Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-05-06
Our New York Letter.


M.sVs Editors The grass is at last full
green in this vicinity, although the month Of
April has been uncommonly cold and uncom-
Portable, With O constant succession Of north
castorly gales, rendering the city decidedly NJ
pleasant out Of doors
The failure Of the innition scheme has had
but little Improbable effect upon the stagna-
ton Of business II has rather depressed prices
which were upward in tendency and many
persons, calculating upon the prospective rise
in values, had vontured into speculations at
present rates, upon which they will now I'M
doubleday be losers. The discomfort Of a great
national debt will now probably be realized by
all classes. Heretofore, we have not felt tho
weight OF the load the nation is carrying
Material prosperity will now return by slow
but healthy growth, il Congress can DO induced
to cease financial legislation. There is very
little Of actual suffering from want visible
great deal is said to be invisible. but only
isolated cases Of real misery are found, and the
majority Of these cases are tracoablo directly to
the careless or criminal habits Of the people
themselves.
The temperance movement fell dead here,
though it was attempted in several instances
under the auspices Of rcigiou ssocieties-nearly
an Methodist, believe the cosmopolitan
character Of the population and the predom-
/ inant influence Of a united foreign opposition,
preventing any success. bio Lewis came to
] the sister city (Brooklyn), and tried hard to
iuauguiote movement similar to that Of West
crn towns, but city ladies Of the character suf-
| fcient to make an impression in the matter
could not he found The habit Of city life, Of
strictly attending to ones own business, and
/ letting that Of the surrounding population
alone, Is too deeply ongraftcd in city people TO
be affected by any religious or temperance en-
thusnsm Perhaps, after all, intemperancc is
in some respects u salety-yalye for the emotions
of dangerous class Of society II is great
cause OF crime among The poorer classes, but at
the same time IL enables these persons, who.
when sober, are particularly jealous and irrita-
bile 90 the sight Of wealth an outlet for their
: irinh.lty, which otherwise might If com
tinei, prove extremely dangerous to the peace
and good order of the community As long as
inamuce prevails 70 the extent it does, rum
may 10 mauy respects be considered pollia-
tive or cushion to prevent It's brute force over
turning society But who does the drinking in
our cities? Mainly the working class, and
they do 10 for lack Of other amusement, occu-
patton or pleasure Some OF our friends in the
deep.grccu country, who have the freedom of
all nature spread in proflsion about them, and
who, even when poor, have sort Of indie
peudctrc and freedom unknown in the city,
may object 90 ibis idea, and have no doubt
they will but must confess they would soon
; think different 10 they worked Tor others than
thcm.cNcs--lor masters 10 tie city. II they
lived in The sixth story ola tenement. house in
one rom, with sixteen or eighteen families
uudcr one roof-thc hall. public highways, and
even heir own room not free from uuwelcome
infusion imagine they would speedily fall
d into tie habit Of the city workman Of getting
, out from the confinement and noise and dirt Of
such confined apartments, 90 the larger space
/ OF tho liqaorsal)ou 10 thcst1re under the build
inr, md there passing their spare moments.
Strict Observance Of the Lords Day is also
totally impossible for the same reasons. | re-
b member walking, awhile ago, with a good
Methodist clergyman from Massachusetts,, one
sunday morning, 10 tie streets Of Brooklyn,
on the route 20 one Of the numerous pleasure
grounds in the outskirts Of that city Carload
after carload Of Sunday pleasure seekers passed
e us. Dot Of curiosity said to him, =" What
I you think Of Sabbath breaking in our eitiesr'
q Think, said tho gentleman, rhink-after
have seen how they live through the week -
should be- opt 10 d. the same thing myself 90
sunday" Many country visitors to our cit
: les, who promenade up and down Broadway,
20 to the Park, theatres and take a look at the
hoaeee Of the vol do AMI the rich carry
b hume with them very erroneous opinion Of
tho condition Of life in the city and express
' great wonder that people who live 10 such
i pleasant city should do such wicked things as
q arc reported in the papers They DO not zee
4 the city proper-the bone and muscle. which
perform the oxw0rk. 4 Vermont friend said
70 me, after visiting many prominent objects
. OF interest in the city 90 want 70 see the
q poor, and where they live" | took him to tho
' very worst tenement ueighborhood in all New
c iork-rows on rows Of six and eight story ten
oment houses, dirty streets, and the payements
swarmiug with children as dirty as the streets
We Walked iew blocks, then, turning round,
he said " Are these poor peoples houses ?"
| replied, Yes. =" q" Il seems to me, said
he, that they do not exhibit much evidence
Of poverty. See how ing the houses are they
live in"
Crime is the child Of Ignorance and dirt, and
: criminals Of every description are cultivated
and grown in our city streets with the same
assiility that is bestowed upon a crop Of corn
in t5e country. Children are educated by their
parents 70 lie, steal, and often to commit
groescr crimes The criminal class are simply
a Che parasites Of theeity's body-they nestle and
hide in all the hooks and creyices, and appear
and disappear in unexpected places and at I'M
expected times. Generations Of criminals sue
coed each other with the same precisiona as gen.
eratonS Of good men, The sentimental idea
that our thieves and murderers are the unfor-
tuuate, misguided youths Of tender years, who
have fallen from grace and given away 10
temptation in the obscurity afforded by crowd,
Is false in nearly every particular.
Ofthc female outcasts, it appears that twenty
. years since, at which time an enumeration Of
such persons was made, eight hundred and
l7NhNAANl Ni4S NhA VI NhAA1 JUG luuusiuu
oulcasts from causes other than the sentimen-
tai one-of seduction and Abandonment
Singular as it may seem, our police Judges
b are often called upon to detect between actual
= crime committed and crime pretended, at tue
instigation of parents and others who have
charge Of young persons who are idle or help
r less, to get them of their hands Put up
charges Of thetare the common way Of gcttinga
sentence for the unfortunate youths of either
sex. and sometimes for old persons, to the PEN
: tentiary, for six months at time and when
their terms have expired, the game is tried over
again, in some other police court
r But must close, as this letter is too long al
ready, LM.s.,JR,
For the Waterman.
? Press and Pulpit.
1fygrS I,ifars ~ iflout