The union Democrat., 1856-08-30
How TO Treat n Gambler ina PabIic.

Not long ago. as we came slowly down Broad
way, we hailed an omnibus and stepped in, the
oet'er TO enjoy that gay spectacle.
In that omnibus sat sinner. We do not mean
'hat there was only one person in it, nor need you
slnilingly add that when the omnibus started again
there were two sinners in it. The question is
not one of abstract human sinfulness but of con-
crete and recognized sin. The individual often
der was one of the outawed sinners, a man whom
stock spectators would not have acknowledged; !;
whom traders who swear 10 false invoices would
not have spoken to; whom gentlemen whose
creed is that every man must look out for him.
SELF and that the selleris by no means the keeper
of the purchaser, would have overlooked; whoa,
in fine, people who swear, lie and steal in the
and conventional ways-if, haply, anvJ
such there be-would have uter'v a.'countT
nanced.
For this sinner was gamhier, a professional
gambler; man who had oc~:upied handsome
house of very modes hs'1a as.et
seductip supper was nightly spread. This tsia-
ner wash gentleman whose acquaintance was i'm
mense, tho could easily have told the names Of
many ofthe passengers in the omnibus, and have
added stne little pecuuiary details This sinner
was perfectly well dressed, and modest and gen
tleman in his department; his boots, in truth,
were oflunusual polish, aud his hat of an unparal-
l.
or out, was very attentive in passing up their
money and in protecting their dresses. This
sinner, when Irish women carrying baskets came
plunging in, took their baskets carefully and
helped them to seats and passed their money,
holding his hand for the change. This sinner,
whose vocation in life was winning other peoples
money, pretended to do nothing else but win their
money. BY his side sat merchant who sold
liquors that he knew were adulterated, or into
the fact of whose adulteration he would not in
quire. Opposite sat two ladies who smiled
sweetly, and Mary told Maria she was delighted
to see her, while all the time in her secret heart
she was rejoiced at Maria's unbeconing bonnet,
because she knew they would both meet Adonis
when they walked up, and she was not sorry,
therefore that Maras bonnet should be unbe-
coming On the other side of the sinner sat
gentleman who had "uade an operation" inten-
tionay to put SPECTATOR into . tight place.
The sinner knew both the gentlemen. Both
the gentlemen had supped with him. They had
both cashed little notes for him. One of them
had privately implored the sinner for the sake of
his wife and children not to be hard with him.
Both the gentlemen could not possibly know him
in public conveyance. Morality, decency and
social order required that they should not SELL
we mean should not recognize in an omnibus such
public sinner. This sinner did not claim any
acquaintance. There was not even a sly wrink-
ling about tho mouth or crushing of the eye
nothing that betrayed any kind of consciousness.
This sinner was gambler, bat in every gamb-
ling transaction there are two parties. When
men 60 at night to quiet houses with the blinds
drawn, aud with no remarkable illumination, and
tap gently or ring, and nod to the porter tran
gully, and take little supper at the hospitabe
pod,d, aihI also ts2zc FcSaneszI interest in the
cards which are dealt, and stay until one or two
o'clock in the morning, or sometimes even later,
they 60 as intelligent and responsible parties to
contract, and if the host is criminal, blackleg,
and no gentleman, they are criminals, blacklegs,
and no gentlemen
The question in our mind was how to treat
this sinner He was a sinner, granted; but so
was everybody in the omnibus. He was crln-
lnal, he had broken the laws of the State true,
but SO had our worthy friends who had visited at
his modest mansion. He was So to say, pro-
tessional sinner; true, but the wrong is IN the
sin. not in the profession. He lived upon mems
creduty and weakness yet but the same may
be said Of many pursuits esteemed reputable.
Patent medicines, hack books, are in the same
category. In one word, this sinner was agambler;
true, he was a man and a brother.
Let US only unde erstand the rule. Let 1t only
be clearly settled that we are not to bow to any
man whom we know to have siuted, or to have
sinned up to certain point, and the matter Is
easily arranged. We shall thea have some pal
pable measures of virtue. 1t might be under
stood, for instance, that no mans hand was to be
shaken who had defraaded to an amount beyond
twenty Thousand dollars. Gamblers should be
acknowledged by ceremonious nod, the God as
being of itself indicative of intimacy Forgers
should receive u cold bow; and murderers the cut
direct.
But who are to be considered murderers' The
other day one gentleman killed another by way Of
repairing his honor, which had been assaulted in
drunken spree and a workman killed a fellow
workman who had wronged his sister and refused
reparaticn; and Deacon Schiedam sold five hogs
heads of that pure old Bung brady which lasts
such an enormous time In the same paper it
was recorded that boy had slain his employer
and robbed the till, and thata girl had killed the
baker who had refused to give her loaf of bread
except upon his own conditions.