The New York herald., 1845-08-22

Elections of the most painful and distressing nature
common affray amongst the most degraded ruf
fans, ending in murder, is most amentable occur
renee; but when the parties engaged IN murderou
encounter, belong TO the educated and respectab,
class of society-when they mere lads, and th'
subject of their quarrel OF the most trivial characte
when the fatal occurrence takes place in tn,
streets of the capital of the nation, and in broad day
light the affair becomes dark and bloody tragedy
which may well fill us with alarm and horror w,
gave the earliest and fullest details of this scene
evil passion and blood, and it now becomes ou
duty TO inquire into the state Of that society il
Which the melancholy occurrence took place. ant
endeavor to educe from this investigation the ap
propriate moral.
This murder is to be tracedto the utterly deprav
ed and demoralized state OF society at Washington
produced by the violence, the folly, the reckless
ness, the continual brawling.of members of Con
gress, and the blighting influence Of party politics
In ssuch an atmosphere, all the virtues and SOUND
principles which constitute the conservative
influences of society, must, of necessity,
decay and perish. Party leaders and dema-
gogues of all descriptions assemble there, and
heated and intiamed by their vile contests about the
local aggrandizement, they enact the very floors
of Congress scenes which reflect the deepest dis
grace on our free Institutions and cast dishonor on
the sacred cause of liberty itself Language fit only
for the lowest haunts of vice and crime Is uttered
by honorable members of Congress; and within the
very walls once consecrated to the solemnltles OF
national legislation ruans fercely assail each other
and are prevented only by overwhelming numbers,
who rush upon and separate them, from shedding
one another's blood. Out of doors-in the streets
in the rsfectories-in the taverns-ln the
boardng-houses-in the theatres-in places we
will not name-what scenes OF muderous as
sault--of violence-of rufianly altercation-of
blasphemous recrimination- disgusting obscenity
are enacted, let any man who has spent month in
Washington tell. Virtue and morality and liberty,
outraged and Profaned in the very citadel OF the re-
public, may well turn away in shame and indigna-
tion as they look upon that dark city ofraud pollu
tion, and corruption
In such state of society, is ii any wonder that
youth should grow up utterly corrupt and hardened,
practsed in all the vices that weigh the soul to
the gates of moral death The malaria which fills
with death the atmosphere around the "eternal
city," is not more poisonous and deadly than that
which mfects the capital of this republic
-quarrelsome-thei ideas of man
hood and honor obtained from the fatal ex-
amples presented daily before their eyes in honor
able legislators who call each other Glars on the
floors of Congress- and then stab each other in the
back, like Venetian bravos, or sceur the surround
ing country for days in order to get shot at one
another-the youth of Washington grow up reckless
and abandoned-with passions entirely unbridled,
and ready in any evil hour to fall prey to that terri
bic enemy of souls who is ever waiting opportunity
to destroy. Amongst the evil influences which con-
gregate in this Gomorrah, we must not omit the
swarms of office-beggars. The great majority of
these Of desperate fortunes, and ruined char
acters. Moral lepers they, spreading all around
destruction and death. 1t is said many of the young
men in the capital, of that class to which those en-
gagged in this fatal afray belong have been "pupils
Of certain OF the most abandoned Of that
Crowd ofloating loiterers that attend
No camp, no duty, and no friend
but who last session thronged the grog-shops Of
Washington-hung aboutthe lobbes of " the House,
-plucked the screen ones in the "ten-pen alleys
and gave lessons in the bowie knife and pistol
Very likely. Besides, in many instances the young
men employed in subordinate Offices under the gov
ernment are not subjected to proper restraint and
supervision. They have little to do, or else they
neglect their duties. Their Offices have been the
reward of political services indeed rem
dered by their fathers, or their uncles, or their
father-in-law, or some other relatives-and
lads who should be at school under the wholesome
discipline of the birch, or engaged In learning
some useful trade, are thus thrust into "ofce,'' y
receive liberal salaries, cultivate their tardy beards
patronze the taverns, win and lose at ten pins,
break each others heads, and occasionally diversity
their employments by shooting companion, like
dog, in the public street Do we too highly color
the painful picture! Is our language harsh Alas
we present only the TRUTH without disguise, or un-
worthy affectation.
Such is the sad-sad picture of society at Wash.
ington. And year after year its dark shades have
been growing deeper and deeper. And why
There is conservative purifying, controlling pub
lie opinion operating through an intelligent and in
dependent public press. The Washington newspa-
per press is utterly powerless great governing
influence. 1t takes no cognizance of the social
condition. All around it every thing that is pure
and lovely and Of good report, has been perishng
whilst corruption, profigacy, vice and blood, have
been committing their ravages, but one syllable
of warning, of rebuke, of admonition, of anathema
has been uttered by this dead, heartlsss miserable
press. AT noon day the pestilence has stalked
abroad but its presence and its fearful work of ruin
and death have been quite unheeded by that craven
and lntidel press, the very first of whose duties
should have been to incucate morality and virtue,
and iearlessy TO denounce all who were guilty OF
violating their pure precepts. In the cities of this
land, the only institution which can successfully
maintain peace, order, and public morality. is
the newspaper press Look at New York-the
great metropolis of this country. Deprive il
OF the constant superintendent the conservative
Infiuence-of the strong and intelligent go
yernment OF the daily press, and what would be
Its condition Dlsorder-v olence-vIce-crime-
anarchy, and an utter Generalization of society
would inevitably ensue. Our municipal government
Is altogether incapable OF maintaining this crowded
community in state OF peace and order 1t is the
newspaper press-issuing every morning, one hun