New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-01
perfectly competent peacefully TO lid herself Of her
~.sss~x vicious and criminal pDoulatioo vheneves


psesent vicious and criminal population, wheneves
she pleaes to do 90. She is precisey competentto
d Ibis at her pea,me, a. I am at my pleasure COM
petent TO rid myself Of vicious habits. For e1-
ample, suppose ne 10 chew tobSoco, smoke
egarr, drink brandy, and profane language.
Nov, no reasonable person will doub, ,ha.thes hsb-
its Of mine derive their strength from my own will or
aye vissized BY my own good plesure in them; and,
consequently he WI not doubt that II these habits
could only cesse TO be vitszed by my will or good
pleasure all the forces OF the universe Soald DE pow
tr6ss 10 draw me again under their sway. The sole
trouble in the reformation OF evil haoi;s 70, That toe
subject love. them and does not really wish TO be rid
Of them. Thus the drunksrd may feel very acutely
many Of the evils he ncurs by HE vicious indulgence
and may Otter be moved by these feelings TO partial
reform atom but while the old love remains unsuo-
dued II whl occasionally consttsn hs alegi ince ana
keep him alternately shining and repenns the ena
OF the chapter The only efectual mode, accordingly
Of curing drunkenness in any individual su'Je;, ~
appea. to some stronger and more iuDdano"''' wv
10 hin than his adventurous love OF of'nA hay 'ho
love Of cd and his neshbor If be DC nau'
Lee NJ bim,ef and the world If be be merely
A,eEeious one. These supreme and onginhioVee are
a. .,e,,aI source Of all cur minor lover good and
vii N,
means be initiated between either Of these grand con-
trolling fountains, and any of its derivaye streams,
this latter must speedily dry up, and afford its quon-
dam victim an easy exrioation.
What yi,slizes vice in the individual, theB, is
nothing but the individuals own will, his lore for
4 And bereupon proceed to cay, that the ease is
precisely similar with society. Nothing viahze' the
Jum..hop, the gaming table, and the brothel among
ill i've ~ %
pleasure in them Apart from that support they have
not one day tel ure Of existence. II the will OF 80
eiety were but once Enthusiastically pronounced sgein's
ese things it, for example, society should say 'onor-
row TO the run.seer the gambler the brothelkeeper;
"Your bad trade will no longer be allowed to main.
Z. tain itself among us as hitherto the payment of
can occssional fine or the suffering Of slight i'm
;.onmept but must be forth with stopped, at what.
ever hazard" then day after TO- moro " you would
;nfallibly Gee the entire reprobate herd abandoning
their borrid incantations, and Fastening, with one
accord 10 prostrate themselves before will which
thev vould feel to be absolute as they must ere
long discover it to be bepefcent. 1t would be the
old story over again of Capt. Scott and the coon.
The cunning old coon had heard Of Capt Scott, but
had never encountered him 1t did MT care for or
binary huntsmen for II could easily dodge and evade
them. But Capt. Scott was a sort of Fate among
The yernip and the fame of his exploits had long
csused the Oldest OF the coons 10 tremble. Accord
iney, when it found itself one day face to face with
that inevitable gentleman, it begged but moments
pa,ley TO know "if be were really Capt Scott,
"Capt John Scott Capt. John Scott, Of the Illinois
"Rifes because" the sensible animal continued,
"i in that case, am decidedly gone coon, and will
leone down to you without putting you to the super
"fuous expense of powder and ball"
So wouldit be with our social vermn, were society |
once brought fairly to confront them. At present
they never encounter society. They deal with 90
cisty only through the medium Of some of her depu-
ties policemen and magistrates, who have living to
make by looking after rogues and who would there
fore be professionally very sorry to see roguery
absolutely abolished. take it that the astute Mr.
-, who presdes over that famous precinct Of hell
No. - Broadway, has at present wholly unde-
sidtd conviction az to the very existence of society
He has heard its name but be is by no means clear
that II exists He thinks that it has no existence
apart from police officers and magistrates, and he
knows, from ample experience how tender hearted
they are apt to prove toward persons Of bic
qualify And 90 long, accordingly, as he politely
recognizes the occasional claim Of these gentlemen
rpon him, be it much or little, he feels very properly
hat he has discharged his social obligation in full,
and beens afc. his work Of pillage and death. Yet
tAis same Mr.. -, could he be once made to believe
hat society meant more than policemen and mags-
kstes-thst it meant every orderly man and woman
in the community, with the innocent children Of such,
and all the interests, temporal and eternal pertaining
TO that order and that nnocence-would be instantly
he most submissive of The servle and crawl.
ing nature OF the would iosure it. s~sh rlsnliye
BY consulting only the interests Of their skin. Their
whole pedicuous existence is in the akin Of things;
hsre they burow and fatten upon the accumulated
khhy lucre epgendsred by existing social inequA-
Mics. And IT, accordingly, society could once be led
seriously to cay, "Henceforth We shall have CLEAN
"sxIS at all events let what will be The condition Of
our interiors;" you would Immediately zee every
one Of these unclean creatures orsaiing his burrow
and begging society to him from cold water and
The comb on any terms agreeable to itel.
But shall have more to say on this subject another
fine. Yours truly, III.
Esu Y~k Jan q.