New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-08
CAUCHT IN THE MANNER.

The World is q loud-mouthed oracle of that
school of political philosophy which afiirms
that "The world is governed too much" rather
than too badly, and holds that whatever goes
beyond keeping men from breaking each
others heads and picking each others pockets
is outside of the proper functions OF the State.
Yet see how it abjures and tramples on Its
own doctrine in the following:
"A FEMALE sLAvE-TRADE.-There seems TO be no
doubt that an Infamous traffic. which has for been
carried on between London and the great towns OF
Northern Germany has been opened between those towns
and NewYork The North German journals land not the
North German Journals only come 10 US with adveItse
%ents dated S IN H GrESO Witch the invite we'll
educated and agreeable young German ladies or GOOD
ces IN Hamburg and Bremen are established to provide
the victims Of this atrocious trade with the means OF
reaching New-YoTk, and harpies, ready at New YORK
wharyes upon their arrival soon put them beyond the
reach OF human help. Language Is too weak TO Drand
cannot be too weak arrest its progress The Commits
sioners Of Emigration and the municipal authorizes on
both sides Of the Atlantic should lose no time IN taxing
active and efficient steps for putting stop TO this ncon
ceiyably horrible form Of the slavetrade."
We need hardly say that THE TRIBUNE
heartily assents to The Worlds propositions.
We only insist that the same protection be ex-
tended to Americans that The World solicits
for Germans. "This atrOciOus trade" has long
been hourshing here, and will be so long as
houses of Infamous resort are allowed to exist.
Every brothel is a perpetual conspiracy against
the purity and happiness of every unprotected
young woman in the country. "HarDies" are
not merely "ready" to clutch friendless girls at
the wharves; they seize those who come in
from the country; and they have emlssarles
and scouts looking in every direction for those
who may be made their victims. So long as
the traffic in female ruin is tolerated and gain
full, so long will American girls be day by day
lured into its tawdry saloons by every species
of deception and fraud-to sink thence into
lower, though not fouler depths of pollution
and nfamy There can be no safety for I'M
protected innocence until an aroused and chas-
tened public sentiment shall Indignantly, re-
sistlessly demand the utter determination OF
houses of i'll fame.
So with regard to Gambling. The Blackleg
is as papably, fagrantly, a public enemy as the
Bawd. He robs our young men OF their money,
their honesty, their self-respect; running humid
reds every year. and thus steadily recruiting
the armies Of Satan. Probably, full half OF
the villains of our City-those who live by ras-
cality and glory in t-tOOk their first steps on
their downward road in making their way to
gambling-house.
We know it is said Mans perverted passions
tciH have qualification. If that plea is good for
anything it avails the advertisers condemned
by The World az much as Others. But there is no
force in it, 1t is not human frailty that we war
upon, but the cold-blOoded vilainy that takes
advantage of that frailty in pursuit of sordid
gain. Men will steal and forge. Yet we do not
tolerate seminaries for perfecting neophytes in
forgery and theft. Gambling and lewdness
might not be eradicated by the sternest legal
repression, but they would be reduced to their
lowest dimensions. If our laws simply cOnfls
Gated the premises perverted, with their own
er'S privity to the vile uses of the blackleg or
the libertine, there would be speedy cessation
of such advertising Tho World properly
deprecates. Vice would grovel in caverns and
cover in rags, instead Of rioting in palaces and
Haunting in gorgeous apparel. And there will
yet, we trust be matured and developed pub
lie sentiment that will demand and secure
sterner laws than we now have, and public
prosecutors quite other than A. Oakley Hall.