The Feliciana Democrat., 1856-01-05
EXTRAvAHANCE.

| New Orleans Courier. Inc SUBJECT Is ono TINT
touches the pockets, but has a'powerful mau.
encc upon the morals of the people. The re
marks are eminently judicious and well timed
because truthful and necessary Exttavasauce
! is ono Of the greatest curses of the present
day. Read, reflect, and resolve to do better,
at this fitting and appropriate period, the I'd.
vent Of the New Year. .a.,1asT y7q,s Nf 80
As dark as the political state Of thA
country now presents, with black rcpublt
licanism urging It's treason in the NorN
and with secret political societies threaten.
ing mischief in every quarter, the 'socii
state Of the country is scarcely less discvv
raging. u E3IySIIOHf ,SqaiD
There can be no Disgusting the fact, that
immortality Of every kind is rapidly inces
sing. Journals from every section teen
with details of crimes Of oil descriptions
which seems to show thatall the scoundrcls
in the land ore striving to Outvie each oths
in rascality. Laws arc losing their, pro
tective and restraining power; time honor.
ed principles arc ignored institutions de
signed for public benefits are perverted b
subserve the avaricious schemes Of spccul,.
tors examples Of infdclity are being 90
frequent as to shake the confidence ncccssa.
~ in the transaction Of business marris
gcs are dissolved on trilling prctcxts, asd
societies for the promotion of universally L.
cense are tolerated. N Ky Nh
Among the prominent vices of the day,
that of extravaganza does not appear 10
meet with its due share Of attention, nor to
receive deserved ccnsurc. But to an attcn
tive and observing foreigner, this would
show itself at once to be Onr great nation
al vice, drawing many others in its trail
We see evidence of it wherever we vtnm
our eyes. The rich, whose wealth enables
them to initiate the absurdities of European
aristocraey, are the most to blame for set
ting bad example to their poor neigh
bors. They may themselves be able to pay
for all their luxuries without directly harm.
ing any one, but the indulgence in cxtas
agancc, resulting, as may easily he proved,
in injury to others. is immoral if it does
not deserve the harsher cpithet Of dshor
est. ..sf ,.-.-,a,. .4..... s. AL. I5,,s,. 81,
But, we may be asked, would you n
strain the wealthy from using their wealth
as they choose ?" BY no means. The lay
gives to them the use Of their own, but
still we may express the wish that they
were endowed with SO nice sense Of pro.
priety, so correct notion of morals. and
such an enlarged public spirit as to refrain
from an extravaganza which initiates di
rectly against public morals and is under.
mining the power and stability cf the
country. Tr
This ostentatious extravaganza, in hous
es, equipagcs, dress, and sumptuous fare, BY
those who can make the necessary ontlay
without inconvenience, has its numerous
imitators amongst those who are obliged 10
resort to dishonest dealings in order TO pro.
vide the means o. making similar display.
While European princes are aped by our
own people of fashion, the latter have Their
mimics who will sacrifice anything in order
to obtain the means of useless indulgence.
, Every day we hear of some merchant who
is obliged to compromise with his creditors
!, by paying them only small portion Of his
! debts In ninetcnths Of such cases, tbe
7 failure will be found to originate from Tho
extravaganza of his family, who areitrying
to ape the bad example Of their aristocratc
neighbors. Extravaganza is at the bottom
of all those immense swindling schemes in
which the basencss Of robbery is soughtto
be covered up under the mantle of inar
ceering or stockjobbing, while the brilliar
cy of the plotting usually suffers to cover
! up the guilt of the criminal. Extravs
gancc is at the bottom of all those disgrace
full struggles for fayors from our govetn'
ment aad of all the plans laid to rob The
public treasury. On the other hand there
is not one low thief in fifty but steals to CO.
/, able him to indulge in extravaganza.
Take the abandoned females who throg
our cities, and it will be found in most r
stances that the adoption of their loath
some course of life is the result of an inor
dinate passion for ostentatious dress, inhr
9 itation of the members of fashionableo 80
ciety" Of their own sex who Aaunt in thef
gaudy trappings With little more taste than
themselves. But the fashions must bepf
e lowed, at whatever cost Of virtue or hor
: esty. = i'''l ( s. "'i tA"J 4@ ~
!, Take the case of those clerks who rop
)I their EMPLOYERS. the few that are diSCOvf