New-York daily tribune., 1854-09-07

| toWhrds bunting the nnel sehsi""
nature, bat they do not wholly eradies'e 'ne 'V'.
Of comfort. Only few among the yer! Poo'e''
s,s irsen.;bIe IN the benefits Of tidy eoanoei'
fresh air nutritious food and clean Per'o"'
Rut they cannot, we say, procure tneh' an"
,..ror.ible, Society itself which Is so di',
a.;,h,l ~ the whole subject Of SOCIAL nea''H .
IT, nrhIic authorities which neglect tae street,
In of wealth who put up low, narrow IA, ,
U.i1...d ,sr.ments for the poor the owners oi
rroo,srie, which distribute liquid poison anu wv
sd;,or. and cIergymeD who fall on any oc''''On'
= ,;.oo.i,o ,ttention to the needs OF whs' arc
".,,.s ~. Iower classes! They are the sinners
49, ds.e,,e the rebukes Of the pulpit, ana NOT Tue
.,;..er,peous rabble of offenders in general
W. do not. of course suppose that society can
a. ret. place all its members IN CIRCUMSTANCE VI
nlenty and comfort. 1t cannot rafe Joe pags'
% the condition Of Mr.. Astor; nor would Joe a'
once become gentleman if he got there; II can
not wash all the dirty carcases nor feed all the
s.inted stomachs, nor convert all the rooAeries
into palsces. But it can do much, approxima-
lively. in that direction, either in its collective
capacity. or through individuals. Ii can keep the
streets clean and administer pure air to the pub
lie nOstrils. 1t can stop the dram-drinking'
which is the source Of nine. tenths of the crime
and poverty. II can drain away the refuse which
keeps men in a sort Of permanent stat OF inani-
ton and constipation. II can open parks aud
other resorts for the recreation aud amusement oil
the seethng herds of mechanics and their chill
dreD. Especially, js there no occasion for the
wretched novels in which large majority o our
citizens live. The science of architecture makes
us acquainted with plans of dwellings, infinitely
superior to them, and just as cheap. Combined
houses furnished with the leading conyeniences
Of an almost princely residence, may be built for
less money than it now takes to erect ard keep
in repair our miserable rOokeries. They m'y be
kept clean at little or no expense, provide ~'th
cir and water, and heated comfortably in winter,
and lighted at night, and pay fair interest onthe
espital invested, without materially raising rent.
Why are they not constructed Why do not in
diyiduals of wealth, or companies, undertake the
establishment of such edifces We ar. famous
for building splendid hotels, splendid steamboats,,
splendid private edifces why not even a single
comfor able home for the industrious poor
The reason is that men have n, just sense Of
either their rights or their duties The frstobga-
ton Of society is said to be the protection OF the
persons OF its members-but how are our stOmachs,
our lungs our skins, our whole bodies, indeed,
protected Are our rights Of person as to he,lth
cared for at all Every pore, every nerve, every
minutest cell of our system protests against the
outrages with which they are afflicted. The
blasts Of disease blow against us through every
alley the seeds of disease are sown in every gut
ter, and our very houses are clammy and foul like
the walls of tOmbs. But What is worse, our in
terror ard finer natures suffer with the stomach,
lungs and skin. The dirt sinks into the soul, aud
the miasma testers at the heart. Our spirits
grow unclean with our bodies. The physioOgi-
col disorder passes into a psychcal gangrene.
The mind is dyspeptic, the feelings cannot ema-
nate with freedom the thoughts are swan ped
and sooty, and society breaks out with sores aud
ulcers of crime. Thus, far from being pro-
tected in our persons we are robbed aud assassi-
mated A great ado is made whtn some burglar
creeps into our vacant house to take away the
spoons and the entire apparatus of the police
and the courts aud the prison-houses is set at
work to arrest and punish the criminal. But our
health is stolen, our bodies forcbly broken into,
our lives made TO stand and deliver, by the negli-
gences and misdeeds Of society itself-and there
is 10 appeal