Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-09-16

In living ii he deems it sin to laugh,
crime to dance, or wrong to look at the
elephant2 We are right glad that a change
is being rapidly made in this respect, and
that men are beginning to understand that
there is a bright side to this cold, uncharit-
able world. They have looked upon the
dark side of nature and discoursed about
devils and their dens, until their auditors
have "grown small by degrees and beauti-
fully less" Progress was stamped upon
everything else, but for years we could per-
ccive no contracting of long faces, until
railroads and theatres revolutionized the
rctrograding mass.
Now, we are cutting out warm coat for
winter, and whoever it fits we hope they will
put it on without grumbiing. We do con-
denim the policy that actuates some individ-.
uals all over the world, to be continually
waging an Insignificant warfare against il
nocent amusements Of all descriptions. HUI
man nature is useful commodity with
which to store the mind, and it is q sort Of
merchandise not to be obtained in the school
books o. youth they must 60 where it is
and sip to their hearts delight. What is
the use of keeping boys and girls to school
during their entire youth, and then turn
them out upon the world to seek living
with no more knowledge of its intricate de-
ceits, its cunningness, its wicked snares,
aud it's ten thousand failings, than when
they first saw the light of day? Such pa
rents not only wrong themselves and chill
dren but they wrong the community in
which their children are to WELD an infu-
ence for good or evil. They are forbid the
privilege of attending public amusements,
because such places are frcquented by the
ignorant laborer, the vicious profigate and
the ungodly sinner, yet they are sent right
among this same class of people on leaving
the parental roof. With only healthy
knowledge of human nature as found in the
church and by the freside, they are expect
ed to battle with tn. rough and corrupt
characters of the world without being en-
shared or led astray And then when we
hear OF a young man, whom we knew to
have led al life of purity and virtue convicted
OF crime, we are struck with establishment
and discredit the report Of his guilt though
jury of his country has declared it to be
true.
A young man may be as honest as is the
lot of humanity to be honest he may be as
upright as tho saintcd worshiper kneeling
at the altar of prayer, yet without a knowl-
edge of men and things, he will easily be-
come the dupe of wicked and designing
knaves, and be led into temptations which
he cannot resist. Too much restraint upon
children will cause the parents tears to aow
in ai's.er years. He who will not permit his
child to visit the concert-room to listen to
songs of mirth and glee, may be compelled
to steal glimpse of that same child
through CRATES and bars. Children must be
gratifed with some of their childish IAN
cies that they may be the more competent
to discharge the solemn duties Of life.
Will the morals of youth be corrupted by
watching in public assembly the slcight-
of-hand tricks of skillful disciple of the
legerdemain art Will their minds be vi
tiated by listening to and observing the
drolleries of an apt imitator Of fashionable
life? Will their judgments be weakened
by studying the characters of Shakspeare's
heroes and heroines as portrayed by cele-
brated actors on the stage?. Will their stock
of knowledge be lessened by visit to a
menagerie, where are gathered the wild an
finals of every cline? Will their grace
and manners be less faultless by participa-
ting in the dance and humming the sspoetry
of melton ?'' 10 each of these interroga-
tons we can conscience ously answer no OF
course harm may grow out of such amuse
ment if they are carried to access but by
an occasional enjoyment of them we can
perceive no injuries arising.
Ministers of the gospel may preach able,
eloquent and learned TRADES against the
ball room and the dance, and attend to daily
calls to offciate at the funeral of lovely
daughter Of one of his Pensioners, she
having died of consumption, brought on for
the want of exercise. There are other
modes of obtaining exercise, say you, but
Is there one SO eagerly grasped at as the
dance! Yea, is there one mere beneficial
to the constitution, and yet more innocent ?
Where, we pray can be the wrong in lady
accompanying her father, brother or hus-
band to the ball. room aud stripping tho
light fantastic toe" to the tune Of ''Colum-
bia," Sour Country" or "Old Folks at
home.? We love the dance, and we love
those that love it. We have yet to learn
that it is wrong, but when we are salts
fed of this fact we shall discontinue our yis-
its to the dancing hall.
Now, we do not write this article for any
rhetorical display" or to ill up any unoc-
cupied corner in our paper, but We wrote it
because we thought We were stating facts
unbeatable and uncontroyertible facts. We
are not preaching up "reform" for We hate
aud despise the word as used in this our
day and generation. We did not write it
expecting people would regard our asser-
tions and follow our suggestions at present,
but that they might give them their consid-
GRAFTON if they saw fit, and profit BY them
whenever they might abolish from their
minds their deep seated prejudices.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in this trade now ex-
perienoe considerable difficulty on account
of Io,u sko no n N n an, t.r n tb a