THE REPORTER.
"'TIS PLEASANT, THROUGH THE LOOP-HOLES OF RETREAT, TO PEEP AT SUCH A WORLD-- TO SEE THE STIR OF THE GREAT BABEL, AND NOT FEEL THE CROWD."
[NEW SERIES----VOL. I.]	WASHINGTON, (PA.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 1st, 1821.	[NO. 19.

      Mr. T's 2d argument is, "all acts of immorality are hostile to the prosperity of the community, and the more publick they are their destructive influence is the greater. Let our children see the Sabbath violated, & the influence will soon, by degrees, work upon their tender minds."¹ Therefore let it be punished. We admit that all acts of immorality and profanity are hostile to the interests of the community; We also admit that bad examples are injurious to old and young, but that moral societies, or fines and imprisonment will ammeliorate, or have ammerliorated society we deny. I will here insert the words of one of our oldest, most intelligent, and most eloquent citizens, I mean the rev. D. Doddridge a gentleman inferior to no man, in the western country, in point of talent. The following quotation is from the "Western Herald" of the 1st ult. It is an excellent refutation of the above argument, "what reformations have the famous moral societies produced? Those little detestable inquisitions, by the means of which it was attempted to cover the land with a systematic and well regulated espionage. For what purposes--What reformations have they effected? Under pretence of a zeal for the faithful execution of the laws for the suppression of vice and immorality, the enlisted spy and informer, looking through the loop holes of poverty and obscurity, like the artful and murderous spider has seized its prey. Fines imposed on the evil habits and indiscretions of the husband and father have rendered poverty itself more poor." What follows we believe has sometimes happened though we believe the laws of Pennsylvania do not authorize it; but while we remember the case of mr. Jones, what will moral societies not attempt. Let us again hear the doctor, "the way worn traveller has fallen into their web with his family. Compelled by the smallness of the remainder of their cash to make a "Sabbath days journey" to reach the place of their destination without becoming beggars on the way, they have found themselves in an ambuscade. No explanations--no tears of the mothers while clasping their ragged squallid infants to their emaciated breasts could avail. The law knows no mercy. The fine must be paid. Long, very long, will many such families remember, with indignation and regret, the moral societies of western Pennsylvania.

      "What amount of agency had the clergy and officers of your church, mr. Presbyterian, in the creation and direction of these moral societies? In the same proportion in which they had any agency in them, they attempted to exercise an ecclesiastical domination, by using their influence in the execution of the laws. Those societies, as far as I know, have been almost exclusively confined to the community to which you belong. The experiment has been fairly made, and now I ask how many reformations have resulted from the very expensive means which have been employed? None at all, I presume. The victims of the informers in question, as to any moral improvement or encrease in piety, have "spent their money for nought." Thus far the rev. Dr.--And thus far sufficiently refutes the idea suggested in mr. T's second argument, in favor of moral societies. But again, those evil examples which are most ruinous in their effects, are not the crimes or species of "Sabbath profanation" which the law and the societies take cognizance of. Those sins, for which four dollars are paid are amongst the least sins in the land, with respect to their influence on sosociety. Besides while we complain of bad examples, we should be cautious of setting up bad examples ourselves. And which is the worst example, the man travelling with his wagon, on the road, or the squire, the constable & the elder, perhaps laying hands on him, and wresting four dollars from him!! I know of no example more dangerous to the community at large, than the example of one class of citizens punishing another for a sin that has no name in the Bible, and which if it be viewed according to popular belief, is a sin against God, and not against man. Pray what is the name of the sin of a mans travelling on the Lord's day?

      Upon the whole, if christians, so called, would be more conformed to the book from which they say they learn their religion, the bad examples of the unbelieving part of the community would be of very little influence in comparison of what it is. Christians are often compared to sheep and the wicked to wolves and dogs. This comparison is designed to exhibit the peculiar temper and disposition of each towards each other. Now it has never been known that the sheep have used any violent or coercive means to subdue or persecute the dogs or wolves. The moral societies suggested to us the following fable, in reference to the above similitude; I don't know that ever it appeared in print before, and had it not been for the moral societies, in all probability, it never would. It is full of instruction, it is this, "once on a time, we can't tell how long ago, some wild goats had put on the garb and accent of sheep and associated themselves with a large flock of sheep in western Pennsylvania. The country in those days was much infested with wolves and dogs, which often committed depredations on the harmless sheep. The sheep were intimidated by their frequent incursions, insomuch that they could not browse in the midst of day light, if they only heard the howling of a wolf, or the barking of a dog, at the greatest distance. After the complete settlement of the country the wolves became less injurious. The dogs increased with the inhabitants & came to a better understanding with the sheep, so that they often had intercourse with each other, and only occasionally did the dogs become a foe. The wild goats having now became identified with, and scarcely distinguishable from the sheep; and being naturally of a zealous and haughty disposition laid a project for overcoming the dogs, and securing to themselves and the sheep the complete dominion of the west. Whereupon at a full assembly of sheep, some of the wild goats made a motion to the above effect, and after much discussion a large he goat mounted a stump, and thus addressed the assembled crowd. "Brethren of the sheepfold, the dogs were once our enemies, and they are no good friends yet, we are numerous and can act in concert, we shall not kill the dogs, but let us compel them to eat grass with us, and thus domesticate them, let us butt them stylishly with our horns and form ambuscades and groups for this purpose." The vote was taken and the measure carried. Then associations called domesticating associations were formed composed chiefly of wild bucks, and a few rams. The business of these associations was to scour about the sheepfolds during the hours of browsing, and if they saw a dog pass along the road they inveigled him or compelled him into the fold, then they surrounded him and "thumped him suvendibly" until the poor dog took a few mouthfuls of grass which sat so badly upon his stomach, he soon served an ejectment upon it. In this way they proceeded for several years and never domesticated a single dog. The practice finally fell through; all, the sheep gained by it was ill will, and all the dogs gained was bruised heads and broken ribs. The application is easy, and the moral good.

CANDIDUS.      

      P. S. As some parts of the above are like the "Holy War," figurative, for the sake of those that are dull of hearing I will add one note, sheep denote christians, grass the food of christians, wild goats hypocrites; and dogs men of the world. For the spiritual meaning consult Matt. 7, 6, Matt. 7, 13, Phil. 3, 2.

CANDIDUS.      

[The Reporter, 1 October 1821, p. 4.]