Arkansas intelligencer., 1858-04-30
Virtue and Vice.
Wa,ehtower, april 10, '5s.
Editor of ihs [atsiiigsaoer.

always to be measured by the virtues of its
citizens. When a sound and healthy spirit
of morality and virtue is found among the
body of republican people, there is little
need Of apprehension and little difficulty in
detecting the presence of peace and pros
perity. The sun Of glory continued to rise
on republican Rome, 50 long as strict probity
perraded the minds Of the people. No soon
sr had foreign conquests introduced wealth
with its accompanying vices and luxuries,
than corruption paleI the fires Of that sun
and dragged it TO its setting in eternal gloom
By the hand Of vice and corruption the SEN
ate Of Rome was polluted and the destruc-
ton of government followed. May not re-
publican America take the warning home to
| herself, and endeayor to shun the whirlpool
in which Roman liberty was overwhelmed,-
They were as proud of their liberty and their
institutions as Americas citizens now are,
their institutions are gone and tIeir liberty
lives only in song. A nation being composed
! Of individuals, each Individual hss n his own
keeping a share of nations prosperity aud
happiness, by improving his own patriotism
and banishing his own vices, he may confer
upon his country his mite Of glory. That
vice and corruption are fast rising into res
pectabiEty, and firtue being clothed in rags
there j. no prctencc for denying. Vice in or
der to be ccurted needs only to be popular;
virtue to be despjsed needs only to appear in
tatteIs. The demon Of vice clothed in the
gaudy haliliments Of wealth. has little dtli-
Guilty in banshing virtue from the legislative
halls, from communities, or from social circles
Our ewn community IS by no means model
of purity and integrity. Even in our small
city vice walks uuabasLed and unrebuked.
whilst virtue hides in secret places and dares
seldom to appear even in its appointed place,
the pulpit y nation cannot long remain re
spectacle when It's cities are reeking in cor
ruption. Social d,Prav.ty WAS the first to
raise the banner Of revolution in France, and
leading to the Inauguration Of the Codes Of
Reason, openly rebukel and stigmatised the
religion of our blessed Jesus Those whose
hearts are strangers to true piety and religion,
but whose tongues give utterance to loud and
lengthy prayers, may gaze upon the bloody
drama enacted in France, and tramb!e for the
cause Of that God whom thev little know
how to love. The vestal virgins have de-
serted the altar of religion, the smouldcring
fires may soon be extiuguished. IIeathenish
darkness settles Ike a gloomy cloud upon the
minds Of many in our midst. The death of
relative and friend is celebrated with drunk
enness and debauchcry. Midst the fumes of
intoxication the wall of Bereavement rises
The children Of our city grow up in ignorance
Of Tie God who made them, and Of the end
for which they were by him created. The
Sabbath schools are mere forms and their
blessing, fall Oh the heads Of few. Those
whose Joundcn duty it is 10 encourage and
advance the cause Of religion and religious III
struction, wiifujly and sLamefully take their
ease at home, Instead Of punctualiy present
ing themselves at the Sunday school. The
little children have perhaps been taught to
esteem the minister as the 'hol = man." they
see that same holy man daily ncgleeting his
religious duties; this inconsistency throws
upon the young heart one raw of worldly
light, and here Is the birth of irnpiety and
skepts!sFn. Need We be amazed if this is
the germ Of rank overgrowth Of infleltv
and atheism. There is yet another shrine at
which is sacrificed the time and substance of
many infatuated devotees, and whose ruling
deity glories in his trophies Of broken hearted
widows and fearful orphans. Behold the
emacisted form Of that once beautiful female.
who sits shivering over lTer scantv fire, strain
ing 10 her bosom the diseased and fanisLed
body 0: dying ltlle one See with what
nervous expectation she starts when the least
noise interrupts the dull monotonv Of the
winter night. 1t is past midnight and she is
still a watcher. The emotion which she ex-
presses in floods of unrestraned tears, tells
you that some deep grief presses her to the
grave. What is it: Not the feeble breath
ing of that infant, for its spirit is even now
piumng its tiny wings preparatory to its
fight. Terrified at the scenes of earth it will
soon fly tremblingly from them, and rest in
the bosom of its redeemer That is a source
of JOY, but the wretched man whom now YOU
may see staggering homeward from the scene
of revelry and gaming, is the subject of her
ing the threads of life, the fires of hope burn
dimly upon the altar of her heart, and des-
pair stands ready TO hurl their ashes to the
winds. Soon that guilty man is seen follow
ing with uneven and falterng step, the re-
mains Of her whose virgin beauty fred hi.