New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-04-01
lecture, on the Confessional.

Lectures on the Confession"i.
To tic Editor of The 7SibHas'
Nc a, advertisement in one Of your numbers !
-, r.ek learn that Mr. Leahy formerly monk OF
IA Trsppe, and a Mr.. Hogan formerly Catholic
p,e,t are TO hold forth OF these evenings IN the
tabernacle on the enormities and aoominauons Oh e
Confessional" Considering the sound tone oil your
paper on all questions of public morals and private
morals too confess that such notice IN 20" h,rI
Using columns took me somewhat by surprise Nu"'
Sir. Just reflect IL Ia the Richmond iIseouy ~ ~
heart broken father ascrbes the moral u
daughter TO Eugene Sue and such writer's But Eugene
Sue sent his book only he did not appear "
carry on the work OF corTuptDg youth and lhoeo"J
the work Of depraving public morals H., 81,
Who will attend the Lecture OF Leshy ana iios -
the Tabernacle None but Protestants-Who cave
ing 10 do with Confessionals suppose tne Iie " %
Lecture were The Mysteries OF the seraeno no,
many Protestants would attend Not one. WI .e'
morals be improved by listening to Description
true or false of the alleged mysteries Of the "Conies
sional T. -, - iona
little recollection of what Is due the pubic mora ie
ing of the communicated females and youths MS
KcrHed of from their Lecture And pray sir "na' Anu
of ectre must tina, be which invites only the cor
rHpied and rdras Of the innocent and pure 49,. ,ba
But all this is in zeal for PTotestantsm mas 'heH VIZ
cause Of Professionalism fallen 90 low thai mese ave VIC
men. these tie mans to sustain ii hope not.
Leahy and Hogan both old stagers al ihis ouslu'
of admitting at IS cents head such as are prepared
dsposed 10 listen 10 the Nth which will OF course De
dealt ont abundaptly But with singular zeal or puOHc
morals they admOnsh youth, and female P~sy ana .'o
cenee to keep away What kind OF an audience tlen
do they expect. - II, -
Itei YOU Sir. these men pted by the Roman
Cathoics-by the Protestsnts they are dispised But
their advertisement looks bad in The New OK lroune'
COMMON DECENCf.
Remarks.
Our respected correspondent seems to us to as
scrt or clearly imply principles which would render
the ayocatSon of an Editornot an easy one at best
if its duties be conscientousy discharged-too on
erous to be pursued at all; and we shall be inclined
TO abandon it when the public intimate that we are
TO be judged by any such standard For do but
consider. Here are fifty to one hundred Advertise
ments received each day at our counter, from men
who propose to buy or sell, exhibit or explain, all
manner ofthings. An Editor, OF course, has plenty
to do beside scrutinizng all these as they are re-
ceived. and deciding what among their objects do
and what do not seem calculated TO promote the
cause of Good Morals indeed, few Editors see
tenth of the advertisements received until alter
their publication. The most any one assumes to
do is 10 Law down certain general rules with regard
TO Advertisements, importing that nothing Indecent
in language or palpable import-not plainly cal
culated 10 seduce the young and innocent into the
haunts of vice and vileness--shal be received for
publication This we have done, 1t is well known
Though we do not often speak of it, that several
large classes Of profitable advertisements which are
readily taken and inserted in the other Daily jour
nails Of our City are not allowed to appear at all III
The Tribune.
But when we approach tho confines of Free Dis.
cussion, we feel that we treading on dangerous
ground To US, indeed, nothing is more revolving
than attacks by one class of regonists on the faith
or morals of another, and no trait in denomination
or preacher can be more repulsive than that OF Of
fensive warfare on the creeds or morals OF rival
Churches. Ofcourse, the trade of Messrs. Leahy
and Hogan appears to us about the poorest that
men could well follow, this side of throat-cutting.-
But we have never heard either of those persons,
and are not likely to hear them We know no
thing save by the vague report OF Literature OF
the Confessional Under these circumstances, a
judgment by u.s. on such data as we have, that their
proposed lectures on the Confessional must be de-
moralizing and vile would involve decision that
the Comics sonal itselfis unimpeachable, and that
any public exposure of its alleged conuptions and
impurities must necessarily be wantonly deprav-
ing. When we have begun to make such decisions
oilhand and to enforce them by the exclusion Of
advertisements. where are we to stop? How are
we to deal with advertisements Of meetings to pro-
mote objects which We disapprove like the present
War, forinstance, or enlistment in the Army I'VE
cannot see our way clear in the premises, unless
consider the advertisement in question one per-
tanning to Sectarian Warfare, which we do not ap-
prove but have no right to forbid and must presume
that, if there be anything indecent or immoral in
the advertised performances at the Tabernacle, the
proper authorities will put stop to them.
Ed. Tri5.