New-York tribune., 1874-11-28
TIE DEGRADATION or SUNDAY.


We call attention to the protest addressed
to the Police Board against the increaslng VIC
lations Of tho Sunday law in this city, and to
the very remarkable list of signatures at
tached to it, They embrace the best repre-
sentativea of almost every calling and every
condition Of life in NeW-l ork, and it will be
specially noticed that they include so we'll
known theatrical manager es Lester Wal
lack, and so accomplished an actor and dram
atist as Dion Boucicault In adding to
this protest our very hearty Endorsement,
we propose to leave the discussion of the
question of the sacrcdness Of Sunday to the
Sabbatarians and their opponents. The divine
sanction of the Sabbath is not matter which
we desire at present to consider. 1t is not to
be nippantly disposed of by q sneer on the
one side or by the quotation OF one or two
texts on the other. But the question OF the
preservation of the Christian weekly day of
rest, as it has existed for centuries among us
and our forefathers, is one of great importance
to the pubic morals, the public health, ana
the general welfare. A few years ago such a
discussion would have seemed absurd. 1t did
not come within the range Of our ideas to
imagine that the observance of Sunday was
ever to be called in question i'll this com
munity. TO religious people the sanctlty OF
the day seemed beyond possible dispute, and
those who made no profession Of faith never
dreamed Of opposing the universal sentiment
of their neigAbors that this one day
should be set apart for churCh-gOing and alb
soluto lest from the ordinary avocatiOns of
the week. But we live at n rapid rate nova
days, AID q great change is threatened in this
respcc. The wedge was driven III a few days
AGO and the big end is now sinking out of
sight. The invasion of the historic Sunday
BEGAN with what used to be called "Sacred
Concerts" in which serious music was some
times really given. But the solemn strains Of
the Orltorio rapidly degenerated into the
Lydian measures of the Opera BOulfes and
now nothing is left of the sacred concert but
the name On the East side Of the city Jack
"Sheppardn is given under that title, and in
the great Erie palace on the West side the last
Dretense of disguise is dropped and the classic
Italian opera is played to larger houses than
assemble on week days in the Academy of
Music Business houses and becr-shOps natu-
rally follow the impulse given to Sabbath
breaking by houses Of amusement, and if we
may judge by the symptoms visible in the
Bowery, New-York promises soon to be
buster town on Sunday than any capital on
the Continent of Europe.
Now, without bringing into play any theOleg-
ical considerations whatever, we hold that it is
against the public interests that the distac-
tions between Sunday and the otaer days of the
week should be abolished. Rest on one day
in seven is absolutely necessary for the mental
and bodily health of ali who labor, and it is
not worth while to take into account the in
fnitcly small number Of those who do no work.
1t is only vicious vagrants and rich ldlers vino
would suffer from the cessation of everyday
life on Sundays, and their distress should call
for no sympathy. For al others Sunday is Il
most valuable and salntary institution. 1t
causes a break in tic wearing and destructive
pursuits Of life. It changes those currents OF
busy though5 which seem to have something
corrOdIng i'll them. 1t gives one day for the
recupcration of The vital forces wasted in the
preceding six. These are its obvious physical
advantages, but incidentally greater are its
moral. Despite the snecrs of little wits, and
the more rcloubtablc assaults Of iconoclastic
thinkers, the good which is done by regular
church-going is beyond computation. The
preachers are not always wise or eloquent
they are sometimes even offensive to taste
and repulsiye to sound reason. But the
vast majority are good and earnest men.