The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1858-12-22
For the Grand Haven News.
OUR VILLAGE.

nected with the great world. The ID.
q M. R, R. has put an end to our soli-
tude For twenty long, tedious, dreary
winters we have been shut up in solitary
confinement, for no fault Of ours that we
wot Of, for, if you take our word for it,
we are ahem I'VE were about saying,
dear reader that we are a most virtuous,
sober, religious people as you can find on
this continent; but as that would be a
bouncer, we must hesitate, and, as The
lawyers say, enter demurrer AT all
events, here we were, winter after winter,
like the bears in their Information, rs the
story goes, sucking our paws. No very
great enjoyment, you will say. Well, it
is nothing TO boast Of, we admit, especial
ly, as we do not claim to belong to the
ursine family, however approaching them
in contiguity we may have lived. But
now, thanks TO steam and the iron horse,
we believe we are on the high road to
advancement; and we see no reason why
we should not become the Milwaukee OF
Michigan. Let any man look at our fa-
cilities for commerce with Chicago, Nil.
waukee and the great West, and then our
newly formed communication with the
great marts of the East, by which we are
brought within two days journey of New
York, and two aud half Of Boston,
Let him look at our river commerce, our
numbering establishments, and our fishe-
ries, and then say, have we not the ele-
ments of wealth and greatness in our
hand?
Now that these elements be rightly
employed to accomplish the object in view,
there are two things especially necessary.
One is, to elevate the moral character of
our citizenship. Our population is in
creasing. Last summer it was twelve
hundred, since which it has largely in
creased, and it doubtless will increase
Now with this increasing population there
will doubtless be, nay, there is nor, q
large importation of vice. Drunkenness
and profanity are awfully prevalent
There are places in this village, and on
the other side Of the river, where pollu-
ton and vice in their deadliest forms pre-
character, but the undying natures Uf mcn.
4 We are now laying foundations, and up
on the character of the foundation de-
ponds that of the superstructure. If the
one be laid in the morality of the citizen
ship; in virtuous habits; in heightened
sense of rectitude, which abhcrs wrong
whether dressed in open garb, or clothed in
the technicalities of law, our future histo-
ry will be one to be proud of and Uice
versa. We call, then, upon our public
men; upon those who are the conserva-
tors of the public peace, and of good NOR
ais. We call upon our property holders.
We call upon the ministers of religion,
and upon the yirtuous and good among
our citizens, to unite and put and end 10
those scenes Of vice, intoxication, and pro-
family, which meet the public gaze, and
are silently, and insiduously corrupting
the morals Of tho youth of our village,
and, perhaps, even now, preparing some
of them for a felon's cell. Will we get
response to this calll We shall see.
Again, if our village is to grow, if
we arct to become city, and we are strong
in. that belief, then our increasing popu-
lation must find homes. There is not
now half house room for the demand.
Men will get almost any rent for their
houses. It'll plain that if the chief hold
ers Of property refuse to sell, as We have
been informed that they do, except at an
enormous and oppressive rate, except at
price unequaled in any similar place in
this State, then they are injuriug them
selves, and are the greatest foes to the
prosperity of the place; and il will be