Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-07-27
WHAT rs no BE DONE ABouT ina

WHAT rs TO BE DONE ABOUT 1T
There are things in this world toe
dark for the light Of heaven. They are
atrocious, and should be left TO torture
themselves to death unknown, to the
world. We think that crime is becom-
ing too familiar to the public, and that,
if we are powerless to prevent it, we
may at least suppress, to great extent
the story Of it Mark the avidity with
which the do Aved taste catches up a
discreditable story and circulates it, 1t
does not matter whether it be true or
whether invented, if it sully good name
or a fair reputation, il is hurled on with
a speed swift as the winds. Pope's lines
descriptive of the approaches of vice
are applicable to the moral condition OF
our country. Crime is hideous to the
pure mind at first view, but IL seen too
often, familiarity softens its aspect until
it is endured, pitied, and finally en-
braced. The sweetest, yet the greatest
duty of life is that which rests upon
parents--the duty Of rearing and edu-
eating children. Everybody who has
experience in the world knows that even
parents who are vicious themselves, do
not wish their children to contract vic
ions habits, and conceal from them as
far as possible their own vices. How
much more should the good parent
strive to shield his or her child from the
influence of bad persons, and from Grim
inai events that sink into the Uniformed
mind and remain there to diseolor and
pervert IT'D Do the clergymen know
what is going on in the land? Is the
pulpit exclusively devoted to dogmas
and doctrines and speculative theology
so devoted that it cannot find leisure
to comprehend the moral situation, nor
words with which to thunder against it !?
Street preaching is, we believe, generally
prohibited. The most depraved of our
population never 20 ts church. They |
never hear a sermon and laugh at the idea
Of future rewards and punishments. To
their minds death is the last of man, as it
is supposed generally to be the last of the
lower animals. 1t is infdelity that lifts
the cleaning knife of the assassin and
pulls the trigger Of the murderers pis-
tol. The pulpit never reaches them
They hover about the dark streets and
recognize each other by the instinct Of
villains. The vile pictorials of the
North, the police journals and sensa-
tional writer's, make for them the literary
feasts they crave. The effect Of this sort
of literature cannot be reached in the
churches. Their cushions never hold
the class that breaks human laws and
defes the wrath CT heaven. The best
thing the churches can do is to send
missionaries to preach to the masses
who compose it. We send missionaries
to China to preach to the heather. The
real heather is at our doors. China
and Birma should send missionaries
here. In the cities, the influence of
the pulpit is too cireumscribed to
reach the evil that atilicts the
body of society. If souls are worth
saving and religionists are sincere in
their professions. why do they not de-
seend into the rotten rows and fostering
alleys where crime is the rule Of con-
duct2 Why not ascend TO the gilded
halls that, while flashing with light aud
beauty, scatter poisonlike dew upon
those who yield TO their fascinations2
Cities need grand tabernacles close to
the great hives of sinners, aud bold
preachers who are gifted with stormy
eloquence and are full Of the spirit Of
the cause they profess to serve. These
structures should be known as sinners
churches, TO whose uncushioned seats,
from curiosity, if from nothing else,
the living, cursing, stealing, numbering
masses would repair. The bold minis
tiers could then confront the depraved,
and fight down the foul aud obscene
publications Of the day. Preaching
against sin at long range will not do
1t may secure a ministers salary, bat il
will not knock down a sinner. Reform
in law aud religion is the wild, hopeless
cry Of society.