North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-02-26

ties which produce entertainments Of this
kind, and the faculties which take pleasure
IN them, are, ike ell the rest, given 10 Us
for wise and kind purposes; and when ex-
ercise, IN conformity with our moral obi-
cations, they are direct source Of happi-
ness, and our duty -, no, altogether 10 re-
pudiaie and attempt TO suppress them, but
lo guard against their abuse.
With a little care s. discrimination, the
line between the use and abuse may be
easily distinguished. In ihrir active char
scter, the powers for producing amusement
may be generally considered as a mere
species Of natural language or expression,
which may be made sutseryent either 10
the qualification of our gfosser instincts, or
oi the moral and intellectual faculties, ac-
cofdIng as they are applied We may re-
present on convass, in statuary, or in lite
rary fiction, objecis only calculated to de-
mofallse, which is q cisgraceiuI abuse of
our powers. But we may also body forth
scenes calculated to excite, and BY exciting
tn strengthen the most refined and praise
worthy feelings, and carry forward our
whole being and existence in the paths OF
virtue; this Is right use of those gifts
and auiusements.
The true way 10 render all smusements
innocent, whether they are of public,
private, or national character, is for the
wise and virtuous to view them as natural
and absiractIy beneficial institutions which
II is possible to conduct in a manner salts
factory to morality, while it is impossible
by any Reproduction 10 exiirpate them.
As many well meaning persons who
cannot deny the truth Of these propositions,
may still think there is some danger of
their atiording sanction Il siimulous to a
tendency naturally creative would say
m all humility, that not only is truth in it,
sell asacred thing, which can never be
dangerous, if every thing be upon right
footing; but there is a greater and more
immediate danger from the concealsne OF
I IN this case, than in almost any other.
BY telling young people, as many parents
are apt to do, that amUsemenis are alto
gether vicious, all act Of deception is. com
mited, an act vile in itself and highly rep
rehensible, and which the children are
more likely 10 detect than may be suppos-
ed. On discovering from accidental expe-
renee that the pleasures and amusemenls
which have been so sweepngly condemned
are not only to their own sensations inno-
cent. but have been INDUCED in for wears
by certain Of their fellow creatures with
out any percepIible harm, they, in the first
place, lose all respect for the word of their
parents, and, in The next. are likely to
launch out into the forbidden nduleences
with reckIessness proportioned To
their Indignation at the deception which
has been practised upon them. Sincerity,
eren wiM The very young, ,ciH inrariably
be found TO be The 6es! policy. If told, as
we are now telling, that amusement is one
OF the necessaries Of life, but ought to be
moderately INDUCED in, and that various
specific amusements are n themselves in
nocent, but iftoo freq denty and 100 freely
used, are apt to mislead their votaries; this |
appears TO be all the caution that is abso.
lntely necessary, and then there would be
no danger Of the children@discoverin their
parents to be actuaied by a deceiving spirit
IN their exhorlations to them.