New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-11-09
MANNERS.

MANNERS.
From EMERsoS's ESSAYS. Second Series. Gust pubrhei.
C. 8 Francis. 90 Broadway Continued.
The flower of courtesy does not very veil bice
hanthng, but II VIC dare TO open another leaf,
end exp!oFa What parts 20 to It's conformation,
we shall find also an intellectual qualify. To
The leaders of men. the brain as well tue flesh
and the heart must furnish proportion. De-
feet in manners is usually the defect of fine per-
ceptions. Men are too coarsely made for the
dellcacy Of beautiful carriage and customs. Il
is not quite sufficient TO good-breeoing, union
of kindness and independence. We imperativeiy
require perception Of, and homage to beauty
in our companions. Other virtues are in request
in the field and workyard, but certain degree
OF taste is not to be spared in those we sit with.
| could better eat with one who did not respect
the truth or the laws, than with sloven and
unpresentable person. Moral qualities rule the
world, but at short distances, the senses are de-
spotic. the same discrimination of fit and fair
runs out, if with less rgor, into all paris of life.
The average spirit of the energetic class is good
sense, acting under certain Limitations and to
certain encs. 1t entertains every natural git.
Social in It's nature it respects every thing which
tends to unite men. 1t delights in measure. THIS
love of beauty is mainly the love Of measure or
proportion. The person who screams, uses
the suporletive degree, or convctses with heat,
puts whole drawing looms to fight. If you wish
to be loved, love measure. Yua must have
genius, or prodigious usefulness, ii you will
hide the want of measure. This perception
comes in to polish and perfect the parts Of the
social instrument. Society will pardon much TO
genius and special gifts, but, being in its nature
a convention, it loves what is conventional, or
what belongs to coming together. That makes
the good and bad of manners, namely, what
helps or hinders fellowship. For, fashion is not
good sense absolute, but relative not good sense
private, but good sense entertaining company. 1t
hates corners and sharp points of character, hates
quarrelsome, egotistical, solitary, and gloomy
people, hates whatever can interfere with total
blending of parties; whilst it values all peculia-
rites as in the highest degree refreshing, which
can consist with good fellowship. And besides
the general infusion of wit to highten ciyility,
the direct splendor of intellectual power is ever
welcome in fine society as the cosllest addition
to its rule and its credit.
The dry light must chime in to adorn our
festival, but it must be tempered and shaded, or
that will also offend. Accuracy is essential to
beauty, and quick perceptions to politeness, but
not too quick perceptions. One may be too
punctual and too precise. He must leave the
omniscience of business at the door, when he
comes into the palace of beauty. Society loves
creole natures, and sleepy, languiahing manners,
80 that they cover sense, grace, and goodwill;
the air of drowsy strength, which disarms crlu-
cism perhaps, because such person seems TO
reserve himeef for the best Of the game and not
spend himself on surfaces; an Ignoring eye,
which does not see the annayances, shifts, and
Inconvenience, that cloud the brow and smother
the voice of the sensitive.
Therefore, besides personal force and go much
perception as constitutes unerring taste, society
demands in its partrician class, another element
already intimated, which it significantly terms
good nature, expressing all degrees of generosity,
from tho lowest willingness aud faculty to oblige,
up to the nights ofmsgnanimity and love. Insight
we must have, or we shall run against one au-
other, and miss the way to our food but intellect
is selfish and barren. The secret of success in
society, is a certain heartiness and sympathy.
A man who is not happy in the company, cannot
find any word in his memory that will fit the oc-
casion. All this information is little impert-
nent. A man who is happy there, finds in every
turn Of. the conversation equally lucky occasions
for the introduction of that which he has to say.
The favorites of society," and what It calls ,ohole
souls, arc able men, and of more spirit than wit,
who have no uncomfortable egotism, but who ex-
aclly fill the hour and the company, contented
and contentng, at marriage or funeral,
ball or Jury, water party or Z shooting match.
England, which is rich in gentlemen, furnished,
in the beginning of the present century, good
model of that genius which the world loves. IN
MIR. Fox, who added to his great abilities the
most social disposition, and real love OF men.
Parliamentary history has few better passages
than the dsbate, in which Burke and Fox sepa-
rated in the House Of Commons; when Fox
urged on his old friend the claims OF old friend
ship with such tenderness, that the house was
moved to tears. Another anecdotc ID so close to
nv matter, that must hazard The story. A
tradesman who had long dunned him for note
of three hundred guineas, found him one day
counting gold, and demanded payment: No."
said Fox, I" owe this money to Sheridan: I'll
debt Of honor: il any accident should happen to
me, he has nothing to show" "Ihen," said the
creditor, &" change my debt into debt OF
honor" and tore the note in pieces. Fox thanked
the man for his confidence, and paid him, say
ing, " his debt WIGS of older standing, and Shet-
dan must wait" Lover OF liberty. friend OF the
Hindoo, friend of The African slave, ne possessed
g great personal popularity; and Napoleon said
OF MN on the OCCASION u Ills Fislt " GLIB, Ia
1895, "Mr. Fox will always bold the hFst place
IN an assembly at the Tuienes."
Wem may easily seem ridiculous IN our eulogy
of courtesy, whenever we insist on benevolence
IS its andation. The painted phantasn Fash
ion rs to cast species of derlsion on what We
say. But I will neither be driven from some
allowance to Fashion as symbolic institution,
nor from the belief that love Is the basis of conr
tesy We must obtain thot, if we can; but by
all means we must efiirm this. Life owes much
of its spirit to these sharp contrasts. Fashion
which affects to be honor, ID often, in all mems
experience, only ballroom. code. Yet, so long
as it is the highest circle, in the imagination of
the best heads on the planet, there is something
necessary and excellent in it; for it is not to be
supposed that men have agreed to be the dupes
of any thing prepostsrous and the respect which
these mysteries inspire in the most rude and
sylvan characters, and the curiosity with which
% b,oh Efa ore read betraV the uQlyer-