The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-15
Degeneracy OF Public Ma nners.

We learn that for the last few days
the Dusseldorf gallery has been thronged
in an unprecedented manner by persons Of
all grades, but more particularly BY the
respectable classes, including very large
proportion of ladies of fashion, and the
clergy of almost all denominations. The
magnet Of attraction which appears to
have drawn these crowds is the painting of
Venus in state of perfect nudity, with not
even the fig leaf which our first parents wore
for want of better covering, or the apron which
even the savage tribes of the red men wear in
the wilderness, remote from all civilization.
This painting is undoubtedly work of art
possessing great general merit, and in some
points high excellence. The faultless head,
the voluptuous, though noble expression of
countenance, the exquisite form Of every limb
and muscle and feature, the beautiful attitude,
the magnificent coloring- glowing like life
itself on the canvass-all are calculated to
arrest the attention and to render the picture
the more seductive and dangerous to our
youth Of both sexes. It's public exhibition
would not be permitted in Paris or London, or
any city in Europe. There is no veil, no screen;
but the moment ladies are ushered into the
gallery the obscene and indecent work meets
their view. 1t is the most prominent object in
the room, and all eyes are turned to it. Some
ladies, who do not expect to find it, are sur
prised and shocked. Others appear not to be
troubled with any such ideas of modesty, and
stare at it more intently than the rougher sex,
This cannot be wondered at when the example
is set them by the clergy, some of whom will
probably exhibit it in their churches, charg-
ing twenty-five cents per head for admission,
or even more, for the purpose of raising funds
to build new churches, or to send out mission
aries to convert the heather to our new Chris
tianity and improved civilization.
Trula this is a strange Development Of the
mannevs Of the age in our model republic, in
which Christian churches and clergy abound
beyond all other countries. SO rapid are the
strides of degeneracy that the contemplative
mind is borne back to the times of the old
Roman republic, which fell by its vices, first
into an empire, and thence into ruin-when
gladiatorial fights and public exposure of ma
ked human bodies became the customs of the
day, and women ceased to blush at the most
lewd and lascivious exhibitions. Thus was
Rome precipitated to her fall.
Again, in the Middle Ages, when the Italian
republics sprang out of the ruins of the en-
pire, and when religion and civilization, litera-
ture and art, emerged from the darkness in
which they had been so long buried-whatw was
it that wrought the ruin of liberty and
civilization? The dissolute and ferocious man
ners which prevailed. The Condottierri sold
their lances to the republics fighting against
each other, and virtually they became the ruling
class; art, which ct an earlier age had been de-
voted to the purposes Of religion and the illus
tration Of sacred history, was now prostituted
to licentiousness, and such was the general cor
ruption and depravity of the times that the
Popes kept mistresses. Religion, morality and
liberty were thus overwhelmed In one common
ruin, and the Protestant Reformation arose.
And now we are going on here in the same
way. Indeed, corruption of manners is
more rapid and premature with US than
in the olden time. Prize fighters and rowdies
are the ruling classes, and government seems
to be abandoned to them in despair Indecent,
lasciyious pictures are exhibited in public with
the connivance Of the authorities, and with the
sanction Of the clergy, who, with "the wives
and daughters Of our most wealthy citizens"
express their appreciation in the most emphatic
way, by their presence, and by paying their
money to see the naked Goddess Of Beauty.
AS like causes produce like effects, there can
be nc doubt that we are fast Fastening to the
same goal as the medieval Italians and the
ancient Romans.
In the midst of this degeneracy the only re-
deeming feature that presents itself is, that the
clergy are down on the poor little newsboy
who sells few papers on Sunday in order to
purchase bread for his mother, and on the
working classes, who earn their bread for six
days in the week by the sweat of their brows
(Which is more than can be said of the clergy,
and desire 10 devote the seventh to the recrea-
ton Of body and mind in the pure air Of Gods
green fields, and in the innocent contemplation
of His grand and beautiful works.
To prevent this recreation and the moral and
religious instruction derived from the sermons
preached by the rocks, the trees, the flowers,
the birds, the running brooks and the radiant
clouds, is the great achievement of our clergy Of
the present day, which surely ought to make
up for the example they set in patronizing
the public exhibition Of lascivious naked
Venus, which would not be tolerated in any
other part of the Christian world.
FOREIGN AND NATIVE ART-EFFEcT or CoMPE.
T1rIoN.-Pa Painting and sculpture seem now
likely to make as rapid progress amongst us as
their kindred art music, has done. The impulse
which they have of late years received from
the formation of large private collections such
as those Of Mr.. Lennox, Mr.. Aspinwall, Mr.