St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-06-14
"Puritdnisa."

The papers which habitually abuse
what they call Purltanism are very fond
of Seizing upon every unusual and afro
cious crime which is committed in New
England and declaring that such i Puri-
tan morality The implication Is, that
the moral influences and efforts winch
proceed from that quarter are hypocrili-
cal Indeed, nothing /, more comical
than 10 read the Ohlurgation> poured out
upon n New England sinner 10y those
who contemplated The plantation life OF
slavery and The daily history of Ander-
~onyille with perfect complaocncy We
have been ourselves often favored hy the
Jealous with a h,t OF Yankee euorIni-
ties" which they informed "a, with hurr-
ing sarcasm. that IL would he well To il
lusirate; and we remember 10 have seen
h>t of some dozen OfienseS. which w;ls
diligently published in The rebel and cop
perhead newspapers, as peculiarly iii
subjects for the artists of llarper's Wees
ly- Among these suggestive subjects,
however, Ne DO not recall that the sale
OF ones children by another mans wife.
or the hiring out of other mems labor.
or the whipping OF women, or a hundred
not exceptional but constant and charac-
teri>lic incidents Of a region and system
which denied human rights, were IN
cluded.
When, for instance, we published a
representation of the SCARED and wclted
back OF = freedman. II was not the story
oi single crime bu1 OF 4 criminal >y>-
team, of horrors which are inevitable m
in any societv In which men and women
are abandoned 10 the passions Of others
Now the le>i OF the moral condition of a
community Is moi CRIME which l. common
TO all communities, bui the feeling with
which il l. regarded. Ii there hc lso
especial :lbhorrencc OF the wor-t oifense-,
il i far 10 assume general d,moraliz;.-
ton. Applying tins lest 10 a Puritan"
and Cavalier community, what do
W. find \ few months since the s;lr-
castle critics published The story Of 1lie
>;sv;1-c or insane clergyman who beat hi>
child 10 death as II il were an illustration
OF a certain state OF society. Ii lac Were
noi insane II Mas ;sn unSpgak;able crlmc.
and II WAS 80 denounced cycry where.
Or take the hate case IN Massachusetts 81
Serene Howe. a clergyman ALWAYS u1
good reputation. man OF ability, and =
member of The legislature. The copper
head PAPER, cried cut a. il they had al
l;,>r discovered the rcsil tendency Of Mas
>.,rhuSclls civilization But ihr truth
WAS thai .publir indignstion WAS 50
aroused and universal that Howe WAS
Obliged 10 III GA the very night o1 Iii eH-
pu>ure; thc next day hc SEM in hi re>-
i.n.li;on 10 the ;t-toundcd legislature, then
disappeared, ami ha- not since been heard
oi.
llowr> ofieIl>,s Worr Inlc>criba.le
bui bad a. lhey were, can amy thTng be
worse :ilan 10 >.Slucr other m,li'> WIVES
and ~rll their children Nhen lid pul,-
lie opinion IN anv slave state eNer exile 4
man who sold olher mems children
The reason l.. that the Puritan civiliza-
1ion docs nUt generate criminals like
Howe. While those 81 the other kind
were the natural and necessary product
"f the southern social system lnder
Nrw England influences The lein.S uf An
,i'er>anyille are absolutely impossible. ln
The region where they occurred ihey were
merely natural When. therefore, YOU
find paper which .luai, orer the fierce
punishment OF pupil 10y Il New England
teacher, OF the .Polsuning OF the family
ooiioe l,y New England servant. or the
overwhelming shame OF a New England
clergyman, events wholly exceptional,
ak yourself what thai paper used 10 SAL
OF the daily and necessary crimes of thc
-lave >y>lcm; what IL sad OF Andersen
VILE. what il said of the treatment Of ihc
southern negroes after The war such
critics expose every blot IN the ciNiliza-
ton OF liberty that the foulness OF the 50
cial spirit they defend may seem les
( hidoou--Ifny,uf'> ll'vlk.