The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-26


Ths SUNDAY c .ess,.o and sho Liquor Sell.
ers--s Sb, xhe Police Enorss Fais.
We have been again favored dlriog the past
week With communications from several cor
respoD6cnts who coirciGe with IA ana approve
our views il regard TO the opening OF onr aye
Dues of communication with the country on
Sunday. Some of these would cali to our mind
he me ANS now existing tor Sunday conveyance
frCm the foul atmosphere of the city, ani Ito
scepes of six days toll, TO the purer breaSb:crs
of the country and its calm aud peaceful, view,
Others direct our attention to the crowded state
Of those Of the city railroad cars aud river
steamers which do convey passengers so places
of ionocent relaxatioa ON Sunday, and wish W.
to enlarge upon the charms of nature, anu thu.
benefits to the material man which can be en-
joytd by availing of them.
We know that these things exist, and 80 far as
they copduce to sobriety, healthy relaxation
nom labor, aud pleasing exercise of the mind
on Sunday, we rejoice that they do exist. They
are far better resorts than the deus of infau,y
and drinking saloons, where the viles'
add most poisonous liquors are sold, and
which our police authorities make
periodical efforts to close on Sunday. We have
seen these attempts to make the city virtuous by
force on the one idle day of the week renewed
ut short Intervals for the last thirty years; aod
it has always been matter of surprise to us
that DO one bias ever attempted the milder plan
Of epdeavoripg to lead our laboring classes into
the adoption Of some more praiseworthy recrea-
iion than that of haunting these vile scenes of
debauch. Every few months numberless grog.
hop keepers are arrested and their customers
driven away by the police. Yet the abuse con.
nnues, and will continue, in spite of official
vi,tue, and police respect for the Sabbath, uutii
he ter places of resort are opened to the public
| Oh Sunday.
You cannot make men sanctimonieus one day
IA seven by law. You cannot compel tn, work
ing man, accustomed year in and year out to
six days of hard physical labor in every week.
TO come to state of complete inaction on the
seventh day. If such a thing were attainable
by act of Legislature, it would infict .
positive weekly torture on the great mass
of the people, and would soon be swept
L ny tueu IIuu tuc otdtulc UOOks 1ucTt
was time when the blue laws OF Connecticut
and other similar restraints in others of the colo
nies existed, when faDaticism ruled society; but
those laws were established in violation of the
physical pature of man, and were of short cou-
inuance, for the common sense of the people
soon ignored them
These things should be borne in mind by our
authorities and leaders Of society in their efforts
TO purify the observance of the Sabbath by our
city population. Why resort continually to the
same efforts that have 90 often proved abortivc
Let them rather turn their attention to the open.
ing Of more healthy and less vicious resorts on
Sunday for the people. They cannot stop the
social exieencies and aspirations of men by
force, and will best be able to close the liquor
shops and dance houses on Sunday by providing
a substitute for them that shall be less noxious
and more economical Cheap aud frequent Sun.
day trains on our railroads, and green fields and
pleasant places of resort in the country, will do
for the Sunday liquor sellers what lager beer has
| done for the whiskey bottle. They will clear
them out.