The native American., 1839-05-25
INFLUENCE OF MUSIC.

/ from "A discourse on the Moral influence o.
Sounds" by Samuel Rush:
In one of the attractive tales of Washington
Irving, he makes traveller tell story of his
having been benighted in rude and dangerous
part of the country. He had been warned agains
the houses that lay along his road for incivility
lpunderings, and even murder, had been attributed
to their reckless inhabitants. Though weary
with fatigue and anxiety, he passed several places
where wrangiing noise or suspicious stiffness
seemed to warrant their avoidance. AT last he
heard, from house in the distance, the sound ol
a violin, with the merry tune the instrument was
making. He dismissed further apprehension, and
went in, with the remark, as his reason for doing
so, that the sound of music is always attractive,
and that wherever there is music there is good
humor or good will" There is reason in this
fiction, and moral in its concluding sentence.
will endeavor to exemplify, from observation, the
further bearing Of this opinion: was once Off
cialy connected with the criminal prosecutions of
Philadelphia, for period of between three and
four years; and, during that time, about two thou
sand cases Of crime or misdemeanor passed under
my professional charge. In not one. of these
was teacher Of music concerned, as defendant
or accuser. The lawyer was there, caught in
the net; the doctor, and men Of all other occupa-
tons-magnates and minnows-were there too;
but the teacher of music was not there. / think
the preventive police" of his art kept him out
Of court: and from his safe and happy EMPLOY
ment, thus summon him before this tribunal, as
a modest and good witness Of the moral tendency
Of his vocation.
will call proof of another stamp, in the rogue
himself to attest, in different way, the same re-
suit cannot say that, of the many criminals
have known, all were needless of music, or I'M
susceptible to its sounds. had generally more
pressing business with them than to make the
actual estimate. But this | remember, that, as
often as have seen the felon searched, and his
|accoutrements taken from him bv the hand Of the
law, | never saw among them the smallest practi-
cal sign or token of his fondness for music
Dirks, spring-pistols, false keys, false money,
wigs, whiskers, tinder-boxes, and such matters;
were turned up to view; nay, ! saw, taken from
the pocket Of an elderly and good-looking mis-.
creant, list of all the spinsters and, widows oil
and Philadelphia. But never saw musical in
strument of any sort picked from the heterogene
GUS personal effects. Well might think Of the
music-lacking soul condemned by the poet, as
surveyed the trunk Of the thief. The writings o
Bulwer and Dickens, who, in their fascinating
pages, have been pleased largely to serve up the
slang of crime and the brotherhood who use it.
may tend to verify the preceding remark. They
too, may warrant the assertion, that rogues have
no concerts save those of crime and plumber, ant
feel the influence of few sounds, beyond the voice
of the crer of the court, or the last tong Of the
Newgate clock. The gambler has little sympa
thy with harmonious sounds; and when almost
every thing is brought to the demoralizing deci
sion of the wager, it is pleasant to see music es
Gaping its contamination. With the exception Of
professional contest, few years ago, in sister
city, and that too after the manner. of classic
times, where the guerdon was silver trumpet 10
him who played best on the instrument, know
not that the word ''bet' ever obtruded its abrupt
and noxious sound where men were gathered to-
gether for music. The heavenly maid" has no
note whereby she expresses avarice, shame, ha-
tired, or sin of any sort; and am inclined to be-
lieve that the only musical experiments ever made
by revenge and his confederates were at her
cecil in early Greece," or in the revels at the
"Feast' of Alexander. .s13
= e. IT f 81