The southern press., 1852-07-01
CIHIs Or Rural lac

b Civic or Rural Life
VI We have recently made frequent allusion 1
y The centnpetals tendency OF our population l.
9the great cities. The law of gravitation apple
'Nas well to them as the orb that sustans them
LA These agglomerations of men attract wit
sMpower proportioned to their magnitude. A vii
~ age sends its attractive influence for given cir
sNcle around the neighboring habitations of tn
Ncounty. The county capital exerts still strong
Ger andwider power. The alurements to a cit,
'gdraw with increasing potency and vast concen
v tratlon Of men like the city of New York, rami
mes, with sgravitating force, every city, village
tand settlement, throughout the country. VIZ
Naccordngly see all portions of the Union, we
Amlght almost say Of the world, sending the
Nquotas to swell the census of New York. Bos
rton, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, Gin
Acinnati, and a host of other cities, enforce
Ri Though in limited degree, the sane lesson We
fAgave, few papers back, the statistics of the
Nrelative Increase OF population in city and coun-
Elry, exhibiting the somewhat unnatural and
Eve fear, unhealthful growth of the former; for
al IS evident, that state OF health implies Ger
Mtaln relative proportion Of inhabitants in the
Ecitles and in the country upon which the cities
Erely. This tendency city-ward, evidences, we
IL thlnk, growing disrelish for that great basis of
1Aa nation, the cultivation of the SOIL The sturdy
s5sons OF the plough are too strongly tempted
.atrom their fertile furro ws-they too often leave
4the rosy freshness of the country air for the
ttpallid miasm of city--their brawny muscles
sSdiminish under the slender physical exerese
f5thelr new employment calls for, and scantv
3pttance rewards their efforts instead of the full.
Saness OF the farm. We are glad to see our city
|ancrea4e beyond example, but desire to keep
az from becoming top-heavy, or out of pro-
Aportlon to Inc resources, population, and employ
liInents OF the country from which it draws ts
salfe.
4 One would suppose that the pursuits of agri.
sculture presented advantages enough to retainl
Sas votaries, thousands of those who now rum
With eagerness to the taxes and perplexiiies of
Acity lie. The noble labor, healthful and invig.
1oraing-the self reliant and independent coudi-I
-.hon---the prominence which substantial farm
Der has in the community in which he lives-theI
Viewer wants he is under the necessity of supply.
Eng-lhe interest with which he watches thet
sgradual unfolding and ripening of fruit andI
Sgrain, and the multiplication and growth of;
ssleep and cattle-the absence Of care--the easel
sae feels IN having no notes to pay-the satisfac-
tion he experiences in the reflection that he is al
5producer, entitled to his place amongst men,!
xlnstead of mere consumer, hanging to thei
Sskrts of society-the greater harmony he main.
StainS mentally, morally, corporeally, with ALL
snature around him, really invest the employ-I
1ment OF an agriculturist with an Importance, af
s1ignlty, pleasure and desrability, that should.
smake the pale clerk, who breaks his breast overI
! the portly ledger, the young attorney, who;
Sswelters in the crowded courtroom, the broker.
awhose varied feet pat the hard hearted pave
] ment of Wal street, sigh for their "natiyel
shealth' But the charm is not to be resisted
n uonld thnr in az am
! heir own acres ia the country Visions off
speedy wealth Aoat before their disordered3
{ maginations. The eye of their hope rests ops
singots of gold, andpalatial mansions The yer
sdure of the h,l / is not eFatefu to their optics
AFhey turn, tead 10 the redness of bricks, forg
ssightly comfort and congeniality. They walk 4
sunder the perilous scaffolding that overhangs
our Streets rather than the protecting and broad
spreading oaks aud naples of the fields.
In the security of your farm, the upturnedb
ground Oils you with its salubrious magnetism. /
But here, in the city, you respire disease !
sOdious gases regale you at every step. Thek
air is heavy with noxious smells. At the ny
station of the sun, exhalatons are constantly as
bending from the reeking streets and turbidt
epidemic TOO ofGeh resp6nashf sse5s tfifR fJs
sship fever, sometimes by cholera, and all the
lls that flesh is heir TO-" without the power oil
! being disinherited. There you inhale the deli
acious breath Of Nature; here, every other mani
gyou meet, carrying his chimney with him, smokes
sYou as he would a wood chuck from his bur
srow. There, you are safe on premises of lid
she law guarantees you exclusive posse3 sfsf !
there, you are jostled by trunks, boxes. .sndI
.paint-pots, your skull broken by descent }neI
bricks, youT legs in pitfalls and neglecled-ssMSI
run over by sauey drivers, smashed by1bmu
buses, or knocked down by rowdiesk and incon
sstant fear OF burglary and confagratiqp. There /
a few shlllings will satisfy the tax gatherer oil
State and county; here, pitiless one per cent
tpursues you ever. There, the purity Of thpf
scountry surrounds you here, moral abomina
lions infest your eyes and ears. You cannok
,effeciualy shut either against them. There
.your children, with the free exercise ofyoulhf61X
sports, grow up With hardy constitution, and eli
for judges, governors and presidents; here, con
fined to the narrow lili'ts Of play.room, tbeyt
are paed and dwarfed; or If you lei them cscapeE
into the street you may expect TO send arounf
lcards Of invitation 10 their funeral on the NOR
row. There, You ARE one Of the governors a.
.welias thegoyernsd, and no audacious Perrine
idwe invade Your fcsd~, snd, during bis owl
fpIessdre, turn you off into BY paths and lanes.
There you may roam thfyxRh forest and mes
dow, ard meet no Keeling dunkardg nor 1se1b |
,mel a rum shop in every angle Of The rsrrt
You know that over you the law spreads the
broad hgis Of its protection that, If need be, he
whole posse coDitafIs viii be astir in yourrbe .
half; that the lega OF police ollieersw will be sei
N motion witlSf8f,Wt and that jtistice is sure
for its defeat rssns6 there be covered up and
lsnd frompublic view There, quiet erfolds you
and you have leisure Tor contemplnion; here
continual noise impnge'on you tyrhpana, every
Zephyr throws dust in your eyes, and all is rattle
slater, bustor CONFUSION. turmoil and madden
ging hurly.hurly. In sucha soenc, man may
psresipe, bot he can hardlybe expected TO hink
What Sequence Of REJECTION can there be when
u fire engine rushes through every period
carriage blo's oui every COMMA, and the words I
lthemselves are thrust out Of place by.carts ands
mni6uscs. You may leap from one oiscou
rected idea to auolher, but page Of coheTent!
sclusion. We should like see Euclid demon
sfrqfa prohlnfn ia Bros< *nv or Milton weau