Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-02-28
Increase of Crime, Decline of Religion,
and the Cause Thereof

1t is undoubtedly true that crime has IN
States, in the last five years. During the
same period, Christianity, in most of the
old States has been at perfect standstili.
In the ci,y of New York, We are reliably
informed, there are not SO many Christian
communicants outside Of the Catholic
church as there were ten years ago; and al
most everywhere else the same or similar
results are shown by undoubted statistics,
and admitted by the highest authority II
the churches.
Something has produced these results;
and there c1tn be no harm, we think, In in-
quiling what it is. If Christianity really
possesses the beauties and virtues attribu
ted to il, and vice is really the hideous
mons.cr that noralisis and poets have
painted it, how comes il that Christianity
IS declining, and vice increasing? AS cit
izens, if not as Chris ians, We have right
to ask this questions; for the community
and The State are alike interested in it. 1t
is our right TO answer it, also, if We are
willing to submit our answer to the scruti-
ny and criticism of both the political and
religious communities.
We say, then, in the exercise of this
right that the present deplorable state Of
things, can be attributed, with perfect JUS
tice, to this single taet-that for the last
ten years tie constant tendency in the NOR
al and religious world has been to an aban-
donmcnt of those instrumentalit;cs pointed
out in the sacred Scriptures as atfording
remedies and restraints for the vices Of the
world; and reliance, in Their stead, upon
coercivc cnactments, to be enforced BY Sc
we're and sometimes abhorrent penalties
In other words, the tendency has been 10
abandon the effective influences Of other
times, and resort to the machinery of GOV
crnment TO accomplish whatever seemed
desirable in the matter Of moral improve
mcnt
The time was--for W. can recollcc! it
when the Christian minister spoke occ;.-
sionally of the beauties and steadfast plea
snres Of Christianity; when he told Us thar
the way Of the transgressor is hard, Will.
the way If the believer Is pleasant aud
cheerful when he warned his hearers
against the snares and pitfalls Of the world.
agains. the sins that most easily beset
them, against intolerance and bigotry, a.
gainst oppression Of the poor, against "
ing and cheating, and against pride and
extortion; when he appealed to all men 10
lead virtuouS lives and leave virtuous ex-
amples---to 90 out into the highways and
/ byways in search Of the down-trodden; To
preach consolation to the afflicted, repent
/ L. I'D, ha
feeble; to attend to the sick, visit those in
prison. feed the hungry, and clothe the na
kcd; to be kind, gentle and sincere; to per-
suade men, rather than drive them, and IN
AL things To remember that All were the
children of common Father. In those
times, we had societies for the promotion
of temperance and other undoubted virtues:
and their influence, gentle but powerful.
was felt everywhere. III every city and vii
lage. in every ncighborhood. in every
dwelling. Then, every community, every
famiv--nav, the Stale itself owed debt
of gratitude to these barriers against
vice
How is it now? The temperance soci-
ties. and nearly all their co;emporary or
carnations IN the work of reform. are dead; !;
and their old supporters are weary and
worn with five years crusade against IN
Temperance and lis accompanying vices
throug, the poll ical channels. They have
been trying the machinery of government:
the Maine Law ba.tlc-ax; shouting for dun
gcons. bol,s and bars; learning TO hate and
curse their enemies and wondering. some
times, We suppose, why God did not ami
hila:c everybody and everything which dii
not yield peacablv to their mandates.
And this new madness has gone into the
church. The minister has become poll
tician, and told us who and what TO vote
for. In the morning We have tho Maine
Law; iii the afternoon. antiNebraska and
the Wilmot Proviso; and in the evening.
Know No.hingism. This. We admit. has
not been true cf every church and every
minister Some denominations have kept
themselves out If the whirlpool; and in
: others. there have been many noble ins,an-
ces of 4 refusal 10 exchange religion for pol
itics. Nevertheless. enough has been vii
messed 10 sieken and disgust the commu
niiv. and to produce those results TO which
we have already referred The precept.
of Christianity have been disresarded---
practically Christianity has been voted ob
sole.e.
Who wonders that crime has increased: ::
Who wonders that vice fourishes? Who
wonders that murder follows MURDER?
How far think you reader, would the fame
and influence of Christianity have reached
if its founder had spent his time in Know
Nothing lodges, and in exhorting the peo-
pie to vote for this or that political part, >
Is it rcasenab e TO expect that the world
Will grow better SO long as the pulpit is n
poll ical rostrum, and the reformer a mere
advocate Of chains and dungeons. -Pr9r-
'dence, { r. ~ Post.
CANT YoU Throw LITTLE O TuArIN.
4 t