The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-15
an,,-s,avery and Its characteristics.

that caused by the disasters of the Crimea.
Anti-slavery and Its characteristics.
Mr.. Samuel J. May, of Syracuse, delivered
an anti slavery lecture in this city on Tuesday
evening, concluding, in the words of the re-
porter, "by reading o passage from an early
humber of the LibeyatOr-Mr. William Lloyd
Garrison's paper" 1t is hard to say precisely
what class of people constitute the staple au-
dience at the anti-slavery lectures at the Tabor
nacle. Among them doubtless many persons
may be found perfectly reckless of all moral
and religious restraint; persons whom no BIAS
phemy could shock, no turpitude annoy. But
there must also be among the number many in
of religion and propriety; respectable citizens,
fearing God, obey ing the law, doing justice to
man; whom mistaken views Of philanthropy
not a p~rurient hankering after mischief-have
inveigled into the anti-slavery flock. Now, we ask
these persons-for there must have been some
such-how they relished the idea Of sitting
Town in q lecture room to hear q minister of
the most open and most INSCRIPTIONS atheists
in the United States? 1t will not do to reply
that we calumniate Mr.. Garrison by applying
this epithet to him. He does not deny it; but
glories in it; boasts oft; flies into q rage if his
infdelity be questioned. Besides, whole reams
and libraries Of his writings, as well in the CO.
lumns of that very Li5erator from which Mr..
May read extracts as in other places, attest the
~thoroughness Of his scepticism, and the bitter
scorn with which he regards the Chritian reli-
gion.
We have not the smallest objection to MI.
Garrison's belief, and rather rejoice that such
phenomena as he should occur from time to
time to prove the honesty and reality Of our
liberation. At the same time it would be OBJ
this country if the principles advocated by him
and in the journal he edits became those of the
American people at large, if the United States
in short were peopled by inddels. This is the
end which the anti slavery agitators are trying
to accomplish.
We say the anti. slavery agitators, for we see
little distinction between them, and Mr.. May
him. Half these lectures have been delivered
by infdels; all the anti-slavery conventions
have been marked by avowals of open unbelief
from some one or other Of the leaders. That
inidelity and anti-slavery go hand in hand is
in fact quite notorious. More than this, i'm
morality is fast becoming an equally conspicu-
GUS Characteristic Of the party. Formerly, the
abolitionists were content with a theoretical
exposition Of their immoral doctrines; they are
now growing practical. The leading organ of
the sect, the .Nep York Tribune, q journal
which is ~ceaseless in its attacks upon the insti-
tutions Of the South, has recently teemed with
articles of such q character that they cannot
fail, if continued, to be brought under the
notice Of the Mayor. WEI can only hint at these
matters, from obvious reasons; but we are bound
to say that until a few days ago, we had never
thought it possible that a journal aspiring to a
respectable name and standing could have
dared to publish, for the guidance of the repro
bate, a complete directory to the houses Of i'll
fame in this city. That this was done in the
columns of the Tribune, and most clumsily
disguised in the shape of a dissertation on the
value of property in certain localities, the read
ers of that sheet are able to testify. Still later,
an article on the supposed state of society in
Jamaica, in the same journal, contained details
which journalists in general would regard as
entirely unfit for publication. Ard only yester-
day, the o m sheet gave publicity to o descrip-
ton Of a scene at some vile den of prostitution,
for a parallel to which reference must be had
to that class Of publications which the United
States customs aws exclude from the country.
1t is not our object, in referring to these re-
voting matters, to call the attention of the
police to the infringement of the laws protect
ing the public morals-though assuredly a
leading journal should not be allowed more
license in such things than the wretched hawker
Of some loathsome print. Public contempt is
perhaps after all the best punishment for this
class Of offences. Our desire Is to draw the
attention Of the sober. minded and the vir-
tuous to the alliance between anti-slavery
and immortality. This, they may rest assured,
is not accidental. II Is no mere coincidence
which leads Garrison and Greeley and May
and Parker and 80 many other abolitionist
leaders to set at defiance the precepts Of the
Bible and the avs Of morality. II they are
sound abolitionists, it will 60 hard but they are
sound infdels, and sound advocates Of giving
free play to the passions as well. One leads to
the other. The man who is ready to trample
the constitution under foot will not need much
pressing to throw the Bible overheard and all
experience teaches that however plausible and
seemingly honorable infdels may appear, there
is no trust TO be placed in their principles, no
reliance on their moral sense. Some may hest
tate to admit that a belief which p1rports to
spring from the most generous feelings Of the
heart could lead to these results. Bat the In
QUESTION was based on the purest principles of
humanity. Domitian threw the Christians to