The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-01-22
Outrage npon Public Morals and Public
Decencw.

| On Tuesday evening Of this week most astound
ing and shocking outrage was committed upon the
public morals and public decency, such never be-
fore was perpetrated in Christian comnunity-in
a land which acknowledges the truth, and bows
with reverence at the sacred volumes OF the Old and
New Testaments.
We do not mean to mlnce our words; for il is not
a time to palter or refine.
This community will remember what an excite
ment was created, some few weeks since, by the
disappearance OF Cough, professed temperance
lecturer 1t will also remember a second excite
ment which followed the first, by the discovery that
he had been engaged an entire week, during his dis
appearance, in revelries and debauchenes, con-
tinued both night and day, in a house of the viles
prostitution in Walker street. II will also be re-
membered that after this broad, staring discovery
Of his principles and character, he yet had the
perlatve impudence to come before a civilized and
moral community, and most impudently CATER he
had, as the saying is, acknowledged The corn,')
persist again In coming forward public teacher
of temperance and morality. One would suppose
that such man would bury himself in retirement,
aud quietly endeavor to work out his own reforma-
ton, such as his confessions seem to point ou'
as necessary. One would think that he would re-
tire from the world, and not again obtrude
himself upon the community a teacher, when his
own conduct, by his own confession, exhibited no
thing but the ost beasty intoxicaton in tie midst
of harlots, in one of the most infamous houses in
New York.
Yet, notwithstanding all these things, we find in
journal Of this city, the following report Of the re-
markabe scene which the Tabernacle Ia reputed
religious house, in Broadway exhibited on the
temperance of this person.
TEMPERANCE ANNvERsARr.-The Tabernacle was
Daughter. Of an Which has
been founded about twelvemonth. Ex-Mayor Harper
called the assembly to .rder and short address from
He was aware he said that the vast and dense audi.
had been drawn together for object to hear
once more one who had often addressed them express
their sympathy for who has been in deep waters,
and who has come out by the blessing of God to speak
Dr. Patton then proceeded to illustrate the two posi-
tions-hat religion cannot do without temperance and
that temperance cannot do without religion.
In respect to the latter he saidThere is nothing in
simple bodily suffering that will hold the sympahies Of
What il the Missionary Societies should make it
wretchedness Of those to whom they send their minis
ters.how much money would they get how long
We must look at the spiritual Of the nebriae
well at his temporal degradation not indeed secta
world.
After one or two songs, and speech from Master
Hanson n. +.
out, Dr. Thomas Hunt the famous temperance lecturer,
addressed the audience in short and pithy Speech de-
signed to show that person engaged in the sale Of
liquor could by his business merely prove his claim to
respectabity.
Mr. Cough, taking the stand, was received with
for the ladies who sent for to address Them did not
send for me to do that What am any other in
comparison with the glorious Of temperance No
more than bubble on the breakers; yet that Power
that guides the tempest and rules the pilots the
bubble also, and wi trust yet pilot in safety to
MIR. Cough proceeded in an eloquent appeal to young
meI in which, in former times, he carried with him
the hearts Of his audience and moved them at his plea
sure yet he spoke with evident effort and concluded
with brief reference to his position before the
stand before this audience and speak s as am now to
speak; not to plead my own causes not as criminal;
&
against me; they have showed me mercy. To them
say you may have long lives before you, and may be
placed in circumstances dark, and mysterious, and
troublous as those which have seen; but may you
never long in vain for word of human sympathy
have melted to others And to this audience again say
am innocent of the charges against My statement
Is before the public Give me fair field, and God de-
The exercises of the evening concluded with the pre-
SAL in the name Of the Daughters Of Temperance, to
which Mr. Harper responded in brief, ohand speech
Here we find spectacle which must astonsh not
only this communicated only all this civilized
country, or any other country wherever the account
may come, throughout the Christian world-but it
would seem that even the very angels in heaven
must revolt at such a singular, such wicked, such
premeditated outrage against decency and morals,
as is exhibited in this assembly. Here we see an
ex-Mayor-a moral and religious person-assem-
bling men and women-all moral and religious pro-
fessorsand these actually sitting and listening to,
and applauding this man, who, by his own confess
sion, was living for more than week in the most
abominable regions Of filth and debauchery-in re-
velry and enormity of the most frightfu and awful
character. Yet he who has done such things is en-
couraged, in this manner, to exhibit himself as a
teacher before this community. Is there truth in
morals at all! Has virtue no existence? Such are
the questions which must present hemselvesto every
one of fine sensbilltes and correct principles
when he sees such person openly encouraged, and
invited to be moral teacher, and paraded before
the world as spOtless character. Has the moral
and religious James Harper no respect Tor his cha
racter-hls station-his name-his family-his fame1
Has the Rev DR.. Patten, the pure minister of God
and religion, regard for virtue, for decency, for
propriety, for that holy book which is his rule and
his guidel But above all. have the amabIe, lovely
aud virtuous daughters OF temperance no sensibili-
ties towards virtue-Ro feeling for purity-no re-
gard Tor their spotess and rehned souls! We pause
for reply
NEw York STATE MUTUALLY the report Of the
Adutant General Of the State, furnished to the Ex
ecutve from the returns of the year lS45 it appears
the whole number Of militia subject to military duty
is l62 4l6, six per cent of the whole population.
Of this number, II belong to the General Staff,
3S49 to the Cavarys9,3 to the Artillery l4l, 4S6
to the Infantry 4,276 Rifemen, and 3,4s6 Of Artil-
lery attached to the Infantry.
These returns do not at all approach correctness;
for, from the bad odor that our militia law is in with
the majority Of our citizens, 1t evident that no re
ance ought to be placed on the .offcial statements
Indeed, this is evident, when we compare the re.
turns OF last year with those Of any year for Sc
| ria hail IL IL. al.