NOTE:"The North Star" is available on microfilm at the Schomburg Collection in New York City.
"...work on the river a season, quit work, dress up and strut about, dangling a gold chain and dandy staves, boarding at considerable expense, gallanting and treating the girls until their funds were exhausted, then go to work again. . . ."
"The North Star," 7/1849
"Sorry are we that duty enjoins and justice compels us to record the fact, however much we may regret the necessity of so doing, that the moral aspect of society among our people is at a very low estimate at present in the city of Pittsburgh and vicinity, indeed, the place does not seem the same. . .The youth now coming up, especially those just emerging into manhood, are fearfully delinquent in that which constitutes decency, civility, politeness, and even good manners, in all of those traits the prerequisites of a good and wholesome state of society.
"Moral and literary societies are totally neglected by the young people, there not being such a thing in existence as a moral or literary society among the young men and young women of either of the two cities and environs. Gadding and gossiping, bending and gainsayings, occupying doubtless a much higher estimate in their consideration than improvement of the mind and morals.
"What a fearful state of society is this, and yet there appear to be no influences at work, either temporal, moral nor religious, either in the church or out of the church brought particularly to bear upon it to remedy the evil. That there is a fault lies somewhere there is no doubt. The parents and leaders in society have greatly neglected their duty in many particulars we have not a doubt; and call upon them in the name of virtue and morality, to look well to the character of the young people."
"The North Star," spring or summer, 1849. Source uncertain. (Ullman, pp. 107+8)
