The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-09-14

heads successfully through their conflict for human
rights and dignity When the " waterman the "cab-
man." The scayenger," the taxed and starving art-
SAN instead of drinking gin and uttering blasphemes,
Join temperance societies, and read penny pa pers and
penny magazines, " filed with useful knowledge
and important political discussions, the proud and
distinguished sefrespect, the deep thought, the high
resolution, the solemn determination of the Round
head are returning, and the reign Of the tax-fed
bood-iaitened Cavalier is approaching Its end May
God send itSOon, but peacefully!
Rejoicing IN these indications among the masses Of
our Anglo-Saxon brethren, we would offer lew re-
marks 10 our own readers upon the subject of pro-
family. is 1t never heard in or streets and fields
along our wharyes, beneath our roofs, and board
OF our sblps' We should rejoice in being able TO
say that oaths and mprecations proanites and BIAS
phenies, were nepeT heard in Philadelphia or Penn
sylvania even among those whose education and OPP
portunes should have inspired them with abhor.
renee OF this vice. We may say that this vice
from iatherland; that II was never introduced
adapted by Puritans Quakers, but has since been
introduced by the lower orders of England, and is
now most common among our foreign population
Let us examine this. The Catholic Europeans
among us do not swear generally for they are re-
strained from this vice by the clergy through attrcu-
tar confession. And if European protestants prac-
tce this vice among us, where is our excuse in fol-
lowing the example' And if it be of foreign
growth shall we allow the very people to whom
we trace it to precede us in reformation If
we denounce profanity an English habit we
are left without excuse when it is banshed from
England and II we had not virtue enough to begin
the reformation, let us have the grace to follow the
example. We are in deplorabe condition if we
cannot follow examples for good well as evil
But we deny that this vice is more English than
American, foreign than native; for any listener
to the blasphemes so frequently heard in streets,
and especially our taverns and ships, will detect quite
much of native as foreign accent. But, whatever
be the native land of the vice. at home abroad it
is vice of which humanity should be thoroughly
ashamed. We will not vase word in attempting
TO prove it wicked, having never yet man who
denied, or did not feel awed by suggestion of its
enormity But may well ask if anybody can
doubt its mean, despicabIe, degrading character If
blasphemies mean what they import, is the blasphe-
mer less than MONSTER If they mean nothing, is
he more than iool' How would appear
who should nersperse his conversation with the chat
terng Of monkey or the bleang of goat' Yet
in precisely the same light does he appear who inter-
rntts his narrative with Impressions, he clergy
mans rebuke to Gen. Charles Lee, Of the Revou-
tonary army, notorious for profanity, both appro
pirate and efiicacous. He ended every sentence
with bottle and longs, and said they were quite sig
nlfcant as the Generals oaths if he did not intend
to blaspheme