Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1847-06-12
BERlJN (PRUSSIA)-ls47.

A traveller, in writing for the TroVluehce jour
nal under date of Berlin, March %, lS41, says;-
The tone of morality in Berlin, not only as
resnects outward honesty OF conduct, nut IN
Il has not vet recovered from the atielsuc sho'
of the enoch Of Frederick the Great, and although
this CITY is the head and centre OF the new Irus-
sian Evangelical Church. that church Is too much
a creature of the monarch and the government,
10 have a deep root in the affections, or decided
influence upon the character, eth, of the inha-
bitants of Berlin or of Prussia in general. With
the intense inclination of the Pru-slan theory OF
government, to bring every thing INTO system,
into formulas, into organism, INTO automalica'
operations, Religion itself, the most spontaneous
of all things. has been shaped, and pressed. and
modelled, and organized, till 1t has lost the Inca
ments Of nature and the warmth and elasticity oil
life. Old religious partlaIIties, the cherished Gus
toms of the Lutheran, and the simple forms OF
the Calvinstic worship, have been dl~Teg lTded
and a rude hand has cut them all away, to form
new, prim, arbitrary, AMI unnatural inquire, which
labelled The Prussan Evangelical Church. pos
sesses the external order, polish, and ACTIVITY ahu
the internal liitlrssness, impotence, and lnleNl-
bllity of a stcam-engLe. Perhaps | speak too
unpuardedy and ignorantly concerning the Irus-
sian Church, but | have been Impressed, even IN
the course of a brief observation, OF the utter Ii
taIness of Government interference In matters OF
RcIision. Even granting that the l'russlan mon
arch entertains more truly evangelical views than
the majority of his subjects, he has obtained no.
thing in forcing these views upon them, hut tnelr
hatred, their malcdictions and the eXllngulSh-
ment of all right religious sentiment. Religion
cannot he made into ponce system, or c"tiPc'ie"
to move with tho precision OF a regiment Oh III
fantry When it is left alone, 1t tiourshes IKE a
wild flower; but when 1t Is put under gas
case it dies The Old world has yet TO learn
from America, in religion, what she is even no"
learning in Jurisprudence, III commerce. anu III
politics. | would, however, ny no means a''i-
buta tho iplnDrality of Berlin, either wholly or
mostly, to the state OF the church, hut ralh'F ~
local causes 1t Is not, In the HTSt b'dI'' i'O'i
city, and it is struggle, even win inc pest an"
the most fortunate classes 10 acquire ahu ~ mn
tain an independent livelihood D'h'a'h l"'s'i
is vast and swaEming mass OF paupeIlSm ana
misery; Of people who not beng anIe |" on''li
the requisite sum to purchase tle cltE'us ~ VI
the city, are exposed to all the rgnf OF 'ne "a
without enjoying the bcn'hts OF IT'S beheNo''h'
institutions If | should say that out "i poru'
lation of over 100000, there were 1000 persons
who have no roof to cover them, no IRE 10 warm
them, in a word, who have no definite lodging
but roam about the streets, sleeping IN DARK cor
ners and eating whatever chance, 9cneVHiehct'
or a dishonest opportunity oilers thrih' VINO ca"
fail TO see how broad field Is opened LOT Tue
most painful physical and moral degradation!
Yet this is true oil the city Of Berlin. w men we
add to this the lowneSs OF wages, esleclaiy i"I
females being much lower lhah IN Tafis, anu
comparing with the miserable pItt1nces OF ing
is an accumulated reason for deprayity' an almost
irresistible inducemeht II vice. MIN the Young
where the consclenous sentiment Is uhlhst uCp
cd, and the intellect phtaug To reH'Ct an" G's-
Crimnate, ali easy immortality seems lar I,ITyl,i-
able to a gr0anlng and starving virtue. nef
choice is soon made. Even the others, not 'e- is
unrcGecting, but not able to WIN luxury, sun
grasp at enjoyment. hen poor street wan
derer, whether male or female, succeeds IN the
course of the day, by carrying WOOD ny cI%afihs
tINa 4ars II
few 'ptennig- he or she spends the evening ana
night in a suuterranedh beef-ceIar, dfihRlng actlu
and intoxicating mixtures, singing rude songs,
and inhaling al atmosphere OF tobacco smoAe' IN
which the lamps burn DIM: inns is not nan
their misery, and TINS is all their happiness
But let US look at the somewhat superior
classes, and their manner OF life. Among these,
where there Is more hoil'y comfort ana mental
ease, it would be hoped that there was more So
cial order, and less moral IebaS'meht. Il even
here, that great source OF pure happiness, That
chief fostorer OF all the virtues WIN U.s. VIZ the
domestic pIlnclple, the cheerful ana sacred ldta
of HONE, its tresIde, and is innocent pleasures
is hardly known, and almost wholly unapprecliI
ed. 1t those III more easy circumstances possess
homes, they are Tor their necessities, ana not lr
their enjnyments; these lie abroad, In public
places, in colee-houses, IN restaurants, IN baIl-
rooms Thus, even where there Is less hecessl-
ty (if such expression IN relative sense might
lie alowed) to vice, the temptations TO IL are not
materially diminished. 1t is even worse for the
mind to have no home, than for the body. =,
In the very best classes OF Berlin clrty, Il
do not speak now of the first nobility and royal
ty. for these form serene peak, far above the
mist of plebian ambion,) in the families Of nj
versity professors, of officers in the army, and of
educated men of wealth, the most superior ne
of intellectual refinement prevails No men are
more thoroughly educated than Russians of the
higher class, and perhaps no Indies are more |
eminently accomplished than the ladies Of Berlin
Without being pedantic, they are learned, with.
out being vain. They are perfectly skilled IN all
those graces and arts which ornament life. They
are fine housewives, as well as fine ladies'. They