Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-01-28
All private virtue IS the public fund

T As that abounds, the state decays, or thrves:
Zach should contribute to the general stock
And who lends most, is most his country friend .
It was a custom with many ancient nations tc
have laws regulating the national amusemcnts and
pastimes supprcssing with severe penalties, such
as the lawSivers Judged, IN their profound wisdom
might be detrimental to tho public morals and en-.
couragng with prizes and honours those which
appeared conducive 10 the mental and physical
/ improvement Of the people. Well knew they,
those sagcs Of antiquity that the hours of rest and
leisure are those in which evil habits are acquired
/ those in which sin creeps into the unguarded
soul, and thus knowing, they, with admirable pol-
ley, met the contingency by providing elevating
and virtuous rccrcatiOns, from which tho parakerS
could return to toll with renewed vigour and fresh
ness. Unhappily, in this enlightened era Of the
world, we are in this respect their interiors, in
that we have no censors appointed to regulate our
popular diversions ana amusements, and Danish
those which arc injurious to refinement, purity of
mind, or Improvement Were we so favOured not
to say blessed, not long, it is certain, would we
have to blush at the association of the sacred
name of music with negro minstrelsy.
Wnstrelsy! Now, chivalry forbid Oh, We
shades of musically-wooing Reginads. Adelbcrts
and Etholwolds, and Of musically-woocd Ediths
ErmengOrdes and Genevievis, youth and maidens
af ages agone, if yet your gentle spirits lngcr
around the confines Of this neither sphere in inno-
cent s9licitude to ken what your successors are
|
tanaticn Of the craft ye loved nor droop shudder-
ingly your radiant pinions your bright faces
4 But perhaps ye trow nOt-creatures of yore-whie
love, song and poesy-what black change hath
come "o'er the spirit Of your dream" that, in
place Of silvery Lutte flowing tresses voice of melt.
ing witchery, and gallant young heart throbbing
with strain of pure affection, the "gentle myn-
strelc" of our day sports banjo and bones sootv
visage, woolly crown and lingo unintelligible to
ears polite--a barbarous speech, such MS your
conr.ly tongues would refuse to frame. You had
indeed, your contributions, your testers; but
which of you ever condesccnded, even in your
widest freaks to copy, either in word or gesture,
one of those unfOrtunatcs?
! With mnstrclsy are associated our most beauti-
ful and poetic recolleetions. History sacred and
protanc, teens with the records of its prowcss
from the youthful David exercising, with Lydian.
osque touch of his inspired instrument, the evil
spirit of Saul-the holy prophets accompanying,
with prelude enthusiastic, their words Of burning
eloquence-thc knight and ladyo-eair responding
in loves dulcet cadences--Alfred the Great enter
ing the camp of the enemy in guise of a wandering
minstrel-ltichard of England and his faithful
esquire, Blondell-to the thousand more familiar
"reminiscences Of domestic life. Beautiful scenes
of history, romance and affection, fain would we
preserve item untouched from even the wand Of
improvement, how much the rather then, from the
taint of yulgarity or folly!
10 the present prevalence Of negro songs, none
Gun utllli II ullllDuluDe mucn OF the sang and
low breeding found even among circles where bet
ter might be hoped Said gentleman OF fine
taste to the writer, speaking Of lady who had
I lrequcnted one Of the Ethiopian exhibitions during
a fortnight Of consecutive evenings, "Why, Miss
- has gone so often that she is nearly black y
A significant and just criticism. There exists in
every one enough Of the faculty of imitation to
enable him to adopt any manner, style or habit
which may chance to impress his fancy, or chime
in with his momentary mood and, as in this pres
ent fallen state of being nature is by far more
ready to copy evil than good we are consequently
negro-minstrelsy, acting ON this foible, is there
fore, exercising n more extensive and Injurious
influence upon society Mt largo than many would
imagine, not only as regards the progress of mus.
cal science, but also Of morals aud religion.
1t is true, it receives no countenance from per-
sons of natural refinement, nor from those whose
tastes have become so through judicous education.
and eleyating associations but it is dangerously
allurng to a far more important, because a more
numerous cass,-the thOughtlesss and the very
young who are attracted by anything mirthfuI,
and which demands no toll from the intellect
! Through the medium of amusement, pernicious
| lessons may be conveyed with double facity-
Here is an extract from new version of the his
tory Of the Creation, taken from the music-book cf
a young lady:-
Dcy first made the earth, and den dey made
| the sky,
And den dcy hung it up above and left it dar
TO dry
Den dcy made the stars out Of niggar wenches'
4 eyes,
To give little light when the moon don't rise"
Instil this elegant lyric into the memory of a
child-and such like are every day learned eagerly
by little children, before they have been taugit
the name Of God, or the first line Of nursery
hymn, to the extreme delight of those who forget
their responsibility and the great tribunal-and
sacred truths will hcncSIqrth be associated in his
mind with low burlesqu6 First impressions never
wear OF, and the stain thus imprinted on the soul
IS inefaceabe. A lady Of the writer's acqunint-
ance once foreibly illustrated this fact. She had
attended on Saturday night negro concert, and
been much entertained with choice moroccan. tbc
burthen of which ran someway thus;-
Ders no use in knoekin' at dc door any more"
i On the ensuing Sabbath she went as usual to
church, where the Rev. DR.. - preached
most impressive sermon upon the subject of the
Final judgment, and Of the eternal misery of The