Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1845-03-12
NUMBER 7.
From The American Review.
Influence Of the Trading spirit
IRON THE SOCIAL AND MORAL LIFE OF AMERICA.

Upon TIE SOCIAL AND MORAL. LIFE OF AMERICA.
Ii is rare tu titd a virluons American past mid
die ME, who does reeuard Amusements OF all
SORTS as either childish or inrnnrai who possesses
any acquaintance with or iasto for arts. exce}tn
be natural and rude for music; or who reads
anything except newspapers, aud only the Poa
cal or commercial parts nf th"sr. h is the watf
of taste for other things than business which gvess
an anxious and unhappy tnrn 10 oar minds. II
cannot be inaDv years before the madness of de-
voting the whole day TO the tolls OF The counting
house will be acknowledged the Claim Of
body and mind To relaxation aud cheerful, exhii>
GRAZING amusement will be seen. We consider
the Common suspicion which is felt of amusement
among The thoughtful people TO be one OF the most
serious evils to which community Is exposed.
II outlaws a natural taste, aud viua'es aud ruins
the conscrences of young by stan'prg as sinful
what they have not the force TO retraHi from. 1t
makes Our places of amusement low. divides The
thoughtful and Careless the grave and the gay The
old aud The young in their pleasures. Children
without the projection Of their parents IN Their
eHjoymehs And thus. too. originated one OF the
greatest curses Ut our epclal siate---ihe grea;
want of intimacy betwee Children apd parents.
especially between father lnd sons:
The impulses " hich uciiue TO pleasure, 1t opPo-
sed. tend vice. Nature fluids vent for her pent-
up forces. Alas! for what are called strict NOR
ais in this view; when, by unnatural restriction,
innocent audooasA. peaures nuke way for secret
vices si,rs OFT beat.
While the commercial sprl, 10 this extravagan.
fros.a gives certain sobrlciy and moral aspec: to
society, il occasions excessive barrenness VI
real moral exceIebces. This is very difficult
aud delicate distinction to render popularity apPa-
rent although of the most vital aud substantial
reality. There is very great difference between
what called strict morals that ere really pro-
found in the: sources. and peryadiug in their IN
huence.
We are more strict in our morals in the north
ern states than any where in the world. but II Is
questionable whether our morality in not of a
somewhat inferior qualify, AID in Too narrow
view. 1t is artificial, conventional. There is no
quarter of the earth where the Sabbath is so scru-
pulo1s!y observed--where religious Institutions
are well supported, or where more abstinence
from pleasure is practiced. The great virtue of
industry prevails. Overt sins more rare here
than elsewhere. As faT morality is restrictive
IN ITS nature, il has accomplished great work IN
America. The vices or sin " hch are reducibe
10 statute. or known by name are generally res.
trained. We have a large class of persons Of ex-
traordinary proprieiy and fauessness of life.
Our view Of moralsshas tendency to increase
this class. Our pursuits are favorable 10 il. The
love of gain is one of the most sober Of all desires.
The seriousness the miser surpasses the gravity
of a devo.ee. Did not every commercial city
draw large body of strangers to it. ard attract
many reckless and vicious person, it would wear
a very solemn aspect. The pleasure-seekn zshe
gay and disorderly, are never The trading yy1sa.
ton. Large commercial cities tend to gs1s or
derliness and morals. But they also tend 70 very
low and barren views of moral excellence. And
the American spirit of our day illustrates this.
Our mora! sense operates only in one direction.
Our virtues are virtues of merchants and not Of
men. We run all to honesty; aud mercantile and
honesty: we do not cultivate the graces Of human
iiy: we have more conscience than heart. and
more proprie,y than either. The fear of evil con.
sequences is more influential than the love OF good.
ness. There is nothing hearty, gushing, eloquent
in the national vir,ee. You do not seek goodness
leaking out of the full vessel a, every motion 1t
feels. Our goodness is formal, deliberate premed-
itaied. The upright man is not generous. The
good man is not cheerml.-I'he religious man is
not agreeable. In other words. our morals are
partial and therefore barrer'. /! is not generally
understood how great scrupulousness Of charac>
ter may pc united with selishness. and how. along
with substantial virtue, there NAV exist the most
melancholy deficiencies. This seems to very
common with US. aud to be the natural result Of
our engrossing pursuits.
Every minds his own business, To the extreme
peril ofhis own soul. The apostolic precept,
/ Mind not thine own things. but also the things Ut
another. is in danger of great neglect. Our So
ciai condton makes us wary, suspicious. slow to
commit ourselves too far in The interest for others.
I'nay shyness of the iradesman communicates it
self 10 The manner of the visitor; we learn 10 live
within ourselves: We grow up unsocial, unfraier-
ma IN feeling aud the sensibiy the affection, the
cordially. the forh-puiling graces Of a warm aud
virtuous heart, die Of disease. For our part we
are ready to say, let have more faults and more
graces; less puuctilio, aud more fuence Of heart.
Let ms be less diginifed aud more cordial; less
sanctImonious and more unseish, less thriving
and more cheerful less Tolls some and more So
cial.
We want. as people, rouuder character.
Our humanity is punched; taste are not gem
erous. - The domestic and social virtues langush.
The dearest relations of life stripped of beauty;
a wretched utility usurps tina, proper theatre OF
beauty, wrelched utility usurps that 49,
oer theartre of beau.i(ul sentiment - very