Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-09-20

at a tavern, than to sully their immortal
minds by nightly draughts of bubble
and sophistry Is it worse to play a
straight hazard at a billiard table, than
to learn habitually to undervalue truth,
treating her like play thing--a shut
Itlecock-to be banded TO and fro as
suits their convenience Is it worse
for them to st in a theatre, and hear
the divine poetry of Shakespeare appro-
priately recited, than 10 be listening to
the dull speculations, or inflated bonn
bast Of raw juveniles or worse than
that, pcrchance, being themselves ac-
lively engaged in damaging the English
language, their vernacular, their re-
spected maternal or mother tongue -
Is the quarrel scene between Brutus
and Cassius less to the purpde than a
frey alteration between Master Cicero
G.. Timkins and Master Demosthcncs
Simkins9 Answer.
"But are these things so p exclaims
some unsuspecting, kind-hcarted father.
or some amiablc mother, aroused, for
the first time, to sense Of the danger
Of her darling child, who has recently
Joined one of these associations, and in
whom she has latterly remarked, with
sorrow Of heart, unequiyocal symptoms
Of obtrusivencss in company, and
rapid development OF the organs Of
obstinacy and sclf.will. Trust me,
dear madam, they are, and of necessity
must be so. am not trifing with
you. ] am no giddy boy, writing for
thimble full of local notoriety, but
am myself parent (of some six weeks
standing J and though Of the moro
obtuse (where feeling is conccrncd) or
masculine gender, know how to enter
into fond mothers tears on such an
occasion. Trust me, where one boy
is benefited by such societies, hundreds
are injured in their intcllects, their
morals or their tompers. Where ono
ver-bashful youth is inculcated with a
little sclfpossession, hundreds acquire
degree Of audacitv, rcpulsivc even in
those who have arrived at whskcrs,
but perfectly shocking in those of ten
der years who, by the yet unstiflencd
down upon their cheeks aud chins, are
reasonably expected to be patterns Of
meckness and acquiescence.
But this is only portion of the evils
produced by these unwholesome hot
beds for the forcing Of the intellect
The other natural consequences are
overwecning pride, inflated notions I.
self, together with contradictions, acri-
monious, disputative habits, which ir-
resistably prompt their unhappy pos
SCISSORS to iniurc their friends, neighbors
and acquaintances, by committing, as
it were, moral assaults on them way.
laying and deluding them, unawarcs, in
TO out. oi-the-way controversies, knock
ing them down with arguments or
quotations, and then riling them Of
their quietudc and peace of mind, and
otherwise maltreating and abusing him.
IS that commcndable Is il dcccntf
My dear madam, If you would not have
your son become piece Of unmixcd
impcrtiGance-an unimitablc-a ilatu-
lency-an after-dinner annoyance and
tca.table curse, keep him away from
these debating societies.
After this affecting appeal, I think I
see you turn 10 your first-horn, and,
with tears in your eyes, cxclaim--
sob, Ralph Nicholas, my love, go no
more TO that place--it will not, and it
cannot comp In any ooo1 ~
Madam, hand this ucubration across
the table to him, and conviction will
stare him in tho face +; he will yet be
saved and in tho words of some great
moralist, Z" will not have wriifen al
together in vain"
" Bat to take" as the newspapers
say, "a more enlarged and compre-
hcnsive view of the subject" These
denominations are spreading themselves
with awful rapidity over every section
Of the country, In cities they abound,
and are of every degree. from bad TO
exccrablc. But,worse than this even
in the most apparently calm and Sc
questcred villages--sau ctnaries for re-
tiremcnt, contemplation, and solemn
thoughts-thc demon of debate has
established presidents chair; and
the propounding and discussing Of
questions arc carried on with vigor
aud pertinacity that argue any thing
but well for the peace and quiet of the
ncighborhood. Really, unless some
remedial measures he odontcd babifual