Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-03-11

this fact, we ought not to be ashamed of what
has been, for though the knowledge of our
short comings will be bruited abroad, the 9TH
er fact will go abroad with it, that the great
mass Of the people are determined to put an
| end to these things in the future. There is
light shining in the midst of us, to dispense all
this darkness; we are here to act and not to
| despair.
If with the increase of our city, men will
come here for evil purposes, to cent their bad
passions, and riot in guilt, it is well for us to
know, that we may be on our guard. If there
are, as it is said, public shambles, for the sale
of woman's priceless virtue, if there are dens
where the rightfully called blackleg, plies his
infamous trade-if there arc saloons and eel
lars where that traffic is carried on, which
thrives only as hearts are broken, souls
ruined, and families degraded, we all ough
| to know it, and to be ready, as one man, to
come to the rescue. 1t is in vain for us to
hope or expect to prosper as we have done,
unless we do. Such facts are apparent; we
all know that these things are true, else why
is this meeting tonight
The hand of violence has recently stricken
down one of our citizens, in the very midst of
us all, almost in the broad light of day. Yet
who knows who perpetrated the foul crimes
| Not one Of us, but we do know that it is our
| duty to guard against the recurrence of such
outrages, in future. The eloquent speaker,
here paid feeling tribute to the memory of
| Maj. knight, who had been in times past,
| one of his parishioners, and whom he had re-
| garded as friend. He spoke of the manner
in which such outrages affected the character
industrious, honest, !enterprising men would
not prefer some other place to locate, rather
than here, if we permitted such violations of
law as We knew were daily practiced, to go
unrebuked. Would not the vicious and the
depraved, rather choose to take up their abode
with us, rather than such men as we desire,
even as the vultures fly where the scent of
putridity invites them:
| He (Mr. Smalley,) hoped, that the trumpet
voice of this meeting would express no un-
certain sound, that it would say in tones clear
and loud, that all the flaws made for the pro-
lection of our citizens shall and muat be en-
forced. He hoped that the resolutions to be
offered, would enunciate that fact most en-
| phatically, and that all present would go away
from the meeting with a strong and determin-
ed purpose to maintain the laws and wipe
away the foul blot of crime that furnished
| the fair fame Of our city. He hoped that the
| press would speak, and the clergy would speak
| upon all occasions in favor of the social and
moral right of putting down the evils that
abound among us, by the strong arm of law;
speak as becomes men having the fear of God
and the love of men only in their hearts, and
regardless of all personal consequences to
| themselves. He hoped too that the city Gov
eminent would take more energetic stand
than it has ever done before
If you employ men to take care of your
highways, said he, you do not expect to be
under the necessity of pointing out to them
every defect, and go with them to show the
precise locality where there is work to be done.
If you meploy men to light your streets, indi-
vidual citizens are not expected to go to them
and report where every light goes out. If you
have committee on sidewalks, and a portion
of it needs repairs, can nothing be done until
some injured citizen goes and prefers his COM
plants. and shows what the danger is in that
particular spot: Is it not rather the duty of
those whom we select to perform these Of
fees to keep open their own eyes, speak
with their own tongues, and act with their
own hands, by the light of their own intelli-
gence. So if you have conservators of the
public morals, must they fold their hands in
in-action; must they see nothing, and hear
nothing themselves Must they wait until
some private citizen goes with his appeal
to urge them to perform what they ought
to perform of their own accord: 1t
appears to me not, and l humbly submit
that it is no more than reasonable that our pub
lie officers shall go forward in the performance
Of their duties unasked and unsolicited, and
want them to feel that the moral strength of
the people which is here might, is ready to
go with them, and sustain them in the arduous
duties that deyolve upon them. If they can
abate physical nuisances, they should certain
ly feel an equal demand upon them to abate
moral and social evils. Let the axe be laid at
the root of the tree; God will surely speed the
the right, and smile upon our efforts in this
good work.
Mr.. Smalley's remarks were very cordially
received and he sa down amid the long contin-
ued plaudits of the meeting.
Rev. T.. w. Higginson then,in behalf of the
Committee on resolutions, offered the follow
ing series Of
RESOLVES.
Whereas it appears by recent verdict Of Coroner,s
jury that citizen Of Worcester, has been killed in the
night time by Unknown hand but in locality whose
4 character is quite too yell known
And Whereas it is time for u.s. aw-loying citizens
take TO protect persons our own
property, the morals Of children and the fair fame Of
our city Therefore,
ResoiUed that we look with alarm and Indignation on
the crime which has just been committed In midst
RESOLVED, That the occasion yet more serious
since this Is only the consummaton of series of acts
similar violence, in the same part of the city, and else
| where.
RESOLVED That in such state of things to DELAY &C.
ton any further would be like delaying take precau-
tons against pesence, when victims already falling
around us, and no man knows who will be the next
Resolued, That there is pestience in the community
moral pesence, whose symptoms 1t is useless to touch,
without striking at the source and that is the
LawfhL liquor traffic In this city,
Resoived, That while applaud the prompt action Of
the City Government in their efforts discover the authors
Of the recent outrage we would yet respectfully urge