New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-12


one would tolerate glove upon her hand
which had been familiar with the mire Of the
streets. Why be more inAulgent to bedrab-
bled frock-skirts and contaminated stockings
We are net al all prepared to acquie.ce
in the menaeed changes Of female costume.
We have indeed no objection to see the eH-
isting fashion entirely disappear, provided
some more decidedly graceful and womanly
STYLE supervene. But until that style re-
veal itself, We shall be amply content to see
our wives and daughters walking in IN
soiled garments. In Europe where no gen.
tleman who IS free from ca!arrh ever e1-
pecto-ates. at least upon the sidewalk, the
reform may not perhaps be 50 urgent But
here it Is unspeakably needful and If no
other remedy offer, the Corporation taking
into view the damage done the gentle sex
among Us by existing fashions, should in
pose penalty upon mantuamakers. Who
knows, moreover, but what timely action Of
this vigorous nature might stave off that
shocking Mahomedan movement in dress SO
charmingly advocated at Hope Chapel the
other evening BY Mrs. Oakes Smith Is
was very easy to see that the force Of Mrs
Smiths rhetoric lay all puckered up IN the
last three inches Of the present skirt Dr.
minish the skirt TO that extent then, and you
reduce the fair reyolutonist to silence
Nol she still claims, does She, that the
figure Of most persons in that case Will look
" dumpyl" But Is there any possible ef-
feet in costume half so.dumpy as that pro-
duced BY Z pair Of Turkish pantaloons We
have never seen q female thus attlred with
out an emotion Of aversion. II always con-
veys sensation Of bow-legs, and not re-
motelv suggests a Renaissance OF Jack Tar
in holiday costume. We are sure It would
90 much TO unhinge our reverence for the
best # mothers and stihe our affection (were
we only married) for the most amiable
wives. should We ever see tins heathenish
csricature Of masculinity associated with
their sacred persons.
Dress Is symbolic. It expresses pecu-
liarly human sentiment. How comes It,
saws the thoughtful Teufelsdrockh, THAI
the grand tissue of all tissues, the only real
tissue, should have been quite overlooked
by science-the yestural tissue Of wooden
or other cloth which mans soul wears as its
outmost wrappage and overall For, II
now and then some struggling thinker has
cast an owls glance into this obscure region,
the most have scared over it altogether, re-
garding Clothes as property, not an acci-
dent, as quite natural and spontaneous, like
the leaves of trees, like the plumage of
birds In all Speculations they have tacitly
figured man as a Clothed animal, whereas
he is by nature q Naked ADmGI and only IN
certain circumstances by purpose and de-
vice. masks himself In clothes" This Is
sound observation. Man is by nature a
naked animal, and the only naked one. Ma
ture Is hospitable and generous TO everything
but man. She endows him with absolutely
nothing, and everything he has ever gained
from her has been actually conquered by his
own supreme genius. Why Is this 50
Why is nature thus apparently niggardly to
manl We fear that Teufelsdrockh does
not acqult himself SO proftably on this point
as he might, and we therefore undertake to
reply for him. that it IS solely because man
is not the offspring of nature, and has there
fore no claim upon her spontaneous tender
ness Nature clothes all her own chill
dren with scrupulous care; the fish OF
the sea, the beast of the field, and the
fowl of the air, have each 4 suitable
field Of existence and a knowledge and
power adequate to all their wants sup
Piled them out Of her bounteous cup. But
nan claims a totally different parentage
from theirs He comes from a far off home
STEPPED in unimaginable splendors only TO
take nature under his own dominion, and
difluse among her offspring the culture and
harmony Of that supernal region. OF course
then nature can only exhibit passive atti-
lde toward him, and whatever instruments
and methods may be necessary TO his pro-
iected conquest he must bring with him ex-
clusively for his own better country. In
other words they must be born in an inward
way, must be begotten of MS own genius.
Hence man learns, among other things,
to clothe himself in default Of natures SER
vice, and to fortify himself against her
rudeness.
But clothing is not merely convenience