Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-02-14
aud entire atssnce Of man,

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profanity aud entire absence Of man,
ners. A respectable member Of Con.
gress (what treat TO learn that
there is such mani, told us, no. long
ago, that he did not think any man
who had o proper regard for his family
could take iswife and daughters to
live in Washington, in the present
state OF its society, unless he intended
to keep them as rec'uses. In fact, so.
cicty at Washington, at this time, has
all tho vice of the court of Charles IT.
without one solitary redeeming frac,
ton Of its culture. Politics, religion,
law, morality, and good manners, all
are sick OF fatal disease. Official
cireles-those especially--are compos,
cd of suddenly grown.rich fanatics,
pumps and courtezans, who until ro-
Gently were as poor as Lazarus, both
in cash and respectability. profes.
sional colporteurs, tract distributors,
made suddenly rich through govern
ment iayors and fat contracts, or
through enlarged chances for steal
ing, become SO suddenly loosened
from the restraints OF poverty, that
they rush into the most indecent ex.
tremes OF luxury and vice. Not only
in the capital, but all over the country,
the atmosphere is sinking with moral
pestilence The foundations of socie.
ty seem pulled up by the roots. Tho
lawlessness and yico of Congress seem
to have penetrated the churches, and
all the avenues Of social life are pois-
oned with every lust that feeds on
luxury and power. 1t is bad enough
to be compelled to acknowledge that
the community is losing its civiliza.
tion--it is losing its human heart and
human decency. The example of the
Congressman, who quartered their con.
cubines in the Treasury building, is
followed in various ways by Provost
Marshals and hundreds of their vag.
abonds, who feed at the public crib
throughout the country, until the
words Of Lucien, when describing tho
most lasciyious period OF Rome, arc
brought to our recollection. lie says,
chastity is so rare that only the name
Of it is to be found, and many main
tain that this virtue, as well as Justice,
bas long since taken her fight to
heaven, leaving nothing below bat
some few illdrawn resemblances of
herself"
If we have been betrayed into hard
cords in this article, the reader must
that il is hard subject. We
'rc not writing for Democrats only,
)ut for all lovers of liborty. Tho OBJ
ect is to arouse that Difference and
'cverence for liberty and law which
;haracteriEed our foreiathers. That
,ur liberties are one after another
Ibsorbed by the acts of the men in
'ower, cannot be disputed. Our ia.
hers beqneathed to MS the sacred
mantle of liberty. 1t is our duty to
preserve il for the benefit Of our pos
Gritty. This can only be dono by that
eternal vigilance" which Jefferson
aid, sis the prince of liberty" Let
hen the honest minds act upon their
'wn intelligence let them manifest
be qualities Of their hearts, and the
20 equal to the dignity Of their own
understandings, and they will even
'ct be the instruments in the hands Of
Tod, Of saving their country, and pre-,
erving liberty from being strangled
y the bloody and monarehical grip Of
'uritanism. The great, the fnal,
trugglc must como, sooner or later,
,ut it will come, and for us, We dare
O say that we trust in God, shat when
t does come, Paritanism will got its
lsl due, and let the world have some
,cace. While Puritanism lives, lib
rty is only a tenant at will.