The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-17
A "SOCIAL CANCER"

A SOCIAL CANCER"
The New York Times, malignant and un-
scrupulous defamer of slave States, and much
given to glorifcation of the superior wealth
and magnifcence of the Empire City over
the rest of the American creation, now and
| then reveals its knowledge of the corruption
of New York society, whose pomp and show
| are but 9" the glitter of rotten mackerel
in the moonlight" 1t gave us, not long since,
| picture of RIGHTEOUSNESS among its upstart
aristocracy, which would have disgraced Pa
ris in its most obscene days, and it now, in a
long article, headed "Our Social Cancer
assigns the extravaganza and immortality of
New York society to the system of modern
American Show" by which it means New
York show, nothing being more natural and,
in fact, inevitable, than for New York edi.
tor to mistake New York for America. A
great share of the blame he gives to the wo-
men of New York. We have made an ex.
tract from his paper, that the slaveholding
publicans and sinners may see what sort of
society it is which they are taught to regard
as in every respect so superior to themselves.
Read it:
If money is to continue the measure of Respecta.
bity money will be had in all sorts of WAYS and used
in all degrees Ct folly. There is help for it, and
hence it is absurd far us to be declsimng vehe-
mently against frauds and bankruptcies while we
patronize the very principles that necessarily pro-
of stock and the host of other fraudulent trans
actions Talk of railroad msnss and the nany reck.
less pursuits of specializing life The evil not in
them. 1t is not in Wall street. 1t 10 not in Banks
splendid
palaces, named hotels-your Five Thousand Dollar
Parties-your silks and wines-Jour whole system of
modern American Show. There you have the roots
Of this consuming cancer-there and there only the
flesh and blood that feed its spreading poison. What
on excessive credit-on fictitious n gotiations so
long a. vain and silly wives urging their vain.
er and slier husbands to this all-devourins ruin -
The cure il needed at home and, until our domestic
vices are reformed, we whistng down the wind
in every effort made to rectify the monstrous error
great part of this tremendous evil il due to chr
women. 1t is hard to think it-harder to write it
but nevertheless, il plain honest truth They are
the money-maeistroms-the and their silks, Wines
carpets, hanglngs and equipages-and in them are
swallowed up the millions that are reported iu our
financial disasters Psalms for their Souls-Lturyes
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of Death-anything in the way
OF Thunder and Lightning would be, just now, the
next thing to Gospel, if it could our women
to arrest the enormous drafts they are making on the
EXchequer ofthe world.
The wsstefu expenditures in domestic life are tell.
ing fearfuy On other aspects of society. Thousands
OF young men are now prevented from marrying
those who were married twenty. yesrs ago; thrice
happy such as gained social position and comfort
able ease before Mammen undertook to guard the
portals OF society! They could do well on a few
hundreds of dollars; but 10 these days thousands have
to take their place The next step to provide sub
sttutes. What these are the world knows Alas for
the victims. The waters of that Dead Sea which
rolls over Sodom and Gomorrab are daily ensrlius
them among the licentous generations that sunk be.
fore them. ~
Where ere we to stop2 Lay down the limits and
el ssee them; Is the present style of houses ard
know girls whose education costs ST. 200 eyery wear.
we know families whose clothing costs thou
SANDS annually. We heard some time since of a
young man who spent $500 in two or three DAYS at
fs,hionable hotel. Is this the limit? 1t would be a
| relief to think But we cannot think il Everv
tnee must be ascore of fsthoms added to the
hne that measures these abysses fine house pro-
vokes inner gorgeous drawing room and eplen.
did entertainment beget more mag sificent show
Inc steps are snort from bricks to sandstope from
sandstone to marble; from a silver service To a gold
service Ingenuity is hard at work. Genius is pied
sS, 10 gsy women: Awhile longer, and be sure we
| dissolved pearls for dinner beverage.
What must be the state of society, whose
| Women-whose wives, mothers and maidens,
| are such as the Times describes? Of course
this deception has reference only to the cup
per ten thousand" and not to the industrious
and worthy middle classes.
There are no communities in the Southern
States, in which such condition of society
can be found, as that described by the n Y
Times. Better DE without great cities, if they
must breed such moral plague. Better be
without great wealth, if it must beget such a
hideous progency of corruption and shame
The extent and magnifcence of New York
would no doubt surprise the plain and virtu
GUS Dutch community which inhabited it in
former days; but they would hide their heads
inshame could they witness its moral degene
racy. An answer to the appeal of the Times
Tor fire from Heaven, is the only thing tina,
Will purify that modern Sodom and Go
morrah.