Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-10-01
@geG. s.
Who Cares 81


TuIs phrase is becoming entirely too glib :
on the tongue of our fast Young Americans.
" Who cares - and they strut their heels :
higher than their heads, chew tobacco, burn :
their Intervals with bad brandy, hnzza some !
thing about destiny, smash excursion trains. /
get up Vigilance Committees to bludgeon
everybody thinking differently, ard making
themselves odious in a thousand ways Just
rs if nobody did care to what extent Of folly
and madness they might push their bragga-
docia independence.
Are we so consequential that we must push
our political independence into everything
at home and abroad? Shall we insist on
wearing the military black stock and the
buff vest wien we pay a visit to the Queen,
and kick up a muss when the Lord Cham
berlain politely informs US that is not the
way2 Shall we insist thai we, by virtue of
our independence, have the right to say what
is a Ia mode, and accept nothing. either in
morals, politics, cookery or fashion, as genu-
inc having its birth on the other side Of the
water2 Shall we determine for the rest of
mankind how many brass buttons they shall
wear and the exact angle Of the swallow in
their coat tails Shall we, in order to be
peculiar and Independent, pour mustard on
our peaches because some foreign count or
sub count chooses to dress his with sugar
Is it beneath our dignity to inquire Of a ma
tive older than we, how much hogs lard
should be added to make a certain pomade ?
American out-goers and in-comers seem to
think that their national character demands
Of them an independent, dare.devilty in all
their actions. No matter how far they NAV
depart from the ways Of the true gentleman,
and no matter how offensive they may rem
der themselves by their department, they
screen themselves from all reproof by their
Dragging, who cares ?" There, for in
stance, may be some Dan Dirk, of Kansas,
on a tour in Italy, carrying his independence
and his tobacco juice with him, and c~ursing
Tin q dialect unknown to the %natives) the
portsrs Of the Italian Inns. Does he care
what may be thought Of him, or for the cred
1t Of the nation he represents? lie is not
simply Dan Dirk, Of Kansas, there but h,
is regarded rs IN American. Does he car,
If, when you or we 60 to Italy, and go to tn,
same inns where he stopped, lounge in tn,
same villas and eat grapes on the same vim,
clad hills where he ate, If we are set dow
by the Italians rs brothers Of Daniel Dirk
Of America? Not q bit. American outgc
ers should leave no unfavorable impression
Of their nation in their wake.
Unfortunately there seems to be a CROWN
conviction in the minds ofmost Young Amer
leans that their being "as good as anybody
is to be asserted by a great buster and vale
rous bravado. Is it necessary for a man
assert this in a manner that would lead on
to gravely suspect that he was not quite a
good as somebody else? Why should on
insist so loudly upon what would be admi
ted if he would only hold his tongue VIII
display your r~evolvers and bowies, emblem
Of your cowardice, to make US believe yo
are vigorously full Of chivalry Had 20
kept them in your desk, or ut least in you
pocket, we might have thought you a sci
geant or n lieutenant in the militia. VIII
do you squirt your tobacco juice so near us
If you had acted otherwise we might ha1
possibly conceived you to be a gentleman.
Who cares p Arc we not q great,
free, n powerful and a republican nation ?
1t is high time there was some improvemer
in our morals and in our etiquette. W
must begin to have a care for the feelings
others. If we are as good as anybody, v
need not splitter the fact with q fetid brea'
in the face Of our cousins. A mon can be
man without cursing and swearing that J
is a man. To be IL gentleman, it is not G
sential to first become a hog. One can
born in America, and reared in AmeriC
without s%norting like n steam tug carryil
too much, steam, all over Europe assertii
the fact in the face of everybody that dol
wear striped trowsers ! \