The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-04-21

Tho Religious Anniversaries.
The period is close at hand when the va.
rious religious denominat ions will hold theii
anniversary meetings In our city. More attsu
ton will be given to their proceedings thas
has been paid to them for the last six or sever
years. They win, no doubt make larges
collections and get up more enthusiasm
than have latterly marked these celebrations.
Without wishing to interfere with the pro.
gramme Of their proceedings there Is ono
thing that we desire to recommend to their
moral condition Of our city. We know NO
subject that 80 pressingly calls for their inter-
ference. We have II openly charged by the
organs Of the republican party that the Legis-
lature Is sink Of corruption and that our
representatives are bought and sold like
cattle in the market These arc not nero
gensralities in the way Of assertion. It is, we
understand, capable Of proof that purse Of
between 100000 and 100000, which had
been raised for the carrying Of the Broadway
Surface and Central Railroad Fare bills, has
been divided among them, and that there is
scarcely one of them that has not had his price.
As regards our municipal administration, the
condition Of things is just as bad. Itistrue that
the members of our Common Council and our
city and police officers are not as extravagant
in their expectations as our Legislators; but
they have equally their price. Take as evil
dence of the fact the statement Of the counter
feiter Ulrichs, in the recent confession which
he made to Marshal Murray. He asserts
that he paid as hush money to New York
detective officers and deputy marshala
in the course Of his operations about
$4,000, besides altering stolen watches for
them so as to destroy their identity. It il
notorious that the railroad pickpockets also
have the detectives in their pay, and the
shooting Of burglar has just brought to
light the agreeable fact that the members Of
that amiable confraternity have brothers and
churches religion itself seems to have fallen
through. Instead Of the saving Of souls the
parsons are applying themselves to the saving
Of politicians. When we enter the churches Of
such shining lights as Drs. Tying and Henry
Ward Beecher we hear, instead Of the sighs,
and groans Of repentant sinners, the uproarious
| applause and unmeasured laughter that mark
the performances at notorious theatre.
There Is no longer question Of great preach
| Ing and furious praying II has all given
place to political abuse and clerical bunoonerN
In short the vices and the degeneracy that
brought down the Divine wrath on Sodom and
Gomorrsh find mot only their counterpart IN
the immortality prevailing among us, bat are
far transcribed by it
Need we say that in such . condition d
things many win welcome with us tho inau-
ence Of the approaching anniversariess It win
fall upon Us like that Of the oasis in the desert
We have been so long engaged in the work d
fighting. killing and stealing that we thirst for
change Of some kind. The truth IL that 80
far a. our actual status y concerned, It is doubt
full whether the Penitentiary d not mors
moral establishment than either the Legisla-
ture or Congress. In the former men work
and do penance; in the latter they sin with.
out repenting, and, in fact rather exult at their
misdeeds. There Is in all this nne field for
the labors of the parsons who will be crowd
ing In upon us next month.
The Neiselcss ACCOMPLISHMENTS Press
In the whirligig Of time 1t Is study Of pc.
culiar interest to note how periods differ one
from another as to the relative importance
they will concede to any given fact In the
composite mass Of human society; how tho
giant Of one age becomes the pigmy Of the
next, and how what was smallest in mems
thoughts grows till, like the product Of the
mustard seed, IL fills the heavens But few
centuries ago and what a picture of life in hid
! den places and vile dens was conjured up by
the words "Jew," "money changer" How
the class, stopped down as II from the chronic
habits Of diving through doors not half high
enough, crept in and out of the obscure haunts
in which 1t dwelt and counted and hid its
golden pieces. And the age has come, and
the money changer, typifed by names like