The daily gazette., 1881-02-08
,ollected from The offensive leyity Wien

/. collected from the offensive levity viii
which 90 serious q subject is treated, o
, from other circumstances, that the nc
Of the party was malicious, then, sine
the law has no means Of Distinguishing
between different degrees Of evil tenden
cy, II The matter published contain an,
such tendency, the publishers becomes
amenable to justice. This language o
Lord Mansfield was quoted with approv
al BY this court, in the opinion referred
TO Estate 70. Chandler 2 Har. B6z.) i
men can find in the assumed reyealmentl
Of science, or the "pOtency Of matter" 4
reason for rejecting the God Of the Bible
they are at liberty 70 do su; and theJ
may print and speak upon the subject
but they must take care 70 avoid the
crime Of blasphemy in 20 doing. You
may look to this court now, and I think
always hereafter, TO shield the morals Oh
the people, and their religion, where the
law gives the power, from all assaults
upon them; and we Trust that no reepec-
table person will ever hereafter, while
the religion Of the people of Delawf e
recognises the God OF the Bible, produce
In this city or elsewhere In this State. or
give eountenances to such introduction
OF any one who comes to deny openly
His existenee, or revile the religion OF
the Saviour. Upon . recent occasion
such an one came here; and, In the face
OF the decision Of this court, which /
have spoken Of, stood up In your chief
place for lectures, and virtually set 1t At
defiance. Fortunately, however, for the
morals Of the people Of this city, one of
the newspapers circulated among them.
In timely advance Of his coming, de.
nounced his doctrines, and made such
an appeal TO the community with respect
to Its duty, that the eloquence and in
genuIty Of argument Of the lecturer were
expended upon q very small suditorv-
most of whom, we could hope. were
drawn together simply from curiosity TO
hear some "new thing"
pass fron this 10 something else.
which 10 also grossly ms .lting to the peo-
pie OF this county. We are informed
(not officially, but as IL Ii . matter OF
common knowledge We may speak of il
In this address 70 the grand jary) that
lately, gang Of that great pest Of we'll
ordered society-sporting men, 40 they
are called-eame into this Stale from
some other place, and promoted q dog
light for their amusement, and to decide
questions Of Letting with respect to The
result of 1t. The reason why they came |
here was that they found we had no |
special statute against such practic.s.
This 10 to our credit, because nobody |
mad ever thought of dog fights as a
means OF amusement TO our own people
and the Legislature had, great while
ago, restrained BY penalties, the similar
practice OF cSek lighting, then o common
vice. Aside from the cruelty Of the So
called sport In the latter case, there was
The sentiment that our people oasht not
TO encourage, nor fail 70 repress, any
cruelty, whatever form 1t might take. If
shere be no enactment OF q specific
nature to prevent the vicious and audsci-
ous from defiling and disgracine the
State At their pleasure with the practice
Of fighting animals for amusement, one
ought to be passed, or we shall speediIy
descend TO the level Of those who encour-
aged Rladiatorial sports in Rome-so
and degrading that the dig
nifty and respectabllity Of the Sta.e en-
ally disappeared; and she, with all her
great power, degenerated into o condi-
lion OF mere efeminaey, and lost forever
her pristine vigor. but whether there
be statutes or no, we have the ancient
common law our forefathsrs brought
here, which has alwrys proved ltselfl
equal to any emergency sf protecting
society.
l call your attention, also, to the def.
ant breaches of law regulating the sale
of intoxicating liquors, which are com
mon In this city. The society for the
protection Of animals against cruelty
has potency here; bat there does NOT
'eem to be much to bring to justice those
who violate the liquor lava class who 4
10 more harm to humanity in one day |
Ind night than cock-fghters, or dog.
ightsrs, or any ofthe elass brutal conld /
10 In month. In q community Of {
uch Importance as this why 10 it that 9
men and worst ofall) women are per .
nitted TO defy the law against their IL
egal practices The can be but one :
'nswsr to this, and that touches the !;
Obligation OF duty which every one owes | q
o the society Of which he is a part, and | Q
which he ought not to shrink from per r
ormlng. 1t will not do for the best I v
mong this people to turn their ewes G
way from gross exhibitions Of vics that Q
Ie before them, and yet expect police.
len to notice them. II the highest ap- a
ear to be Indifferent TO them, car Il be 4
equired that one who, in his endeayor O
, repress them, runs the risk of per- 10
,nal danger and incurs' the certainty of b,
ostility, shall throw himself into the ca
reach in behalf OF law and order? "a "a
olicemsn are governed in their ideas of ~ ~
ere duty by the example Of leaders In an
10 community about them; who IL they pg
Iow no spirit Of hostility to crime, can d.
srdly expect others net TO follow their stl
ample. When the people Of this city w
all see to 1t, that every effort made by Or
officers TO suppress infractions OF the ~, ~
", shall be duly sustained, and when na 20
ey take active interest in the per- its
of official du:y, then will It be co
aud that the law will be obsyed here 70
d not before. fiu
There is no reason, outside of that In
nmon to all humanity, why SO much 90
o should prevail IN this city. Although ~ y,
Congregation Of large masses of the Al
,ple has, ,sunquestlonably,a - tendency to se,
0, aud vice generally results from II pc
, II society were but true to itself, and WI
re concerned for It's moral and relig- me
s, than for Its mere worldly welfare, va
re would be, relatively, no increase of ~
Q. When any additional strain is To ~ ~