No. 216.] 429 



As proof that physical distress and bodily ailments present a bar 

 to moral and religious culture, I have only to assure you, that the 

 common answer given to missionaries by persons in such circum- 

 stances, when asked if they wish to seek religion, or avail them- 

 selves of the means of grace by attending church, or of Sabbath and 

 public school instruction for their children, is this, " Oh, we are so 

 poor — we have such trouble to get our daily bread — so destitute of 

 comfortable and decent apparel, that we have no time to think about 

 religion — ^cannot go decently to church, nor send our children to 

 Sabbath or public schools." 



In answer to your third question, viz: " Have you observed that 

 personal and domiciliary negligence and filthiness tend to depress 

 still more the moral sensibilities, and make the poor still more reck- 

 less of character; and do you believe that domiciliary and personal 

 cleanliness, though combined with equal poverty, give the individual 

 or family more self-respect, more aptitude to receive instruction, and 

 more happiness?" I reply, that I have observed those families and 

 persons who live habitually in squalid filth, negligent of personal and 

 domiciliary cleanliness, like wicked men and seducers, wax morally 

 worse and worse. And were it proper, I should like to introduce 

 you to two such families, who are now prominently before my mind, 

 for whom I have long labored, but apparently in vain, as it regards 

 their moral reformation, while on the other hand I could introduce 

 you to those who, though equally poor, yet careful about their per- 

 sons and places, have received instruction gladly, and as we trust 

 with lasting profit — and none can doubt for a moment that the latter 

 class are by far more happy; though through a perverted taste, it 

 may be possible for a savage " to glory in the deepest jet." 



Your fourth and fifth questions involve so nearly tl e same thing — a 

 mere requisition of my opinion, " Whether the interference of muni- 

 cipal authority — constraining by law, and law officers — the dirty 

 and negligent, to take better care of their persons, furniture, and 

 apartments, would subserve any valuable purpose, or raise a better 

 tone of moral and social feeling?" — for brevity's sake, I shall con- 

 sider and answer them as one, by saying that I can see no good 

 reason why a State and city that have legislated so immensely, and 

 sacrificed so much public and private property to establish and exe- 

 cute Quarantine Laws, (many of them of more than doubtful utility,) 

 to prevent the importation of yellow fever, cholera and the plague 

 into our populous city, should by any means judge it absurd or unne- 

 cessary to enact a few laws, and appoint a few officers to inspect 



