Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-05-03

The WEEKLY BRhSS is TOT saie W t"o
counter at three cents single; subscription
price one dollar a year; twelve copies for
nine dollars.
The r. r. Morally and ReIisio"sly Con-
sidered.
In irving our readers the news Of the great
fight we have entirely omitted to adulterate
IL with cant about the demoralizing effects of
the prize ring, and about the brutality of
bruising Goods image" which has dis
tinpuished, one especially, Of our cotempara-
ries. The demoralizing effect of the late fight
would have been confined to the inconsid-
cradle number directly in contact with it.
but for the newspapers and for newspapers
to pirate about its demoralizing and brutal
izing effect on the people, while they are ex-
ertinp all their enterprise" to spread the
fullest description and details of it before their
readers, is directly pronouncing their own
condemnation for demoralizing and brutal
izing the community, as well convicting
themselves of the most contemplate hy-
pocrisy.
We have given the news about the fght
because our readers wanted it, and we are
willing to take the high moral ground on
which the Gazette satisfies its conscience for
publishing the particulars of what 1t pro-
fesses to regard as very brutalizing and de-
moralizing, to-wit: GAS matter of news we
publish the telegraphic report of the fight,
believing that bare record of its bloody de-
tails will do more than any homily we could
preach, to lower the prize ring from the re-
spectsble position which it has occupied in
some peoples eyes, to its true position as a
relic of barbarity of the same class with glad
iatorial shows and bull fights"
That is Just the view of it that we take.
The news of the fight is better than any
homily we could preach; therefore we have
omitted to Join in the Pecksniffian cant
about the disgusting and brutalizing nature
of details which each has striven to place be-
fore its readers. We know Of nothing in the
prize ring so disgusting as hypocrisy, and we
are inclined to think that q bunch of fves,
well in on the potato-trap, is much less de-
grading to Gods image, than to use il for
lying and knavery-things so common as
hardly to excite comment.
We doubt if any one of our readers feels
AS if he or she is a worse man or woman from
reading the account of the fight, and if any
of them are induced byi it to undertake the
self-denying and laborious life which is re-
quired to build up the muscle and health tc
make the successful gladiator, so far from re-
garding it as demoralizing and degrading
Gods image, we shall regard it as step to-
ward the restoration of an image, demoral-
lied by generations Of indulgence, to its
pristine godliness.
No one likes to look on cruelty or suffer-
ing, and there are none to whom the details
of the punishment of the champion arc pleas
ing; but all admire physical perfection and
power. These are what the ring develops
and puts to the test That display and tes
of physical power is the object sought for in
the ring, not the punishment and the bru'
tality; these, with the betting, which has
almost destroyed the possibility of fair play
are only incidental to the object.
Many, perhaps, imagine that they are un-
commonly virtuous because they only read
the account of the fight and affect horror al
It's brutality. We all like to get on good
terms with ourselves in this way; but any O
us would have been glad to see these cham
pions as they were on the morning of the
fight, trained to the perfection Of health ant
vigor; Gods image-to use the pious Ian
guage of one of our cotemporaries-in per
feet condition; all would like to have seel
what sobriety, regular habits and unremit
ting exercise can do for the human body
Then would follow, in course, desire to Sc
a display of the powers which had been
highly cultivated, and a comparative test {
them. Any who did not feel this woul
hardly have proper respect for that mos
wonderful of all the divine works-the hu
man body; and any who believe that after
few specimen rounds they would have abar
doned the scene before its conclusion, shoul
howl at the brutality Of an exhibition thrt
thousand miles away, whose details the
gather up SO eagerly.
There is a lesson taught by pugilism con
pared with which all its concomitants are il
considerable trihes; it is, that man is respons
BILE for his own physical condition; that ten
perance, chastity, proper diet, cleanliness, a
and exercise will result in physical heal
and power, with the proper allowance f
curses inherited from the violation of the
rules just as certainly as the carpenter c.
bring about mechanical result with toe
and timber; that a man can not abuse himst
with impunity, nor charge his diseases
Providence The lesson of temperance a
of chastity is more impressed on mankind
the training which fits men for the riI
than by all the reformed drunkards a
other lecturers that ever travelled, or
the approved method Of affecting ign
ance of vice which cries aloud in
streets, and expecting that every be
else will be actually ignorant. 1t refu
the impious idea of an ancient and barbara
orthodoxy that disease is the fnger-mark
God, to designate his own; or an affection
prevent fixingthe affections on earthly thin
or Christening sign of his greater love- !
suffering divinely sent, hit or miss. 1t she
that God knew what he did when he p
nounced his work perfect, which so ma
now disparage in order, as they think,
exalt him. 1t is lesson not belonging
the highest human development, but adapt
to the present condition of humani
Physically it teaches a way Of redempt