The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-08-16
observation-disclosures
I "WAN ED,

\ NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

This significant advertisement excited n
train ol reflection. II struck me M n veri.
table instance oi the true sublime. There
- no unnecessary, circumlocu,nry mode 81
expression about Il, unless the adjective may
be obnoxious TO severe criticism. There
IL "A paihos about the address which no one
cnn resist who really deserves "a ..goud din
ner." No mock modes;y--no false delicac,
no bending Of the suppliant knee arc
hero. Webster or Brogham never con.
densed more lofty cloqucnce into one briei
sentence. The cpi,het "good," TO which
have supposed some rigid rhe,o,icians
might possibly object, rather increases m,
admiration Of this literary production. Il
discovers that the author is no com,non
candidate for favor. lie does not seek the
ir;gid charities of The world in The hope of
"cold wirtaIs." lie magnifics the Office al
mendicancy. lie asks .good dinner"
and taci,y promises that he will d. Justice
tot il. But lie gives no clue TO his where
abou,s. lie is as inscruiahle as ..Junius."
Who can he be? But, ah! inscribed ON
how many awning posts, aud doorways,
aud crumbling novels in this great city
might VIC not read far more startling paihei-
Ic announcements than that. All along
many street, aud lane. and alley We
might, had we clearer vision, rcnd, "For
Gods sake give me n dinncr''-..give the
bread'-s.givc me one morscl al brcadm
Is il any wonder that tho pcs,ilcncc
should now be shifting down lis thousands
IN our great popnlous cities? Could yoi
come with me into samc Of those regions IN
this crowded metropolis in which hundreds
o! human beings are crammcd into filthy
iencmen,s, rocking with pcsti,cntial yapnrs,
you would lie ready IL cAelaim that that
docs indeed loak like just rcirlhniion, when
swiftly destructive diseases breaks forth
amid these awful nbodcs of dcs!, ION mud
despair, and cures 20 tih mud terror into
the palaces Of the rich, who care mol inr
their suffering brethren. | do no, believe
ihat people distance form any thing like
\ correct estimate 81 the amount oil phs steal
lesttution which exists in this metropolis.
Rents are so enormously high TINT il il i'm.
possible for tho great masses Of The popr t.
obtain more than a single apartment for u
large family, and that, too, in filthy and
unhealthy portion Of tho city. O.icn Que
hundred aud fifty human beings will be
found crowded together in house not fiji
Tor the accommodation Of more than ,hir,,
persons! Imagine the result. The stencl
is overwhelming. There is Of course no
moral government or discipline, and the
noise, blasphcmy, disorder, quarreiing, md
all manner Of evil which prevail, arc hides
crihnble.
Probably about ono hundred thousand
human beings in this city live in The man
ncr which, ! have dcscribcd--rha, IL, il
filthy. unven,iIuicd, crowded tcncmcn,s-
They consist 81 the lowest class ol artizans,
who AFRO dissolutc and earn only three or
four dollars weck--of chiGonicrs or rag
pickcs, who collect refuse OF all kinds
thrown into the streets, bones, rage, aud the
sweepings of the storcs-of pickpockcis,
thieves and prostitutes of the lowest chnrnc-
tcr--and Of German and Irish emigran,s,
who are induced to lingcr in this city, des-
ti,ute Of means md unable TO obtain any
thing but the most procarious employment.
and filling the principle streets with beg
gars. In PREPARATION 10 i,s population there
i ms much poverty and RESTITUTION, rs much
nbject and revolving paupersm 10 New
York, no in any other city on the globe
Strangers do not know Of this, aud vast
numbers Of the better class Of our own
citizens Cannot imagine, ns they walk the
chief thoronghiarcs, TINT such n lamentnhlc
state Of things can exist. But they who
have mems of examining the obscure re.
gions Of the metropolis know better.
How can any one be surprised. then.
that pestilcntial visitation should tell will, |
fearful violence "a such population, EN-.
bracing in its limits such masses Of putrcs.
cent and decaying humanity? As 1 left
my house this morning. l saw miserable
cresture--a poor, G,nshod, ragged bciog,