The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-08-22

sorts OF styles, IN all degrees OF egiblltv-reave
to the crusade at present carried on by Mayor
Harper, Justice Drinker, and the vieilant watch
men, against the abandoned women. Some OF
these communications praise, and others condemn
| the Mayor for this movement. Some of these
communications are sensible, some Of them silly,
some Of them stupid, and all OF them fail in doing
full justice to the movement and the question in-
| volved. They discover, however, the very deep
and general interest with which this subject Is re
garded by the whole community, and of which it
lie well to take advantage for the purpose Of pre-
sentipg 1t in the proper light
That the indscriminate seizure OF those poor out
casts and the Imprisonment Of them in the filthy
cells Of the "Tombs," will eradicate or even palli-
ate the evil, is most absurd. We pointed this out
when the crusade commenced, and the first arrests
were made amid the jeers, yels and shouts OF the
mob collected by the circumstance in Broadway
We must go to the root of the evil So long as
the known destroyers OF female virtue-so long as
the wealthy, respectable, and pious patrons OF
houses OF i'll. fame-so long the very respectable
landlords Of those dens of vice, remain unbranded
with the infamy they have earned, and are not
driven from the circles of the really viruous and
respectable portion of the community, SO long will
this evil go on increasing in magnitude
First of all, let the owners OF the houses
of ill-fame be exposed and prosecuted make
it penal offence to let houses for such pur-
poses, and let the police authorities do their duty
in bringing all such offenders to justice. Let the
seducer be made in the eye of the law felon,
and let him be regarded and treated as he is, de-
graded felon. Then we would have taken the
first step towards the removal of one of the most
appalling evils which afflct society. Next, let a
proper asylum be provided for the unfortunate VIC
Tins Of misfortune, or passion, or vice. When a
female falls from her high estate of honor and vir-
tue, and is driven forth from kindred and home,
let Christian benevolence conduct her to safe
and secure asylum, where the penitent may be re-
stored to herself and to society. When the guar
dams ofthe public morals-the Mayor Harpers, and
the Justice Drinkers do that, instead Of dragging
the outcasts to prison, where they are made ten
fold more the daughters Of hell than ever-then
they may promise themselves that they will be able
to stand with more composure at the bar Of the
final Judgment.
Is there not charity enough in the vrtuous,
christian women of New York, to lead them to
discharge of their duty in this matter? Is there
not humanity enough in the pious and virtuous
men who are shocked as they walk Broadway at
night, and see the long gaudy train Of vice and
rottenness 60 by, to induce them to devise and
carry out some more christan-likc means Of saving
some at least of that doomed throng, than the
thrusting of them into prison? Come, come, let
the authorities, and all who honor virtue, who
would rescue the erring and unfortunate, and would
free society from one of its greatest curses, wake
to a sense of what is really their duty. Let the
houses OF illfame be suppressed, and let us have
"Magdalen Asylum"
LECTURE ON MAGNETISM. Rev. DR.. Scores
by, Vicar Of Bradford, in England, and well known
in the scientific world, at the request of several
scientific persons of this city, lectured on the high
ly instructive and interesting subject Of Magne-
tism, on Tuesdaysevening, at the Lecture Room in
Clinton Hall. At o'clock, the hour appointed,
coed number had assembled, but certainly not
so manyIas the attracveness Of the subject, or the
reputation Of the speaker would lead us to expect
DR.. Scoresby was formerly engaged in pursuing,
with assduous zeal in the arctic regions the solu-
ton of several abstruse phenomena connected with
this science, and from his practical acquaintance
with his subject, as well as from his suavity and
amenity of manner, and lucid style of speaking,
il is not strange that he was listened to with
evident delight.
He began by relating the anecdote OF the
famous DR.. Johnson, who, being invited by
lady in Edinburgh to dine with her, received, on
repairing according to appointment to her mansion
several days afterward, endless apologies for the
preparations made to entertain him, although in
reality they were most sumptuous. To all this
affectaton of regret, and excess Of peteness, DR..
Johnson replied by taking short leave, coupling
his departure with the remark that if her arrange
ments were not to her satisfaction, it not for
want of time. Now he, DIR. Scoresby, although
he had more reason to use the lady's apology,
would not do So It was not for the subject Of his
lecture, however, but for the incompleteness Of the
preparation, his more important instruments being
5000 miles away, and regretted that even the Mag
netic Telegraph could not bring them, as those he
used on that occasion might prove too minute for
distant eyes; he would, however, atone for that as
far as possible by repeating his observations and
experiments over, and communicating with any
person, after the lecture, who should desire it.
A little more than 200 years ago the nature of the
magnet was little known beyond its use in the ma.
riner's compass, and as means for the perform
ance Of some amusing tricks and slight of hand
| 1t remained for modern times to elevate it to il
proper dignity as a science, and consider it as
powerful physical agent.
Dr. Gilbert, in the year 1000, was the first who
| made any great advance in discovering the import
ance of magnetism, which he found to be co-exis
| tent with the earth. and co-extensive with ply
steal phenomena. From its affinity with cleo
tricity, and the importance Of its functions, il
| was regarded as a science fitted for the highes
thought of the human mind, which should
sometime cease to look through the microscope
at small Objects but take the telescope and behold
the operation Of those grand laws which were writ
| ten IN the heavens-which were displayed by the
the rest Of The grand machinery, and so enjoy tn,
fruits Of the most illustrious triumphs of human
knowledge. and say with the Psahnist, "What II
| man that thou art mindful of him, or the son O
| man that thou visitest him." The contempatv,
mind in this case would be struck with the wonder
surrounding him, and be struck with the mysteri
GUS nature Of the machinery by which all was KEEP