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For the Journal of Public Morals. PHINSEY and potter.Pawtucket, R. I., April 24. 1837. jRev. Mr. Sprague—As several circum- t stances of recent occurrence, have conspired r lo give this village a singular notoriety, it t has been thought advisable by the executive { committee of the Young Men’s Moral Re- r form Society, to apprise you of some things connected with the rise and progress of moral reform in this place.The efforts of the lamented McDowall, j first attracted the attention of a few individuals in this village, but the work of promot- | iug moral purity, by systematic effort, was not undertaken until a little rising of a year j ago, when a Female M. R. Society was organized, which has been active and efficient. J It has taken and circulated a large number j of the Advocate of Moral Reform, from month to month, and individual effort, in j other departments of labor, has been highly beneficial.Soon after the organization of this socie- ! ty, an effort was made to get up a public meeting and have an address. For this pur- ,1 pose, a member of the executive committee | ' reminded the Rev. Barnabas Phinney, who ' was then preaching to the Congregational j' church in this place, that he had not com- i plied with a resolution passed some time' previous, by the R. 1. Consociation, of which ,' lie was a member, requesting each minister ■ of that body to preach a sermon to his own ; congregation, from the seventh command- ( ment; but he declined, saying, “ It is a very delicate subject.”A few months afterwards, an application j was made to the Rev. Mr. Taft, of the Prot- ; estant Episcopal church, for an address, I which he gave, very much to the satisfaction ; of the fiiends of niora’. reform.In June last, a meeting of the young men 1 of this village, favorable to the formation of j a moral reform society, was held at the i Methodist chapel. Although, the majority I present, were thought to be unfriendly lo thd j object of the meeting, yet the friends of the cause, proceeded to discuss, the propriety of forming a society; a committee was ap-'' pointed to draft a constitution ; and the meet- j ing adjourned one week to meet at the vestry of the Baptist church. Here the oppo- ! sition was more open and vigorous in its at-1 tack; but finding a considerable number'ofl pious and talented men, to be favorable to I moral reform, the opposition soon gave away, and a society was formed.Soon after the organization of this society, it was thought proper to have a public ! address. Accordingly an arrangement was made with your agent Mr. Haswell, to ad- ’; dress us on the subject of moral reform. It i then became necessary that a house should be provided for the occasion: therefore one i of the committee wailed on the Rev. Ray i Potter, with a view of obtaining his house ; J hut a trivial excuse was made, and our com- J miltee were left to seek the use of another j house. The Congregational vestry was fi- I nally obtained, wheie Mr. Haswell delivered j an address, which, for chasteness of expression, cogency of reasoning, and force of delivery, far exceeded the most sanguine ex- j pectations of his friends.Indeed that address, like three others he has subsequently delivered in this village, j j was every way calculated, to remove the I fears, which even some friends of moral J 1 purity entertained that the delicacy of the ! j subject would not admit of its being dis- j coursed upon in public, without offending1 ! the chaste ear, and polluting the imagination ! i of the virtuous; now it is seen that licen- j tiousness may be discussed and opposed, by I as svstematic efforts as any vice whatever, j No special efforts have been made to in- 1 : crease our society, it being judged best, to ;I explain, and exemplify our principles that I i they mav be the better understood, and then we shall entertain no fears, but that they , J will be embraced by the virtuous. Our so-• ciety now numbers fifty-six members.It may be proper further to remark respect-l ing Ray Potter, seeing we intend to give J him full credit for all he has done in favor i J of our society, that subsequent to his refus- j ing us the use of his house, he has opened.it for Mr. Haswell lo lecture in, and attended 1 J and made the opening prayer.That the public mind may be disabused, j we think it proper to state, that neither j i Phinney nor Potter were members of the i Moral Reform Society in this place, nor in any other, to our knowledge, and Mr. Phin-I nev was so far from being favorable, that he even prevented his wife from joining the I ladies’ society.Now we leave the public, which has al- j ready been informed of what these men 1 have done against moral purity, to judge I whether numerous newsprints and period-! icals are correct in ascribing to them the 'appellation of “zealous McDowall reform-' ers.” Hiram Brooks, Pres’t.j Nahum Bates, Sec.The public will make theirown comments.
Newspaper Details
Brandon Vermont Telegraph
Brandon, Vermont, US
Wed, Jun 21, 1837
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Erin F.
USA 27 Sep 2023
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