New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-07

to,v oiyes US any distinct account, They frosp.S -.
the innocent psstimes Of the nation TO Which ,beyh
lorged and were exceedingly pune, lOus in ritual III
seryanCes FISTS and mort hcaiiois but they deyou,.,
widows house and coDspred together with nAles,'.
hate cruelty the prophet Of Nazareth AZ perscu.
faithful followers wen un'o death. The laqgi,ir
with all its II humsn parapbernahs OF torture shao,
came II From men who accepted with thank falna..
n natural bountie- Of Providence and ioand deE5,
in social :, fueue rs and Joys NO. oG' fon A.s
vho taught that religion was AZ deajly ieud With n,
ture ana that amusemcnts were heluous Hns, enr
vance of the devil lure souls 10 eternal psrdits
And in modern times IL will be found thai ret E0us
tol.I arce and persecution have marked the carer !.
sects iuft in proportion The spirit of asee. s h.,
Mingled It'll IT, sir iai'h. The most gloomy sros-5,
sects ri hit east of the spirit Of humanity, ss.,
the ost Jealous in describing and yeXing those WIZ
thew esteem rs hentcs, ana the last 10 yield anyA1
10 the splrt Of progress. The al0gs and the Eugts
Slave law find The most bitter and interruptions stvN
Gates among those who take the lead in placing b,
zeal of condemnation upop worldly amasenens
The slay. hunt wakens hardly throo OF yuuous in
dopHtion in their bosoms the spectacle Of a mother
reiurnnc mapaced 10 The bondage whicSi sire drea.,
worse than death stsris IN them o tear OF sympathy
ious.s To-, protest, no denuncia'ton but shov
them n company of men and mglcens OF merry yoloed
and rosy-ch. eked children, moving loyoDsy IN tie
dance and forthwith scOw u on their brows "a
earp,st celebrations leap from their tongues
From religion so revolving to The noblest nstnts
the Young turn away in perpleXity and disgust snt
the abstICC OF thar nCaltliu fteIlhAnt Hh4th ptN
fsi,h would supply they too often resort u anus,
rn,n,s vicious IN themselves, that have been MAJ
40 through unnecessary abuses. Parental innuens
working constantly IN the face at AN impe'lous ahc ~
satisfied Natural want. soon loses It's power over -
conscience and the child, finding bofhe p-'e o. IA
,cme restrictions seeks IN the society OF JlNA Az
thouphtless persons, perhaps amid the aliuftmenss
VIC, and dissipation. the social pea,ure he ~ earne,
~ Graves II is in this way chiefly thai The v"-y naae
Cf smuse ments becomes = terror 10 serious ald wei
h,,
and n1ghborhood. The young, on the ous hand. an
repelled from religion az yoke Hksomo 10 De born;
on tie other parents and guardians shrink from socA
pleasures a. from pestLence, on account "t aOu-s
which themselves have caused; and thus "a" Nv,
classes instead Of being drawn 10 each other ny nu
ual sympathy, reciprocal affection ana t1lSo, oVE'
conoe are sunGered ny constantly recurring Iroaesast
contentious As parei s are mainly etPohsio'I 'oI Nee
lameutatle results So also il the remedy IN Their osa
hands Let them no longer dhhOnor roilglOn 10y ~tts
il in impotent array against nature Accepuog A. "a,
ever 5, tiled the fact that God has implanted IN IL
youpp Thirst fer amusements, which cannot az
ought not To be exinguIsbed let them make su'tsbe
pr, vision fer It's indulgence under the paernl r0oi
amid the sacred associations of home, and ~ the
cety of the pure, the refined, and the good In ne
progress of this important work they will no DOUBT
counter peri leXites and difficulties that viii seriou,
try their patience and awaken then deepest an xe,
mistake so radical that which We have end.ayOnd
10 expose and which has been fortified by centu les
false reaching canrot be corrected IN day or yes
nor n generaflon. nut Ict tHtln bot pe a.
couraged nor doubt for "A moment the final resli |
Sooner OF later they will reap the fruits of their p
yfrance in the sweet familiarity, The warm ataehuec,
and the 10, ing confidence of their children. AMI Re
beautiful unfolding of their rellg ous nature
Having shown, We hope concluslyely, that snss
m.nts In some form are natural and necessary Gi /
that the ailDg hostility thereto arises from t~
id, az of the nature of and OF religion, we eona
ne IT consider the ques, n, How shall W. di-ungr
between amusements whose moral influence is gcod
A = ..( ..aifn al All
what are the best safeguards against the abuses
which The former must ever BE- liable The s)lgss1
Of this problem We frankly confess, is MT free ron
d fiiculties demanding conscientious care and vie
discrimina alton. OF course II Il not possible 10
forth in saist cal form, and in separate tables Boz
the SO classes of amuscments. 40 much depends ups
time, place, the state of society, and other crcsE
stances, that can only ,ay down certain iundao1
tai principles leaving them to be applied by ndlydass
and communities, according TO their own Judgmst
view of their peculiar sltu alton and wants.
In the frst place, it il obvious that amusema,
ought always to be- held subordinate to the great ends
human existence, VIZ: the development Of pure -
waited and noble CHARACTER. The dominant tone
our life should unquest onaby be earnest and sya
,erious; but general seriousness is hot inc rnpsse
With habitual cheerfulness even with occasinx
periods of hsrity; without these, indeed il is it'd
liable 10 be carried 30 excess. The mind wa note
daire ed to be always in the same mood nor the save
any single faculty. Even the religious faculties NJ
b., and often are overtsxed and thereby impars
y,
society would sink into moral chaos may be too b
tensely stimulated, and even runously ovcrsuaind
Nothing indeed, is more lab TO lead TO sanity hu
mOrbdly susceptible conscience. Still, there Seet
of caution on the other SIDE, leet anusenens should
occupy too much Of time and attention, ai
thereby lead US TO forget mpo tant duties Says
able writer Amusement Is not rightfully the ba
less of any ones life 1t should be no ou,i
" principal occupation. The moment it Id made
e" Il becomes peryerted-it is abused. 1t should h~
"garded the spice Of life-nOt its staple fs
There nultltudes who have fallen into this arr
whose principal object, apparently, is 10 kill ina
Life to them Is contecrsted by no great aud noble r.
pose, Lo lofty aim. Empty. headed and ivolOg DIR
hey long for new excite roent spoiled child pna
confectionery. Ii We're more charitable 10 flrrs
this class with rOrk than with amusements. Theses
they whom Paul 10 graphically dcscribes-"loyens
pleasure more than lovers of God" Solomon, |
that remarkable passage often quoted by tho claC
and which, no doubt has been the text for tbouso3
OF ascetc sermons, has indicated the point beyoa |
which amu,ements should never be caTied-yiB-k |
point where they are a,e to make forget men
accountability. How striking are his words, V ~
"joice, Q young man, in thy youth; and let thy s
" cheer thee in the days Of thy youth and walk IN "a
"ways of thy heart, and in the sight Of thine eys
And having thus recognized the truth that amusem1a
are natural and proper for the young, he adds N
tin ely caution" But know thou that for oil the
thDgs' rs for everything else God viii b'ng ats
" INTO judgment In Other words, DO not forge,
your hours of mirth that you responsible beng,
"und that life should be devoted ~ grep plrpoS
To interpret these words me1ace and a s,'cssc,
Is 10 do violence TO their obvious meaning and spirit
We observe, IN the next place, that any form q
emusemtnt, the obvious tendency Of which even
the smallest degree, is TO diminish the power OF co.
science to corrupt the moIal feelings 10 ngame cd
bewllder The imagination TO becloud the reasoo,
fee the passions from wholesome restraint ID dims
ish the reverence for justice and truth ~ excite
rpit OF crueyor re. enge, 10 promote or foster D.
taste for intoxicating drinks or for tobacco in any
its forms, or 10 make indifferent TO tho oblsa3Jp
ana cams OF our common humanity, ought not cnj
10 be scrupulously avoided but co, n.stiy oppo.el
" AIy anutement," says the writ.r4 whom we jus
quoted, fr' m the enjoyment of which s4nnot coo
scientiourly retire with the conviction that on IL
" whole 1t has done u good, ought TO be Immediately
" erchowed II II promote innocent mirh and ches
fuln.ss or otherwise conduce To the improved he4