The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-10-13


Tho war through which The republic has just
passed was like terrible fsver, hat brought
al the corrupions Of tho body polite to the
surface. In every part Of tho country, and e.
pecislly In New York, vice and Crime rapidly
increased. Philosophers tell N that war b
only murder on grand scale, and certainly It
usually brings oil other disorders In ii train.
For the last four years we have been occupied
in raising troops and money for the govern
mont, and have paid too little attention to the
social and other vices that have sprung up like
noxious weedA Our pulpits, erected to propa-
gate the Gospel Of Peace, have been used a.
political rostrums, recruiting desks and affairs
for the worship Of the ebony idol that Greeley
and Sumner have set up. The columns Of the
press have been filed with reports Of battles
and sieges. Our religious and benevolent So
cieties have transferred their agents to the
camps and hospitals Of the army. The efforts
Of all good men have been devoted, not to re-
stricting or reclaiming the vicious, but to fll-
ing up military quotas and assisting the gov
eminent loans. Thus left almost completely
to itself, the ordinary safeguards Of society be-
ing Withdrawn, crime has run riot through the
land, and it at last eliminated in the assassina-
ton Of the President by an actor who had
Now the war is over, the rebellion is sup
pressed, and President johnson is satisfactorily
proceeding in the work Of reorganization. The
pulpit, the press, the religious and benevolent
societies and all good men and women should
now turn their attention to reforming those
evils which have gained such prominence
during the past four years Of terrible conflicts.
In this city, the centre of the civilization of this
continent, these reforms should be inaugurated.
The murders, rapes, robberies and burglaries
may be left to the officers of the law, upon
whom we urge unusually energetic measures
to detect and punish the offenders; but there
are various social reforms which the pulpit, the
press, the religious societies and all good men
and women should at once undertake. Look
at the concert saloons that infest The city, and,
by some trick of legislation, are just out of the
reach Of our legal authorities. Look at the
class of plays produced at some Of our theatres,
outraging decency and defying the law. See
the results of the influence of these establish
ments in such cases Of defalcation as those that
have recently startled Wall street. These things
can be reformed If the proper means be en-
ployed. During the war an evening stock ex-
change Aourished up town, demoralizing busi-
ness and business men and developing such
frauds as those of Jenkins and Ketchum. AS
soon as the war was over we called upon the
honest financiers Of this city to suppress this
evening exchange nuisance, and pointed out to
them its deleterious influences. They listened
to our words of warning, they acted upon our
suggestions, and, as If by magic, the institution
was abandoned and the building devoted to
other purposes. If so great reform as that
could be 80 easily accomplished by the co-ope-
ration of single class of men, there is no
reason to despair in regard to the other and
greater reforms which still remain to be
achieved.
We see the decentralization caused by the low
state Of tho Opera, the drama and the concert
saloons showing itself everywhere. II crops
out in the courts, theatrical cases being always
relied upon as food for scandal. It is evident
in society, the lessons Of seduction, intrigue,
roueism and harlotry learned at some Of the
theatres being too often carried into private
life. II is on record in the police reports, the
policemen discovering that the concert saloons
supply them with their worst and most numer-
ons subjects, and that the youth of the east side
Of the town are prone to initiate the perform
ances of the dramatic Jack Sheppard,
Dick Turpin and Blueskin. It pervades
The whole city, and justly alarms those
who respect virtue and morality. II
at oar best theatres aa!snskeS actresses a.s e.
exhibit themselves in revolving plays, or ele-
ganiiy dressed men teach by example how
beautiful women can be scduced, what must
be he condition OF affairs at our lowest mis-
called places OF amusementy If in the temples
of the regular drama such performances are
permitted, what must take place in the concert
saloons. Is il not time for The press, the pull
pit, the religious societies and all good men
and women to rouse themselves and call these
sinners to repentance? For the sake Of So
ciety and Of the city, for the sake Of the rising
generation and Of the whole country, we direct
public attention to this subject. Let the
reverend gentlemen who occupy our pulpits--
from Mr.. Henry Ward Bsechcr down, or up
discard politics, take their texts from the Bible
instead of party platforms, and raise their elo-
quent voices against the social, theatrical and
other evils which now af1ict the people Of this
city. Let the religious and benevolent societies
send forth their missionaries to the managers
and directors Of oil haunls Of vice, and let them
post and distribute their tracts as conspicu-
ously as these men display their invitations to
sin. Let all good, pious, respectable people
discountcnance entertainments that corrupt
and enervate the mind and the morals, no mat
ter al what theatres or under whose auspices
they may be presented. The press will do its
part in pointing out what to avoid and in en-