The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-01-11


Morals and Manners last night in the Taberna-
Gle, Broadway. large and respectable auditory
assembled to hear the reverend gentleman, attract
ed no doubt by his reputation a reasoner, and
the popular nature of his topic, added to which
was an expectation that his recent visit 10 Europe
would furnish some prominent illustrations of the
views he would put forth.
Mr. DEWEY commenced by observing that there was at
this moment, very extraordinary crisis OF opinion in
Europe with regard to this country Our national cha
racter was not only broug into question but
brought into question deciding upon the forms
OF our government and in this point OF view
the subject he had chosen became one of great
moment Let him then look carefully into the causes
of this disrust OF America, both in her character
and her institutions, examine what were the grounds OF
it, and ascertain how far they sustained il It all, by
facts What there, he thought he might reasonably
ask in the American people great nation consisting OF
seventeen millions OF inhabitants prosperous peaceabe
happy powerful and respectable to justify any aarmst
croaker saying that the great experiment made by us
III government was coming 10 nought or that could war
rant any foreign writers who had reputation to preserve,
in speaking Of this country they did, in OF gross
indenity and ribald scorn The first charge he should
examine since stood foremost OF all that OF
the population OF public debts 1t easy under
stand the feeling OF all Europe upon this point without
coming into actual contact with it. Upon late visit to
the Old World he amused to observe the lengths to
which this charge carried Without one single ex-
cspon among all the persons who addressed him. he was
approached with an air and tone OF sympathy Tor the
sad case Of America" The conversation usually ran III
this MANNER" terrible thing this in America what
ne asked why THIS know, was
the rejoinder. "But who has repudiaed W Why, the
Statesal the Staesand the worst OF is that it is the
doctrine now in America" mo, sir" was his reply,
et us understand this matter before we proceed any r-
ther that the States have not repudated their debs
say there is such thing reputation in America,
but the single instance of Mississippi and that is
attended it'll peculiar circumstances which demand at
least to be considered" Mississippi conended that she
was not legally nor honestly bound to pay these bonds
because they We're sold and bought in the known
vention OF the conditions upon which they were issued.
He did not himself say that this was sufficient deence
IN thee he of the ed
agent OF the State should bind the state but STILL he az
serted that not act Of OPEN unbushing epudia
believed there never could be- It was case not
Of reputation, but, Of simple bankruptcy, and
the reply often they can, il they Like lay direct
tax for the purpose Of payingor at any rate they can
relieve the public mind in some degree by acknowledg'
ing their liability and in time they might meet it they
know that suspicious have been flung upon their good
faith and yet they have done nothing to remove them
Consider" was his answer how little the oil the
people apt to feel themselves implicated in the acts
OF the government they hear there is deficit in the
treasury and they suppose it will be supplied way
other without their character being suspected
nor does it materially alter the case that ours is
irresponsible and representative government 1t is way
oil thinking long since into the world, with regard
to the actions OF all governments that the public con
science does not feel itself responsible for the acts or Tor
the neglect Of government" He wished 1t did himself
he was willing to aid in any thing tending elevate the
public conscience and in this view he wished that
one of the Two things suggested had been done
either that the voice OF the people had de-
manded direct tax, they had made open
and public profession of purpose to pay. But
the Question now was does the failure do other
of these two things indicate Of principle among
the people, u willingness that the debts should not
be poid On this point the Reverend Gentleman con.
tended, that there indication whatever OF want
OF principle upon the part OF the people the State Co.
venments but that there might have been want Of
and courage upon the part OF the latter i'll the steps Tor
prevention and remedy feeling of carelessness and
OF not being responsible too apt to attach to public
men Of Ca BY constant rotation IN
for neglect Of the public debt In England indeed it
well known that successive administrations did not feel
themselves responsible for the acts Of their predecessors
they did for their at the time he must
tanly say that if States like England, had each
permanent head, the sense of responsibility for all
honest and their caumniators did not know them
not true that the people Of this country if the ho
nest part were fairly placed before them, would reject IT,
II cannot said Mr. Dewey, shall not it must not be
true In my soul believe it il not If thought it
fold my hands and lift my hands in prayer and say, Oh
God give another country have no country now ;
give distant shore where faith is kept and where
truth abides for have no more country He trusted
he should be believed when he said this was no language
of rhetoric 1t had been said in OF the papers that In
diana would certainly repudate. He did not believe it,
But il it true and he citizen of Indiana, he
would leave the State without delay he would not
breathe its ar him moment 9s1 o beyond the time
had been some utra.radcal speculation abroad
TO show that the State had no right
to contract these debts and much had been said in Eu.
rope upon this subject This doctrine became dishonest
the moment it was made to apply to debts already con-
these debts had been rashly contracedhat the public
works upon which the loans had been expended Of
little icehat millions had been thrown
upon useless canals and that it was therefore hard the
people should be heavily taxed for these bo0tess enter
prises Add to this general feeling oirresponsbity for
what the government did and easy to in what
different light this might present itself from that of
direct personal liability II not strange, perhaps
that creditors in Europe could would this
differ ence They viewed the Of Pennsy lvana il it
OF private individual and though he had
objection to the Rev Sydney Smiths powerful pen being
ox,adu hp nNnQ "a !.
in which justice should go before condemnation, and
wisdom should take precedence of wit; Was wise OF
lust act otherwise Multitndes in Pennsylvania and
in all the indebted States. honestly disposed. They
were DESTROYS that all claims should be fairly adjusted
and that the public conscience should be brought to the
in a moment. This was new case in national morals
and it was complicated with difficulties. He (Mr Dewey
wished for public meeting to be called to consider this
solemn crisis in the national morals which should utter
its indignation against the public delinquents II they were
heard throughout ali Europe But to meet the full extent
that felt of this country and Of its nst
tutons upon grounds was necessary to take
larger view, connected with which larger view there
were other accusations II was said that the national
mind of this country corrupted by the pursuit of
wealth. and in the absence Of hereditary distinctions there
was the title considerable amongus The reverend
gentleman in the reply to this charge intro
duced facts showing that the old countries OF Europe
that could support all the population which Gre I
Britain forced to send to u.s. because she could not
maintain them, although we were not boarding people,
and pay all debts besides Following this very
happily drawn contrast between the condition Of the free
citizens of the United States and the laboring man OF
England or Ireland Then succeeded descriponof the
late of commercial distress in this country which
from the enerprsng character othe people setting
upon honest and general conviction of great in
in the value Of all kinds OF property He strongly
contended that dishonesty had participation in it i,
simply from the absence Of prudence even In the
most cautious and those who thought otherwise ii tie
knew the real state of the These circumstances
lid not affect the institutions government of the conn.
try they affected only those who engaged in trade
the of the people knew nothing of them than whom
there honest or virtuous people upon the
face of the earth The third great charge against the
morals of the country related to the system Of slavery in
some of the States Upon this branch the observations
Of the reverend gentleman to extreme length He
dsapproved of slavery in the abstract but condemned the
violent proceedings of the abolition societies He ennme
rated many of the difficulties which perpex this question
and ntimated his opinion that the idea of amagamation
which has sometimes been put forth impracticable
Emancipation would be granted sooner later but it
woud require the exercise ogreat caution and wisdom
in the selection of the time and the means Mr.. Dewey
then proceeded to defend the of the Americans
81 tk.L,