Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-07-18
exn,rAr CUSTOMS.

therein ennncisted are simply the more
empha,icsliy expressed ideas we have FREE
quently advanced The great fault Of our
countrymen, We are free to acknowledge,
is too great devotion to business. Al
thou.h our German fellow citizens are more
economical in their mode OF living, and
more frugal generally in their expenditures,
ye, they do not, as Americans Gre prone
to do, allow sordidness to deprive them
OF every pleasure in life. In each town
they have associations expressly for the
development of their physical powers, and
they strive in the enjoyment Of health ana
vigor. to secure that happiness which earth
ly possessions cannot confer. Let Us in this
particular strive TO initiate their example
"There is great gathering in New York,
the manner and the occasion OF which make
il worthy of more attention than it will re-
ceiye. we refer to the German SIeaqer-
fest. As our business men were Fastening
down Yesterday morning or the day before,
they might have met \ procession Of thous.
and or filteen hundred men, most Of them
heavily bearded, and wearing broad-brim.
med white hats; and after hasty query, or
passing thought as TO the object OF the
turnout, the business men Immediately
reverted 10 their business or to politics, or,
ayhap, ,hsir family affairs, Bat the Pro-
cession deserved more careful scrutiny. II
was composed oil men in the bloom or the
maturity o. manhood. the large maloriiy OF
whom had an air of intelligence and stald
responsibility. Although the stars and
stripes finsted conspienously amid their M :.
nv banners, no one could for moment have
mistaken them forAmerIcaBs, for their phys.
iognomy betrayed their nationality 10 the
mos, casual observer.
Blu. il was not necessary to look even al
their physical traits TO know that they were
not born and reared upon our soil; for near
ly every man OF this large body was deco
rated with lowers. They bore great bou-
anets Of roses in their hands, aud clusters Of
these beautiful types Of perennial love dec
GRATED the hats AMI coats of many. Could
there be more American style OF going
through the streets on such fine business
morning, inst al The last business hours OF
the day. The hags, except those Of a IA.
tionai character, showed only Tyre. and
the few insi unia OF office were horns. There
was not the slightes: indication Of any util-
itarian purpose in the assemblage. II was
neither political. nor commercial, nor re-
ligious. nor benevolent. lis object was
not directly or indirectly TO make Any man
greater, az richer, or better, eyeep, So far
as man is made either or II % these by the
hearty enjoyment Of simple and innocent
pleasure. Could any thing be more un.
A IT frnt y, -sri.tt
towns and cities OF the Nex England and
Middle States who had leit their business
to come on here only 10 spend three or four
days in walking. crowned and garlandtd.
in procession, in singing and the enjoyment
OF athletic srorts.-Men, no boys; hard
working sober men. no oilers and rowdies,
What could be more un American, Ameri-
cans can play Of soldier or make the OK
hausing and perilous duties OF a volunteer
fireman the excuse for some very solemn or
equally boisterous Turnout; but were q
thousand stsid New Workers to walk about
oarianded with flowers for three days, sing
ing, playing at leap-irog. snd very tempe
r.tely drinking very weak beer, there would
he lust one thousand writs dc lgndsco m
quirsndo applied for. very hastily, by one
thousand deeply afflicted families. Chill
dren would refuse 10 admit. OH the part Of
such fathers, even the slight paterna! auth
ority acknoa ledged in this day and eener-
alton; and the sneers Of wives would rival
those OF MlcHAL al DAVID, when he ey-
ecuied that extraordinary pas seul before the
Ark, "girded only with a linen ephod "
And vet Germans as a nation are at least
no less thoughtful, no less thrifty than
Americans. Boast as We may OF our system
of education, there are mvre cultivated
men among the merchants and mechanics
Of Germany than among the cores ponding
classes in this country; while in general
thoughtfulness and devotion TO the study
of great social, polite, scientific, or literary
questions, Germany is very far beyond US.
The Germans aho come here, almost al
ways bring more or less money with them
and they are among the most thrifty and
prosperous Of our population. Yet they
find much time-all Of them, in fact, the ex
ceptions being very rare-for mere innocent
pas,ime, having for its only objects recre-
alton and pleasure.
Our readers will acquit us OF being prone
to hold up foreign examples for imitation:
but here is one by which Americans might
profit, If they could follow il. Could the re-
currencs Of these festivals beeet feeling
in cur citizens kindred to that Of which they
are the fruit, this would be u foreign in.
Auence against which we need nowarning.
Our inyless aspect has been SO long noi.
ced that il has become national trait by
which we are described and recognized.
II was well said that If there be less misery
in the United States than in other conn-
tries, there is also less happiness. We toll
TO live aud live 70 toll. All Of US do il, rich
as well al poor. II man choose 10 retire
from the world altogether. il is well; he can
do so; but, Whatever his wealth, if he re-
main in the active world at all, he feels that
he must work as il he were working 10 keep
himself ard his family rom starvation. He
is on the swift tide OF affairs, and he must
ride upon il and rush on with il, or be over
whelmed and cast upon forgetiul chores.
We go about with anxious faces; we think
OF our business as we walk; it is with lis
when we lie down and when we rise up:
!, consumes Us, body and sou. Great ner-
vous energy-in which We surpass all other
nations-enables US 10 endure fatigue and
accomplish great things; but our physical
type has degenerated we rs Il nation have
',ss OF that beauty which results from yigo-
r7us health and finely balanced organ,za-
ton, than any other com osed Of the higher