Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-04-07

arts, they are driven out, loaded with ex-
ecration; il they attempt to return to the
path of virtue, the finger Of scorn is point
ed at them; the lip in derision is curled;
they arc plainly told that they are not to be
trusted.
1t 10 the fashion to pay woman one -hali
the wages or less for the same labor that
would be paid to man il performed by him,
simply because she is weak. This is mean
aAd cowardly custom, baptised rs it may
be l'y long usage, and sanctifed by the coun.
tenance of Christianity. 1t 10 dastardly
relics of heathenism, which the prevalence
of the religion of Christ and the good sepse
and gallantry Of the Anglo Saxon race must
soon wipe out of the table of fashion.
Mems religious opinions and moral con-
duct are governed by fashion. In some
places they can swear, hunt foxes and fol.
low the chase on the Sabbath day; in other
places they may hold their fellow man in
bondage and surround him with the wors,
of heathen darkness, while he is jealous in
his efforts to send the gospel to the heathens
Of foreign lands !! (ridiculous as it appears
yet it is fashionable in this land;) but a
short time since a Christian might get
drunk and live in good standing, minister
might have the s'good creature" on his side
po"tN o"u hlVEiv dtspchbC lb w uOCk :
and yet be a. exemplary successor Of PEI
ter and Paul; and now the christian NAV
drive good trade, take advantage Of the
market, speculate in land, in flour pork Oh
any species Of merchandise, and If he pays
literally he stands No. l.
Il is the fashion to chew tobacco, to drink
tea and coffee and indulge in all sorts Of un-
necessary luxuries, and has been until the
whole human race within the pale Of civil
liEation has so degenerated, physically, that
wsll-developed and fair proper toned
specimen of humanity is scarcely to be
found. Persons in the morning of life,
present pale, afflicted and withered an
psarancc, that asks our pity. Yet persons
are rare who have courage to change their
mode Of living yes, in this Christian land, !,
man must be something of a.imoral hero
who hia the courage to refuse to commit
suicide. The child dies, and we say "the
Lord giveth and the Lord taketb away :
blessed be the name Of the Lord;" the little
boy or girl dies, and we say "ths Lord h Is
taken them away from the evil to come,
the young woman or the young man dies in
the blsom o: youth and beauty, and we saw
it is a Providence beyond our cemprehen.
sion. How easy it is for US to get D Gus
when We want to throw tho blame OF our
own siekedness and folly upon God, and
to shift the responsibility upon his shoul,
ders rather than csnfess our faults and for
sake the fashionable road to death. God
has ordained certain physical laws. and
made US amenda5le to those laws, and by
sbeying those laws strictly VIC may have
happiness, health and long life; by disobev
ing ther. we have ickness, pain, and death.
. ckness andpain is to warn US of our trans.
gression- "a friend whose warnings we
should always heed.
Custom and fashion rules the world with
red OF iron; and much as we may boast of
our liberty and the freedom of our institu.
tons, but few Of us dare to be singular
and pursue the path dictated by our better
judgment, when it is contrary to the wish
OF the multitude. There is scarcely pro
fe sed christian among the Protestants of
this City, who would dare 90 to church, the
m.n with patch upon his coat, or panta.
ioons, or barefooted; if a woman, with a
stripped blanket shawl, sun bonnet or an
old faded calico dress; and not a minister
of the gospel in the place who would taKe
off his coat in the pulpit and preach in his
shirt sleeves, If the thermometer was up to
l30 degs. in the shade.
Nov IL ", wish to advance with the speed
that We should advance, We must leave the
things which are behind and look forward,
and when proposition presents itself for
our consideration, let US not ask is it pop.
ular, but is it the truth, and when we find
the truth maintain it honestly, without fear
or favor. But let us be sure aad avoid the
fashionable method of searching for trash:
which is to fix theory in our mind and
then search for proof to maintain that the
ory and reject any amount of facts which
conflict with our pet. | can assure you, in
this way you will never find the truth, if you
do, you will be more successful than any
who have preceded you. In this we have
been building up and tearing down since
time begun, and are bat little in advance Of
where We started.
Theology and medicine keep in exact pace
with each other; as man advances in knowi-
edge, they recede; and while the press and
tbs forum are combining to throw a stream
of light upon everything else, a black pail
Of thick darkness seems to have gathered
around these two, as if to make q desperate
struggle for existence. twill befuddle any
man OF ordinary mind to read with atten-
tion, for one hour, treatise on either med
iclne or theology.
Our attitude in speaking, and our inter-
course with one smother 10 o subject of
faskien. Treatlses upon e.scution and eti
qustte are as plenty ~ dream books cr for
tune-tellers; and you will find some persons
green enough to try to follow the rules as
laid down. To see man trying to initiate
ID Orsey, by rule. or making gestures by .
pattern, puts one in mind Of : goose dod :.
ing hailstsAes, or . boy with his fathers
coat on.
just so long as we pursue any partic-
ulsr course because Others did SO, We
will not advance; ard uhenever we OBJ
ject TO anything because i, 10 new, we
are obstructing the wheels of progress.
Any fool can give his assent 10 a popu
lar doctrine. but il won, DO for man
who claims to be intelligent TO say his
opinion is right becauss some great
man processes TO have the same opinion.
One evidence OF the power to advance
in this age. is the fact that . precept 10
not received as gospel just because some
cid or great man uttered IT,; at least some
people are beginning to doubt that all
wisdom comes from high places and
gray hairs.
We may cOngratulat 70 ourselves that q
day OF n,e',iga,ion is drawing upon US,
the Sun of intellectual freedom is
is not ri g.; We musl lay our prolane
hsnds upon every thing. (no mat er how
sscrvd) with which VT have 10 deal. and
drag IL TO the ligh. and see lit II bear
siiung II II vii. not, hrave il oser.
board. We should receive noihl.g as
irus until we have examined il. nor
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