Washington sentinel., 1854-02-02
O. 0 m lnnnitate6.
For the Washington Sentinel.

For the Washington Sentinel
MIR. solon Robinson and Hot Corn.
When a book is published and sent abroad
throughout the country, ayowedly work in
behalf OF religion, virtue, and morality--to use
its words, " a work intended to promote tenn
perance and virtue, to lift up the lowly"-and
when conceive that the tendency of the work
is just the opposite, it becomes duty which i
owe, as one desirous of guarding and protect
ing the morals of the innocent and the virtu-
Gus against the evil effects of immoral produc-
tons, to caution the community against the
influence of such work. These remarks have
been called out by the perusal Of Hot Corn
a book recently published by Dewitt 4 Dayen-
port, and written by one the scayenger scrib-
blers Of the New York Tribune, who calls him
self Solon Robinson.
This book has had an immense sale, and is
regarded by very great many, who have not
read it, as an excellent book for the family
circle; as ably written as giving perfect
picture of the misery Of the poorer class of a
great city and as calculated to have decidedly
good effect on the minds of all who read it.
1t is recommended to mothers and to daugh-
ters. i would blush for the mother who would
read it; and / would be fearful for the daugh-
ter-the virtuous the innocent, the unsophisti-
Gated daughter-who had studied its chapters
That this book will do some good, do not
pretend to deny; but that the evil it will work
will far exceed the good, sincerely believe.
That it will save some from the drunkard's
grave, deem probable; but far more probable
is it, that, where it will reform one drunkard,
it will make fifty prostitutes.
The work has some merit / never saw a
book that had not, nor one Of its size that had
SO little. Its style, in the main, is execrable;
and rs literary effort, it is far below the grade
Of mediocrity. The tale of Little Katy is
very well written, and will have good effect.
The tale of Maggie" and Of " Madalina," too,
are well conceived and tolerably expressed.
Of such sketches the book should have been
made up andfrom the authors preface, from the
commencement, and from the title Of the book,
one would suppose it was. The author, how
ever, has seen fit to depart from the intention
and design of his book, as announced in the be.
ginning, = to give narratives of the misery snf-
tered by the poor in New York" and has de-
voted at least oncthird of its pages to detailed
descriptions Of the wicked places Of resort oi
the corrupt and licentious of both sexes OF
the higher circles Of New York; and he even
goes SO far as to speak of minister Of the Cos
pei, and members of the church, in this connex-
ion. Now, do not think that such scenes
should have been included in book protesting
to give sketches of the miseries Of the poor. 1t
would more appropriately belong to an exposi-
ton OF the vices and licentiousness of the re-
spected and devout.
The effect OF such works, to corrupt the
moral, and excite the passions and the cnri-
osity OF the young and the innocent, is so well
known aad established as to render an argu-
ment on the subject from me unnecessary.
TO the innocent, then, and the unwary, much
harm can come from the perusal Of these
sketches; to the corrupt and licentious, no
good. The work, then, has failed of its avowed
purpose and design, and should be SO considered
and treated by all; for it really is nothing else
than sign.board, a directory, pathfinder, to
lead the virtuous and the good from the paths
OF propriety to the devious and fearful ways of
corruption and crime. can't see, ] confess,
how either the cause Of temperance or Of virtue
can be promoted ,.or the misery of the poor al
leyiated, by description of the impositions
and tricks which the keepers of the dens of in
fanny alluded to practise upon those who pa
tronize them. And cannot understand how
history Of the vices of preacher and mem.
bers of his church will serve to strengthen
others in their virtue. should think the effect
would be the opposite.
think, too, that q minute description, such
as this book gives, OF the vices and follies of
unsupported and respectable married and single
ladies, would serve to weaken and not to
strengthen the virtue Of those who supposed all
to be virtuous as themselves.
would caution mothers and would caution
daughters against this book, protesting philan-
thropy and morality, as it does. Its profes.
sions are mere Yankee cant and hypocrisy,
and have dollars and cents for their object. 1t
is attractive but its attraction is that Of wolf
in sleeps clothing.
Under the garb of morality, it will receive
their attention, while it will insiduously, but
surely, give virtue and morality the deepest
stabs. 1t is like sweetened and sugared
emetic-it is pleasant tothe palate, but it sckens
the system. 1t is gilded Pandora's box. 1t
is venomous viper, covered up under the robe
Of morality. Beware Of sting.
SOUTHERNER.