THE DUTY OF RULERS

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 27, 8 February 1844, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE DUTY OF RULERS

We give to ottr readers this wepk * faint outline of the system in .America, the neglect of the State in providing religious instruction being borne in mind, we now proceed to quote evidence from Mr. Buckingham’s work on that country, as to the results of the Voluntary theory. We do this on the principle laid down by our Saviour.— “ By their finite ye shnll linmc them .” "English traveller,” says Mr. Buckingham* have been denounced a* slandeiers and libellers, for publiahing, as their opinions on the state of society here, what is heard openly in almost every rircle ; •nd if the native inhabitants of the country are more competent than strangers to form accurate opinions of then owo institutions, n oiaU, practices and character, their tesiimony cannot lose its value by being transmitted through anotinr channel. Indeed, I have been long since convinced of this, that n® English writer, however ingenious, could compose from his own imagination any book that would be half so severe »s one that shotild be wholly made up ot what is heard every day in New York, not in private society, and in confidential ruinn.unications, hut openly pronounced at pnblic tables, on the Exchange, iu the streets, in public meeting-*, Courts of Law, and elsewhere, as to tbe morals and cbaracs ter of tlie American people, spoken by Americans themselves of each oilier and as frequently made public in the newspapers of the country, as uttered by the tongues of the citizens A diary filled with loch materials, would be the darkest pioiure ever diawn of any community on earth, but the Americans would be the first to cry out against its accuracy, tbongh their own pens and longues were 'he ■ources from whence it should be drawn.” Among other illustrations which follow the above rematks, we give as a specimen the subjoined extract horn a speech ol Dr, Diim an, leader of administration in Congress : mill many honouiable exceptions ou> •treet* aid avenues are crowded with blacklegs, political j'* P gler», hungry t xpiCUnta, h lingers. Iva> laziiiin lira ten*, bank vassals, and fvdei al minions conurr-gaivd from all pails ol th** Union ; dandies, coxcombs, liveried iliuiibs, whose subsistence depends upon >tiert, begging, nr hand or upou the gloiies of tire credit or banking system.” After a few more specimens, Mr. Buckingham stales—- “ But evert this is n®l so bad as the admitted decline i-l public ntoia's and integrity in public life. Scarcely a month passes in which there am not instances of public robberies, roromitled by extravagant anil unprincipled men on the funds enirusted to th* if charge, who generally escape to some otbei Country, F'ar.ce, Italy, Spain, Portugal, or Texas them to subsist <*•■ their ill-g< ten treasure. Sometime* it is lire Collector at some seaport, at another it ia the Cashier of a chartered or incorporated Bank , again, it is a sub-treasurer in charge of soon portn n of lire public revenue aod sometime* tht president of a Savings Bank bolding tbe arctinrolat» d deposits of the industrious poor. The aggie gate of this plunder of private and public funds by profligate and reckless .obbers ia immense ; and what perhaps is the most mclsnrholy feature of the case is this, that its very frequency takeaway from its apparent criminality, so that detaiihei after defaulter is reported by the public pres* with an indifference iu which tbe community share. ’ The following are two paragraphs taken from a New York paper of the same date which are specimens of similar ones appearing every month in the different states: “ Defalcations xw the Land Office.— -We cut the following paragraph from au editorial article in the Rational Gazelle, for tbe edification oi cor readers. It is needless, to recapitulate the defalcations which are acknowledged in the Customhouse of New York and other places. They are notorious to a pioverb. The Land Offices have been less noted, and may be mentioned as similar dens of dishonesty. Prior to the year 1828 the sum of all tbe defalcations which had taken plaoe in thece, undet Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Adams, was less than 250,000 dollars. Under Jackson alone, who had pledged himself to nominees strictly accountable, the money frtudently abstracted by Receivers in tbe Land Offices amounted to half a million of dollars, and in the fraction of Van Boren’s term these robbet les, reach tbe additional sum of 550.000 dollars • making the aggregate appropriations of the people’s money to the pockets ot the lunotiouaries. in tbe sbart period of ten year*, not less than 000,000 dollars. «• Another DefaiCation.— Tbe Uarrisburgk Chronicle announces the amount of detanlt of lire late Collector on the eastern end of the Columoia Bailroad, as being fitly thousand dollar* ; and farther, states that the Collector of *he »<* ern termination is a d»-tr*n!>er >o tbe sum ol 16 or 18 thousand dollars ni»*r-.”

« The lust »ud most fe*<ful symptom 0 f «11, however, is tlm demoralised ate l * of the public press. There are of course exceptions to ibis as lo every other defect—th-i* are able, honorable and moral editors, as well as unprincipled and piofl'jate ouesj but it is to be lamented they are so few. The morbid appetite of the public for scandal, obscenity, and attacks on private character, is fed and paurpered rather than repressed by many ol the public writers, in the cheap papers more especially, while in the politic*! journals, truth, honor, and lairnesi are coutiuualiy taorrfierd lo exalt political idols, and dethrone' political opponents. This evil ia clearly seen, aud-its consequences distinctly nppret bended by some of their own body. And lire following from ilieNtw \ork Journal of Commerce, uray be gsvao as evidence of its truth • “Ths Press. —b i* with dtrpregiet and apprehension, that me perceive the rapid decline of ths Anieiican Piess (rout the correct, healthy, and

moral lone by which it was once distinguished. Bolter a thousand time* that oven the charge o in-ipidity should bo brought against our n< wspapnn, as it ha* heretofore Im English travellers and j"lttnalt't* than that their columns should he en. liveiif d wi'h reports ol muiders, seductions, and all imagii able cr irnes.

‘•A licentious au d disorganising p e»s was among tbe loierunnei* ot the French revolution. If it did not assist in cau-ing that terrible convulsion, it shewed the moral feeling of the people lo be de» praved, full of misohief, aod in fit condition for the horrois that ensued,and we sometimes fear that the downward progress of our American press as regards moral and religious feeling, spite of its intellectual improvement, portends evil near at hand, which, compared with all that our country has yet undergone, is but the aighing of the summer brer ze in comparison of the leal tut whirlwind of the tropies.”

Mr. Buckingham appears to have been greatly astonished with the condition ol the state of Pennsylvania and of its capitals, Philadelphia, and Harrisburgh. The first thing that attiacted his attention was tire incendiary fires. In New York they were almost of nightly occurrence, but he found them there nearly as frequent and the people neatly as licentious In New Yoik there were 108 fires, in 8 months, and the loss of pioperty was 5,000,000 dollars, The loss in Philadelphia was not much less. He gives the report of a committee for investigating tbe causes of these fires, which discloses the fughtful facts that “many of ihost cases were no doubt the work ol thieves and ruffians in search of plunder, hut the Commissioners are ot opinion that a much larger proportion than the community would believe credible, originate in tite cupidity or desperation of the owners.’ 1 I his allusion, as explained elsewhere, is to persons who had over insured, and (o bankrupts in trade, who wished to destroy their books of business. But Philadelphia is stained with a deeper crime. A mob, including many ot the citizens of high standing, committed the atrocious outrage of setting lire lo the Pennsylvania Hall, tor the sole reason that the abolitionists held their meetings there. Though the petpetrators were well known, mo one vas taken up lor the ci tine, and rlantag* s have not even been assessed, ihouj.lt uegioes are constantly hung fot less i Heiic* v. l ; or tour yeuis it has rein; iued a black ruiu m the midst of the t ity. Inceiidiaiisui, a spirit ot violence, ■•nd viiultciive iess, and crime, are greatly on the increase. Of the latter fact, the roliowmg extract front tire pieseuturent ol a grand jury, given by Air. Buckingham, is sufficient proof. After narrating the hands and vilianies of bailgivers, and ot officers ot justice in compounding felonies, the grand jury stale that—

* 4 Ihe history of our Ibal year would furnish a • icher chapter of villainy than the ca'endur of Newgate coal:t previously boast. Tbe enormous frauds prpnrMed by some of the high funclionarits of certain Cot potations, soattrnng ruin tar and wide among tb. industrious and the helpless, breaking tbe w idow’a lie«it, and taking away the orphan’s bre.d, cull with a voice that most be heard upon the Legislature of Pennsylvania to pas* law* arm> d with sufficient sanctions to prevent or punish such wickedm as iu future.’’

Mr. B. afterwards proceeded to Harrisburg, the legislative capital, where he proceeds to describe some most disgraceful practices of the Whig party at a recent election, in spite of ballot and all the other securities against bribery and corruption. The -following are the heads of charges proved on oath:—perjury and cheating at election ; bribes given to returning officers lo change result of polls ; intimidation with clubs; tickets taken from the ballot boxes; tickets thrown

into the same; blank naturalization papers filled up and foiged ; abandoned men, who had belted heavily, allowed to officiate; result of the poll suppressed; important election papers destroyed; receipts for taxes forged. Scent sof gross outrage also occur retl iu the halls of legislation. At Harrisbutg. two, Mr. B. happened to go into the liar room ol the hotel there, a part which in other places he had avoided, and in one hall hour he saw more druukeuuess, and beard more oaths and profanity, than he had previously witnessed in his two yeats stay in America. He was therefore uatuially forced, upon the above gtounds, to the conclusion, that

“The Keystone Slate, as this of Pennsylvania Las beeu called, long prided itself upon its quiet, orderly, aud peaceable lrabits, which were attributed to the influence of its Quaker origin, and the principles and examples of the followers of Penu. But it is fast losing this distinction.'’

His rematks with regard to the state of moral feeling of the classes in Philadelphia, are too instructive to be omitted : There is, says he, a very Urge the

I c nimniitty who think that every religious sect and j eveiy religious object ought to have a share of their support; and there is another large portion wh», though they habitually go to church, ate perfectly indifferent as to wliat doctrines they hear, provided tbe sermon is eloquent, the music and singing good and the congregation fashionable, and well dressed ; and when these requisites are supplied, Uuitarinnism, Transubslantiation, nr the Alhanasiaa creed are equally ?cceptable. They are not offended with the duct'ines of absolute predestination, or much moved bjr those of free will. They preserve their equanimity amidst the thunders of universal de« iiunr ation, and they are equally unmoved by the most pathetic appeals, 1 lie bottomless pit may be made to yawn befoie their eyes, sud the lake of fire and biimstone made to float ai their very feet, but they regard them both with complacency, and even the Millenium made to commence in the yeai 1843. but they do cot move a muscle of their countenance to express their satisfaction at i<s near approach All dial you hear irnm them alter the set vi. e is ove-, is a cool i mi. ism on die m-nner ol lire pit vein r, • lit* style ol the music, the nun.bur and i"pectauj ity of ll>f congregation. To such per »«ns, and they are very numerous mix ug the wealthy and .genteel classes here, a Catholic lair would of e«mse be as attiaciive as a Protestant one, aiidiu tbe excess of 'he proleseeu liberality of sentiment, but iu truth fiom the real imlifleience of feeiing, they would patronize as liheially a concert lor a Hindoo temple, or a ball amt supper for a Mahommedau mosque, the means being to them extremely aiiraclivt because it yields them pleasure, and the end being not at all repulsive because it gives them no pain.” When at Pittsburg, on tbe borders of Pennsylvania, our'authur observes, “The southern and weturrn newspapers are all found in the hotels and reading-rooms heir, and, to a stranger bound in tbst direction, aretai fiuin inviting. It is impossible to <ake up any one of them without finding in it the net) d of some deed of olood or violence—some oestiuciiun of life or pioperty.” He then proceeds to extract from one newspaper accounts ol two duels, at one of which a large number of citizens attended, one assassination by an innkeeper with a Bowie kuile, one attempt to murder a Reverend Fditor, and it is stated that the latter putsued the assassin with a •oaded pistol, and tiled, but without effect; a fight between two distinguished members ot the '.ar, first with Billingsgate and then w ills inkstands, bespattering ihemsolveH and bystanders wnh ink and blood. 'J he £*iale of Washington is then described as billows: " lo respect to religion and moials, this city ban long b«i n in a condition ».o»t pviu!a< lo tbe Aureiicaii Christian. Pann-ytvania avenue is cr--*vdrei with grog shops, tottery office-, and gambling booses.” f Three more attempts to fire the city of Natchez are described, and a reward of 2000 dollars tor the detection of the miscreants. Then follows: “Most awful and horrid murders,” called “ a deed of blood unparalleled in American “history,” the details of which, Mr. Buckingham says, are “ too tevolting lor publication.” Mr. B. then, in illustration of the ferocity of the people, gives a copy ot regulations tor certain duels, one With tin* Bowie knife, And another with broadsword and ditk. The first was between Messrs M‘Clung and Stewart, counsel-lors-at-law, the other between John A. Widey, mugistiate, and Col. VV. \t big Hazard, of the States of Mississippi and Georgia respectively. We can only give a few of the rules as specimens. In reference to the first battle the Glh article t uns thus :] “ After the word is given, either party may take what advantage lie can with hi* knife, but on tb.owing hi* knife at the other, shall be shot down by tbe second ot bia opponent. —*• 9th. Each party shall be stripped entirely |nakrd, except <>ne pair ot linei. pantaloons, one pair of sucks, aud boots or pumps, as tbe party please.” The articles are fen in number, aud the following notification concludes them : “If either party vio’ales tbe mles, upon be ng notified by the second ot either party, he is liable to lie shut down ioslantly. Ax established usage point* out the duties of built parties, therefore notification i* considered unnecessary ” One of theaiticles in reterence to the other duel is, that *• The head of the vanquished is to be cut off by the victor, aud Muck upon a pole on the Faun Frlil l)am, the original caus<- ot dispute.’’ Mr. Buckingham quoleß as follows from the Trederickloum Visitor, as shewing *• that the south and west are not the only quarters in which crime and violence are on the increase.” •* Disproportion of crime. From a comparison drawn from statistical table*, it appeais that tire amount of murders, snrotheiings, suicides poison ings, Bto., in New Yoik, greatly ixceed those of London during the last year—*eventeen tout dels are chargt d to New York and only one to London, fourteen poisonings and only six in London &c,” Excellent state ot public niotals. The New Yoik Herald, states, that muiders have avemged one every week in that city lor the last tin months * “These,” says our author, “ are indeed teailul signs of the times, end gloomy prognostics of the

future. At the same lime that public morals are rlt us degraded, all respect for authority appears every day lessening, and neither the President, the Congre*-, nor the State Governors, seem to inspire any paify with veneration or esteem. Even the Judges enjoy but little confidence out of the pale of their own party, and the elements of discord and dissatisfaction seem to strengthen every year. In proof of the above Statement, MV* B. quotes from a Demociatic paper, that the only mode of purifying the legislature would be to let the Susquehanna run through the halls of legislation •* Lay all the members under water, and let n> hear no more of them. To grt anything worse would be impossible. This winter will be famous in the annals of republicanism for the most *bandoned, dishonest, and reckless legislation, etc* By far the largest numerical majority of the nation, treys Mr. Buckingham, speak only with contempt aDci scorn of the iulers" which they themselves have chosen, and of the measures which they produce. Notwithstauding all these indications of the progress of demoralization ilte Americans still retain their exuberant national pride. Mr. B. gives a curious i'lustiation of this by the following passages from the * New York Temperance Union’ for Apiil, 1840;—“We are the must wonderful and most interesting people on the face of the earth. We are so because we are a mighty nation, coming up lo the formation of its own laws and habits, iirespective of any ancient codes . and through the direction of enlightened reason .” Reduced to plain language* this means that the Americans are interesting, as having been the first nation to despise the experience of history, and the lessons of antiquated codes, among others those of Scripture : they neglected ac« cordingly the fiist duty of a nation, the care of morals; they have followed the dictates of that “ enlightened reason', which w r as worshipped by the French infidels of 1793. and they have now seen the fruits, as exhibited in another passage iu the Temperance Advocate above alluded to, which is a table contrasting the crimes and deaths of London, having a population of about 2,000,000 souls, with those of New York, having a population of 300,000 :

For every g og shop in London there are five ia New York. This statement is given in the above journal in a tabular form, and Mr Buckingham thinks its accuracy may be relied on. Tue results are for the year 1839. We mentioned formerly that the French philosopher, Abbe de Mably. warned the constitution farmers of Ametica of the necessity of morals in the prophetic words “quid leges since modbus vanae proficient. ” These results are sufficient demonstalion that, the experience of aues, and the lessons of-scripture, are not to be neglected with impunity. There are other coincident And enormous eviis arising up under the system or ttf gleet of religion, w loch pH vails orr ' It s;.ite of Aaie riea. 'I lte States, it s* d I - "? observed recognise ihe |.i<r ar r ligon by t ie an n. (.'on gic S-, ir, tr • \ . k. .1 the a.m«. tint tin * m a to hold hat « t- . . - .**l\ in hi s” f»>< - tv s are—the muiuptu uiio< se« . u. c valence of supe slitrou, rev‘and pernicious excitements whit■ stal e’ergymen encourage, in order to incieasetheir Mock. 'I he educated clergymen chiefly tesort to towns leaving the less wealthy and scattered districts lo itinerant quacks. There being no division into parishes, the clergymen have to lauge over large tiactsof country to attend the members of their congregations, which system causes the necessity of more clergymen, a needless distraction and labor to those engaged, and, alter all, a poor remuneration. Vast nutubersol the clergy men, hlm>, ne forced to engage in seculai employments, among which slave dealing , in certain States, is not unlrequent. Iu conclusion, it must appear from the evidence which we have nihiucen Irom scripture, that the great duty ot the rulers is, to premote the religious instruction-

the eternal, as well as the temporal wei» %.eof the people—to be, in the words of St. Paul, “the Ministers of God lor their good. It is proved in the case of large towns at home, and in the case of a whole nation in America, that if the State neglects this great duty, vice, crime, and other fearful evils, are certain to arise. God has appointed certain things, but he has also appointed the means, and if the means are not used, “ man’s enlightened reason” and all his vain schemes will be baffled. We have not referred particularly to the state of this colony, because it is notorious to every one in that voluntary scheme has failed as signally here as anywhere in the world. Here we have already seen the inefficiency of the system, and as men in New Zealand are possessed •of similar passions with those in Amerioa, it is equally certain that if Government neglects its duty, similar effects here, in a greater or less degree, must also follow.

London. N. York. 16685 7952 1 17 I'ofv'jnrd ................ 6 14 0 28 Drowned 76 86 0 53 Accidents ....... .... .. 171 83 29 45 Found Dead ........ .... 12 179 Si ill-born ...... .... .... 43* 591 Died drunk 13 32