Sodom and Gomorrah

Canadian Freeman, York (Toronto), Upper Canada rails against the town’s countless whore houses, one in a house controlled by a police magistrate, in this item published May 26, 1831.

“And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Lord out of heaven. And he destroyed these cities, and all the country about, all the inhabitants of the cities, and all things that spring from the earth.” Genesis.

We witnessed such scenes last week as induced us to think that more shameless and barefaced debauchery was never exhibited in Sodom and Gomorrah, than is carried on in this town at present.

Houses of infamy are scattered throe’ every corner of the town—and one of them had the hardihood to commence operations next door to our office, last week, in a house under the control of a Police magistrate! Although this house was kept by a degraded negro family, so besotted are some of our would-be young gentlemen—so immune to shame and decency—and so dead to every feeling of Christianity— that they crowded to it at noon-day, and some of them that we know visited it in open daylight, last Sabbath!—Young lawyers, and others of respectable standing.

We had no idea before that such wretched and shameless depravity existed in our infant community—in any other place that we lived, such men would be viewed as a walking pestilence and scouted out of all decent society.

It seems to us that some of our authorities, and heads of families too, connive at debauchery of this kind, which, if not checked, will be sufficient ere long to draw down the wrath of God upon the town, as in times of old upon Sodom and Gomorrah.

By some trouble and loss of time, we got our new neighbours ejected on Monday last—the Police are acquainted with the parties, and if they do not do their duty, we shall try the Executive.

Unfamiliar Canadian history stories 029

 

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