Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1858-08-21
IN, Sane ;, wbls,--ln Iauoceut Amu.emeut

The Same - WhsSt-An lanocent Amusement
sermon IS recently preached in Que OF the
Episcopal Churches Of this city, in which the game
Of whist came in Tor its 'G share Of condemnation
No one would 20 further in denouacine the vice of
ramblipg-ihat is, betting games Of chance, cleo
uoas, Torso racing, &C., than ourselves, but where
Is re mproprety Of playing whist in the domestic
and social circle merely amusement Its op.
ponens cry out "csrdsi cards I" and assert that it
leads 10 gambling. This is an error. 1t seldom hap
pens that those who play tor amusement resort to
gambling; and If they should, they would not
play vhist for that purpose. "All.fours," "brag,"
"blufr," "euchre" and "iaro" are the games gene.
rally adopted by gamblers and sportsmen. Gam
bling results most generally from drarice or idle
nef, the inordinste love of GAIN or the desire to
make money without labor. Ii is deliberate ,c,
Of tho judgment founded, indeed, upon false
premises, but nevertheless an act of the Jude.
mcnt and resorted TO by the idle and ayaricios ,s
business for the most part not often as an amuso.
ment.
There is not young gentleman Of well regulated
mind in the community who does not prefer the So
ciety OF ladies to the association even of the mos,
cultivated and honorA able Of his own SEX but younr
men require amusement beyond what conversation
affords. and II they do not find it in the domestic
aud social Circle thoy viii seek it elsewhere IN Ia,
des therefore, introduced whist backgammon, chess
and other smusements Of a similar character int,
the psrlor, rs part Of the evenings entertainment
| no youth who would not otherwise become gambler
would leave their society TO seek amusement i,
the tipping shop and gambling house Wits,
therefore, instead Of leading TO gambling, tends Il
prevent il
Again: IL is an intellectual as well as a socia
amusement Ii affords considerable scope for tb,
Judgment and requires the strietest caution. an,
an unremiited attention during the progress OF tn,
game, to play it well.
What new revelation has burst upon the wor;,
that i, has just been found out, after the Lapse
eighteen hundred years, that whist, dancing. an,
other amuSernents Of similar character are sinful
and should be denounced from the pulpit to alarm
young maidens aud drive young gentlemen from
their society to seek amusement in the hauuts @
vice and dissipation At no very remote period il
the history Of the church, she not only tolerated
but encouraged all thcsc amusements through IN
example OF tho clergy, from the Right Rev. Bsho
down to the humblest Deacon and will it be con
tended that there was less high toned morality an
vital religion in the church then than nowY II !
true there is a late canon against public balls, an,
while 1t remains in force it is the imperative duty
all true churchmen to obey it; but the obvious in
expectancy of that canon cannot be called in ones
ton The members Of the church should be left Il
their own good taste and sense OF proprietv in IN
selection of amusements, not in themselves sinful
| or, rs lawyers say, not sinful per &C.