ensuing twelve.
The "means" alluded to by " Precaution,"
as those which have probably - saved US from
the fate OF our sister ci,ies may be found in the
resolution Of our Board of Health. and the indie
faugable and praiseworthy exertions OF that body
in seeing them duly executed. The ailusion had
no reference TO the absence or existence of night
meetings; aud no one, not predisposed to misaP.