Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-09-06
Wednesday, Sept. 5.

uIOur TeCent upou w
have met with far more general approval Than
we anticipated, which, of course, affords us
pleasure and is sufficient remuneration for
our efforts Previous TO writing the article
we did not mediate as TO what would be lis
effect, or how it would be received. We felt
that we were right, and that was sufficient
guarantee for the course pursued In all the
acts Of life if man pauses to conjecture
what will be said, aud how his acts will be re-
garded, particularly if he is marking cut re-
forma,ory path, he will make but little prog
fees, because there will always be some who
differ from him in opinion, and some who will
bitterly denounce Ills sentiments, and attri-
butte his motives to anything but the right
cause. A man must, therefore, be independ-
ent, to a certain extent, if he would accom-
plish anything, and when he has assumed a
position he must body y maintain it, and follow
up his premises with manly frmncss and un-
firing energy. .....
We have received the warm and sincere
congratulations and hanks of many gentlemen,
fathers of daughters 10 have been the gay
est Of the gay this su .mer, and the stars OF
particular observation in the Polka they
were strangers to us, and consequently their
approval of Our remarks was the more graft.
flying, as they spoke from a conviction OF
truth, and not from the impulse of friendly
hearts. Others have said TO US, and they
were exceedingly fashionable ladies', why did
you rot wait until Tic Season was ever, if
ybu must write on the subject. This would
indeed have been heroic conduct a soldier
might rs wei have waited until his enemy
was out of sight Lefore he discharged his shot.
We selected the proper ftme--the two weeks
when the town Was most full Of that class of
people to whom the arguments were more es-
pecially directed, and whose sense Of proprie-
:, " most required arousing. The articles were
read by the very ones who most needed toI
peruse them they were read throughout the
hotels, by the gayest and most fashionable
. and they had an effect, to a certain extent.
LIT NO one say that every lady danced the
Polka and Waltzed with as coniented ,mind|
at the Fancy Ball as she did before we
s know better. No lady, unless she was lost to-
all sense of shame, all deicacy Of feeling and
all respect for proprc,y, permitted herself to
be embraced, bosom leaning against busom,
: and face coming in contact with face, with
the same indifference as to what would be
said and thought by those who were wines
sing the performance, as she did before pub
ic attention had been called to the matter
This is a moral impossibi,y. Truths wea
pons are keen, and they pierce with a sever
ity which the cons, ,icnce cannot evade ; and
after having read our ar,ci, on the WALTZ
any lady, in whirling around a papiic oaii-
, room, in the arms of comparative Stranger
must have felt that although she was doing
what her fancy dictated, and perhaps in al
spirit of bravardo, still, she was ou,raslng
decency, and violating the most sacred atlri-
butes of womans character, and bringing dis
grace upon that high-toned moral purity which
we ins,nclvely look for and almost worship in
woman, woman who gives US birth, who
nourishes orr infantile feebleness from her
own breast, and loves us with an affection
that is more sacred than any other emotion
on oarh. Can man Of refinement and SEN
si,iye feelings stand coolly by and see the OBJ
iect of his dearest affections, che whom he is
to lead TO the altar as the partner of his joys
and sorrows, she who is to become the moth
er of his children, the associate Of his future
life, even to the declining vale which leads to
the dark, cold grave, can he, We say, quiet
,ly behold her embraced by another, in many
instances Of questionable character, in man
ner that would only he sufTerable by those
whose dcstinies are to be mingled in one =
No. Our own hearts speak too plainly the
truth which we utter, and which we would
have felt by every ore. If persons desire to
dance Quadrilles, for instance, as a recreation
or healthy exercise, why, Of course, there is
no actual harm in il, although pe think that
time can bc much more proftnbly devoted to
o,hcr employments. But there is nohlng in
this that shocks the mind or dsgusts refine.
ment. II is not against this that we write.
because the tastes of persons are AZ diversified
m the thoughts of The mind, and every one
r,usl do that which most agreeably sympalhl-
ses with his or her own feelnsf.
Th Waltz aud Polka are perhaps The eS-
ee,sivp cnhcl .hmcnis Of the Art OF Dancing,
as an Art, ifit Ia worthy so dignlhtd an ap-
pcllalion but II is ono Of those Ihiue' which,
II the lh.ory is studied, the practice should