The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-03-06

may 80 designate him, percrives tno move
menls which ,ske place in The III fieieni parts
Of society, relatively 10 each other, and Is
csmplacently skiliul In adjusting them 10 his
purposes; but he tails to see that general
movement; by which the whole 10 dIiited Oh
together. and which is bearing society On TO
q poin, where elements he had not dreamed
OF will be called into action, and where his
petty expedienis will become in moment
but as the barriers Of sand which Tho child
raises on the beach, when the tide begins 10
rise" No saying could be more ap, or true.
And this corruption Of private and political
morals, i. it gains sufficient head and pow
or, will constitute that general movement
by which the whole is dritted on 10 some
fearful catastrophe, which will take place as
assuredly as that the laws which Providence
has wrought into the very substance OF his
moral creation, mus, woik themselves out
We know not IN wha, shape the catastrophe
will come. i,may be the dissolution OF the
civil fabric.
Il may be the loss Of freedom. I, may be
some ou,burstiug volcano Of The worst pass
ions OF human nature, wrought into uEcon'
,Iollable frenzy, like the Ffcnch Revelation,
covering the land with defilement, blood
and terror. II may be the reign Of anarchy
and crime. with no force in the land To re-
strain it. II may be the working on, OF this
corruption into deeper forms. (which 10 The
natural punishment OF sin so that the mos
lie plorable state Of dsbauchery, ,reachery
fai hlesscess. falsehood, fraud, intemper'
ance, and all moral evils, with their con-
CONTAINS Of mutual distust, blood.thirsii
ness and private deadly ieuds, shall univer'
sally prevail, making the whole land like q
Sodlom. In such a case, the inhabitant:
may continue; the forms OF government
may remain everything may indicate
boundless wealth and prosperity; We may
boast Of our greatness aud glory to all the
nations of the earth; we may plant and
build, and SOW and reap, aud buy aud sell
and marry and give in marriage; and YET
there could mol be deeper ruin than ours
We nigh, as well live in S,dom, as it eIis'
ted the day pre- sious 10 lis destruction, and
oring up our children there, We might
faI better live where the pestience lurked
IN the atmosphere, and daily swept its vic
inns down to death by hundreds and by
thousands.
We do no, profess 10 think q al ia on:
social condition there does net remair
much that il pure, lovely, and OF ,ood re-
port or tina, in our public affairs there does
not rempin much ,ha, is just, unse itch ant
patriotic or thai in the community Of trade
there may not be found very much OF in
lecrity and honor, rs unalloyed Us the colo
in which they deal. Nor do We lightly es
TEEN the results OF the vas, efforts that are
out forth so unweariedly for the moral ant
Intellectual elevation OF the young. River'
e spiritual health flow through tho land
,lo,g whose banks may be seen rich pro
fusion Of verdure, blossoms, and fruits, or
which, we doubt not, The eye oil moral puri'
~ itself looks down wcll-pleased. And yet
IS we glance over the face Of society, how
much we notice iha, is feariully corrupt anC
rorruptiny. How much j. forced upon oul
sight by startling revelations, that occur
rom time to time, permitting Us to look
| silhin The veil that covers the secret ma
hinery, the hidden movements, the inner
life OF society. Schuyler and Huntington
we're but representatives OF the principles
which, on q greater or less scale, govern
a large share OF the business community =
plague spots that made their appearance on
he surface, indicativs Of tho moral state
within. Such multitules OF these symp.
oms cannot appear, without, the eIisleuce ol
corresponding disease, rs wide soread As
g Is virnleni and deadly. Mrs. Cunning.
ham and her ,Iaughters-nay, we nigh,
mention other names, far above these in So
.ial position-serve to give Us glimpses. II
we need any such, Of what is lranspiiin. in
the intercourse Of social life Debanchery.
NO perceive, is not confined 10 men alone
'nul,i,udes Of the gcntler sex, they whose
chastity should be as white as the whi,es'
snow wreath on the top Of Chimborazo,
whose influence should be wholly refining
aud purifyiny-,hey are disclosing them.
selves on every side as the mos, corrupt and
the mos, corrup.iEg Of all The voiaries OF
vice-traders in eyil, who make sale Ol
what constitutes n woman's wealth md
worth, OF what gives an indesciibable
harm to the very name oil woman, Tor in.
luence and position in society. or Tor ye,
lower objects than these.
II the light De darkness, how grea, is TIE
iarkness. And the manner in which tn est
things appear to be estimated by the com
munily seems 10 us one OF the wots, OF al
the moral symptoms of,he times. The re,
..ent murder IN New York is exciting 10 the
curiosity-not appalling TO the heart; those
who report il make the account Of IL n re.
duplication OF the Pickwics papers, full OF
humorous hits on all the characters counec-
ed with the drama, not excepting Snod.
yras., who. with his banjo, is represented as
the very prince Of jovial fellows. The pub
tic ssnsibility is calloused. Cline no
oneer makes iha, terrible impression which
IL once made on The community. The most
diagram, vices seem TO be treated as yenial
and trivial.
Aud what boundless venality AMI corrup-
ton, bargaining and bribery, pervade politics
md public affairs. We had thought that
the ballot.s,ufiing Of California and the,
wholesale election frauds in Kansas were
the utmost wrongs that could be inflicted
M the elective franchise. But u 20: more
ieponble stale Of ihings-sutiicient almos
% make one despair OF the experiment, Of "a
people governing themselves, despair OF
honesty in men-has been brought 10 light
in our own city by the legal investigation
which is now going on in reference TO the
rauds Of the late election. The facts, iesli-
fled to by unwilling Witnesses, almost
.xceed belief. When perjdry prevails TO
such al extent, the most solemn oahs p,s-
sessing not one particle OF restraining
bower; when the sworn Objects of The mu-
nicip,lily strike hands With these violalurs
%, the law, and themselves take the lead in
hese violations; and, above all, when such
a state Of things is known 10 exist, without
awakening the deepest moral indignation
anil apprehension Of the community, We
may we'll lear still greater evils tn come we
NAV expect even the pTosIration oilhe very
forms Of suffrage by bcld and and uure-
strained lswlessness. Look at Kausas.-
Look al the election OF United States Sena-
tors in Indiana. How MANY constant occur
ruuces Of this kind there are to make US ap-
prehensiye hat force and violence will ye,
iuls the elective franchise. aud eventually
>eizs on the & rvernmrn,. There Is no end
&, this fest .ting corruption IN The body
polite. What bribery IN elections. What