Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-03-21

regulations. This is precisely the case
with dancing. 1t has always been produc.
tive Of lrivoii!v, tkough'lcs>ncss. and even
crime. Give a religious or moral cast ci-
thcr to i; or 20 theatrical exhibitions, and the
! fascination of both is destroyed, to those who
now indulge in them. Our correspondent
argues on Il plausible, but not 4 probable
hypothesis. lie supposcs tina: dancingmay
be so far rcclaimcd from abuse, as 10 be
made the appropriate mode Of expressing
the innocent and amiablc emotions Of tho
heart VIC on the contrary believe, thut re.
sardins human nature as it is, and that IN
conncxon with dancing as now generally
practiscd, there is no hope Of such a reform.
The abuse of the thing is nscparabIc from
lis u.s.. Bat to be more specific. 1t pro-
Tossing Christians arc TO encourage dancing
they must begin by instruc:ing their child
rem in the art, and then what is to be appra.
hcndcd! These children in the mmatu.
ritz of their youth, can and will regard it in
no other ligh. than as an amusement,
pastin,c, means of introducing them into
company. Evil consequences immediate.
ly begin to unfold themselves.
1st. This easy mode of obtaining graft
Gca:ion without any cxorlion Of intellect,
renders them restivc when called tc en-.
ploy and improve their minds, and causes
them to regard application to study as
drudgcry imposed by hard task masters
We believe tuis to be an invariable result,
that ,hr LIGHT amuScmon, OF the dance
cx,,i,c> in children distas:n for mental
application.
2d. 1t creates taste which is not east
" satisfied, and which when INDUCED, in.
evitablv leads to criminal expenditure of
time, exposure of health, and dangerous
associations. If children are taught to
dance, opportunities must be given them
for the exercise of their new faculty. They
mnst attend the practisings, they must frc-
qaent the public balls. In carrying their
love for amusement to excess it is not easy
10 restrain them, and they might Justly say
20 their parents, why did you suffer US to
learn to dance, if you did not intend that
we should indulge the appetite which von
have created In the great majority Of
cases but little restraint is attempted, and
hence children arc thrown much from un-
der the eyes Of their parents, enter into
promiscuous society, form attachments
which their parents would not sanction,
expose thoir health by unreasonable dress
and hours, become vain and frivolous,
mispend much precious time, by convert
, ing recreation into very laboricus bust.
ness.
, 81. Dancing as it now is, and as it ever
must he, is extremely y unfriendly to the
implantation and nourishmcnt Of religious
principles and feelings in the minds of the
Young. A stronger contrast could not be
furnished than between the dancing room
and the family altar, than between the fri
volics necessarily connected with this
amusement, and tho serious incubation Of
pious feeling. How mpracticable would it
be TO gain the attention Of young person
10 rsl gion either before or after dancing
parry and why this peculiar reluctance un-
less there be in the thing itself something un.
fricndlyto p;cty? All who have experience
in this matter, must admit the BUSINESS Of
our remark and many parents have lamcn.
tc.l the gracclcss habits Of their children,
when they themselves have laid the founda-
! ton OF them, BY making dancing q part Of
, their education.
! Thus to encourage children in dancing,
operates disadvantag gcously on their inteIcc-
tUal, moral, and religious character. We
speak. of course, Of dancing as it is, and we
cannot well speak of it in any other point
ofvicw. We can apprcciate'it only from its
known and uniform tendencies. Our cor.
respondent may be able in his mind, to dis.
connect its " essential part from what is
merely incidental, but he cannot accomplish
it in practice. The world has already set
! tied what arc the uses Of dancing, and it
would require many Luhcrs to induce them
to regard it in any other light. 1t cannot
become the means ofmoral or religious in
s;ruction. and therefore it should he avoided
BY the Christian. If it were religious
ceremony under the Jewish dispcnsaiion,
under the Christian, we hear of the one
dance only, which cost John the Baptist his
head. And now, however protesting Chris.
lians may plead, that instruction in this art
may be necessary to 4 polished education,
and to obviatc awkwardness and rusticit, in
the manners of their children, they would not
Justify the practice in themselves. They at
once see how incongruous it would be for
men and women protesting godncss, to
engage in an exercise, which to say the least
was so opposed to the gravity and sobriety
becoming the Christian character. With
one word to Christian parents We dismiss
tho subject. While You make your child
rcn proficient in the art Of dancing how can
/ al1, ..,<.la.& 4.