Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-02-04
For the Montgomery Co. Sentinel


Mr.. EDITOR: In the last Journal there
is piece headed, care we Progress
ingW and signed "a Citizen" which may
require some notice, as its wholesale
statements might cause some few to be-
lieve that our village is filled with "Gor-
CONS and Hydras and Chim@ras Dire"
and particularly so, as the article is APP
proved by Mr.. Mullen, the publisher of
the Journal. "a Citizen" makes dash
at the ladies of Rockville, as the great
instigators, but does not hold them ''al-
together responsible for the many evils
entailed upon the society of Rockville
for the few past years" o, most char
liable "Citizeuw The ladies surely
ought to present you with a good rag
carpet for the compliment, if you will
only let your name be known But you
should at the same time name the partic-
ular evils, so that they may avoid them,
"a Citizen has for long time thought it
necessary that something should be said
to "stem the tide of evil and prohigacy
that seem to threaten an overthrow and
lay waste to all moral institutions and
the good government of society here"
We have six churches here, in popu-
lation of FIVE hundred people, and all
pretty well attended, if that is any evil
dence of morality and religion; and, as
to good government, | do not recollect
any high crime committed here for years.
All but says "A Citizen" Our institu-
ton Of learning seems to have been per-
yerted from its common use, and instead
Of giving to the youth a channel through
which to obtain knowledge, it appears
only as a shield Or garb beneath which
may be hidden all sorts of characters,
and its purpose to screen immoralities"
These are but generals, man ); come to
particulars. Tel us what sort of vices
are taught in the Academy, so that pa
rents may check the evils As for gram,
mar and language, it is pity that you
aud the JoarRal man could not 90 TO the
Academy for week or two.
"A Citizen says, for some time past
the streets have been made very noisy with
bitter eXecrations and blasphcmings that
seem well to accord with the wailngs Of
the unfortunate victims Of the internal
regions All this is laid to the Acade-
nay and the ladies, though doubt whoth-
or any one heard the noises but IA Citi-
zen" and Mullen.
But worse than all this is coming for
the ladies and the Academy to bear; for
"a Citizen" further says 'But notwth-
standing all these facts, never did we
suppose, for a moment, that scenes such
as has been witnessed, would have been
enacted within the consecrated walls Of
an edifce dedicated to the most holy of
purposes that a class of music could
not be conducted with credit to the schol.
ars in Rockville" And this information
~ Citizen says he got from the singing
master, a Mr. Obermeyer So that hay
ing little fun at the loutishness and ig-
norance Of a strolling singing-master, is
made by "A Citizen higher crime than
all the disorders and blasphcmies that he
has been lameuting so much. You cam
not sanctify Obermeyer's two-penny spec
ulation of two dollars and half a quar-
+ ter, even if he were TO utter his do, re.
mi, " &c, in the cathedral of St. Peters 4;
and though the mighty Mullen comes in
with his editorial and says, "while the
scholars were returning home from singing
school, obscene language and blasphe-
mics were used by young gentleman
in the presence and hearing of the ladies'
with whom he stands high while under
the influence of intoxication." How do
you know he stands high whilst intoxica-
ted p? And you insinuate falsehood
because you know he was not at the sing
ing school
But Notwithstanding Mr. Obermeyer's
disgust, | see that he is willing to stay
another quarter, which hope he will
spend with people Of his own kind, for
he may find few even here good enough
for hun to teach.
Now, as "A Citizen" begins by inqui-
ring whether we are progressing, should
say that we are certainly going back
wards, when we require two unknown,
irresponsible and ignorant strangers to
set themselves up as the standards and
regulators of morals in our community
When land is utterly exhausted, it puts
up the d,cayf Mullen, so the journal, |
suppose is doing the same; and when
the weather is very foul, people are Orer-
aired both most miserable, disagrea-
bic affairs, and 50 far "A Citizen and my
self agree.