The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-10-26
Our Boston Correspondence.

Our Boston Correspondence.
BosToN, October 81, 1850.
EJiqrify of the Nep York Heraid-Specalative
Character of our Citi:tns-7her Faith IN Mr.
teriai Uilities and Sceptic,sm ,cih Regard to the
Awfm Vamit,es Of Religion-Ffce SOii,sm and
Se,cardism IN Boston The IafdHibaity of the
Consciencc-Thc Lind Mania-Ihe Drama
etc, etc.
A year or two since, one of our friends, the Rev.
Or. H., professor in one of your New York uni
versities remarked to US" read no paper but Mr..
Benefits Herald for find in that everything that
all the journals in the country contain, besides an
immense deal which they do not contain" Now it
appears to us that all the world has adopted this
opinion of the Rev. DIR. H., for we 90 nowhere,
and we great traveller where the Ncs
York Herald does not meet our view. The
other journ ais of your city are known but
few miles from home; they are the organs Of
cliques and classes. But the Herald emoodying
the great American idea, and giving distinct aud
powerful utterance to the divine thought, which
burns, as a living coal, in the American heart; is
the organ Of the entire peoples and, therefore, is
sought for and read with avidity from one end of
the country to the other In this age of anarchy,
free soism, dsunon, and political immortality the
Herald is the only paper published IN New York,
which is true to the instinct Of the nation. Let il
be forever ihus-fairhtul to the great ideas of
York Herald will never fade.
We arrived to-day in Boston, city of strange
contrasts at the same time positive and alive,
believing and sceptical, Christian and Pagan Our
remark, pei haps, will not be apprehended, without
some explanation. We mean, then, to say, that IN
all that pertains to the conveniences snt utilities of
our material hfe, The Bostoniaus are the most po-
sllve of men !; they have a most lively faith, an
unshskabe confidence in their various pecunary
speculatioDs a profound conviction of their sue
cess; They plan railroads, and create them; they
build up cities and villages with magical rapidly
and will risk a whole fortune in single ship, and
send il away a trading voyage 10 the ends of the
earth, without doubt that IL will return to them
4 increased an hundred fold, With regard 10 the
outward, earthly and temporal, they are positive,
earnest, and believing with regard to thu spiritual
they are negative, cold, and sceptlcal. We do not
| say they are iDhdel-this would be charge we
dislike TO prefer against the city ut the Puritans.
/ We only say they Indifferent AND scepucal.
There is less Of ieliRiosty, less ct serious faith,
in the facts which belong to the spiritual ORDER than
in any other American city. VISIT the most fashion
able churches, and this will plainly appear:
Neither preachers nor worshippers appear as IL
they felt the awful shadow of the Infinite resting
upon them. The sermons, many of them, are
chsste and well written, some OF them eleg mt
and beautiful, but all are negative, non commttal,
spIitless. Mary of the greatest facts OF religion
are spoken at doubtDgly, as what may or may not
be and, instead al the strong affirmation Of positive
faith, we hear clergymen speak ut the future life
as something which We are PERMITTED to hope
for" But Boston will he more serious, positive,
day, with all her shortcomings, she is great,
/ intelligent, and enterprising city, and sustains
herself nobly among the cities OF the earth.
We are sorry 10 be obliged To say that Tree
Eoilism, and all tho elements OF dsunion and
anarchy, are ilourisbDg here in the widest luxu-
rance. Too many OF the people seem to be be-
wildeTed by that new revelation made by your
/ Mr. Seward, before the American Senate, viz -
That the individual conscience ~ impossible, and
consequently greater than the state, church, or
law. We have ever deprecated the growth
Of these individual tendencies IN our country,
which must end in destroying all social unity,
ard in the furrrndering Of all political ties.
I The reformers $50 called) have long been
promulgating these miserable notions; ana not a
few of the people ~ those eastern States, have
come 10 think that all the duties they owe to So
cisty, 10 the State aye, To Heaven itself, sub
ordinate 10 the duties which each one owes 10
himself. ERotism and selhshness IL rapidly de-
sc,nding into III. depths oi society, severing every
bond of unity, making our country an Arab land,
and our citizens plunder,ng IshmielItes.
/ These blasphtm ers 1.-THE reformers) pretend, IN
their wild fanaticism. that man Is above the law,
above society, and, therefore, il absolved from all
duties TO either. But have those political new
lights, which are so numerous here, and which,
/ in your State, led on by your Stewards and
Grteleys, reflected on the terrible consequences Of
such doctrnesl
4 Undoubtedly, man has conscience; ia this
oRree with Messrs. Seward 4 Co. But this con-
science is by no means infallibe; and here we do
not agree with them. Man feels. sees, and knows,
that there - right: and partially spprehends,
perhaps, where and what 10; but he Is not certain.
He may be deceved-may deceive himself, and
\ with the best of intentions. How do know that
/ my conscience is right that IL is just, and wise,
/ and truthful This ~ an important question,
/ TO which this creed OF Seward can furnish no
I apswer And yet we know that mems consciences
/ are liable TO error, and differ remarkably on all
subjtcs, even those Of most vital int. rest
/ Ii Ia plain, then, that we have need ct an aufho-
rity above the individual conscience tribunal TO
whose adjudication all individual opinions must
I bow Now, what IL that authority II Is the CON.
mon sense-the general judgment OF the wise and
I good-tbe profound and unalterable moral instinct
society In matters Of religion IL is the voice OF
I the assembly-the ccolssia church. In matters OF
society, IL IL the voice Of the peope-not the indi-
I yidual-expressed through the constitution and
i laws The constitution Of n society s the con-
( science Of the people who compose that So
ciety. IL is the general senss OF the citi-
/ zeng-an expression of what seems to them
TO be best, pufes,, truest Now, Is not the united
conscience of the whole people, conscience
/ strengthened and confined too, by long experience
and calm reflection, greater, more authoritative,
and more likely to be right, than the varying con.
I is an old postulafe, which contains a profound
/ truth, but hich has unfortunately been grossly
misspPre hended. II is net the symbol Of anarchy;
but the principle Of order, and the basis OF aulho
rity. "Jor popsii." the voice of the people, not
the voice of a man, IL the voice Of God THIS voice
10 the command OF the universal conscience, speak,
ing through the constitution and the laws, and to
wbio all individual consciences and voices must
submit.
! Mir Seward pleads the cause of 4 mans con-
science-hie conference.-the has not The great con-
/ science OF the people any rights Must " be vio-
lated in all i've ssncites, to accommodate the wild,
resiess and disiempefed console of few fana-
tics Ash the sun 10 cease 70 shine forever, that
! Paine end his gas light may flourish Command
the neon to hide her face in everlasting blackness
that the little stars may have the privilege OF iu-
/ minatng the night their own way Extinquish
the great conscience Of the people the consttu-
| ton ~ the Uuitcd state that Measrs Seward
a~,It la a.. h. afMu ~If