The weekly Columbian. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne Co., Cal.) 1856-1???, 1856-12-13


Our Social SYsrEM.-Thc San Francisco
Chronicle has made some very sensible remarks
in relation to the condition of society in Cali
forna:
In San Francisco. says the Chronicle, society
may be said to be progressing-not organized.
We have here the material-the intelligence and
virtue to build up a social system not to be ex-
celed by that of any city in the world but
still 1t is as yet crude and unshapen In our
.. gradual development and expansion into So
cai community, embracing all those delicate
checks and bailances-those amenities and grace
tul courtesies so essential to we'll regulated so
Getty reat care Is necessary ia order to pre-
vent 9th RAM cocruptiug Influences from creep
ing in and exercising an undue control Man
and Oh course we ipc}uda voman--is naturaily
q social being his II cpeud 1t extsignce is en-
tirely incompatible with tn .uiflu'ent Of his
9stinT .sol atjoD IT all tiuee erd under all
Circumstances q jarious 70 his nature render
ing him morosc aid inhu:lan, and oftentimes,
vie and wicked 1t is a trite but true quota
ton
1.-The heart hath tendrils like the vine.
That round anotlers bosom twinc"
In California society is yet in embryo. The
State is young and uudeyeloped. There has
been great want Of home-iuduence, the ties of
domestic l.f., and the ceu.enting power of wo-
man. San Francisco. however is in this respect
in advance o. the rest of the State. Here we
have all the clements ola cultivated community
long suldued and crushed, it is true, adj
yerse. and. We may add, uncivilized Influences
bat now untrammelled, and ready to be resolved
into compact social organization. There are
some things, or rather feelings. existing among
| US, whose operation, though natural enough. is
inimical to social development. Among these
We may notice, certain feeling of dstrust a
fear OF contracting unworthy acquaintance,
| arising from the fact that people here are from
ell parts of the world and know very little of
| each other. Ills desire for safety is natural.
and it ia right. but it may be and is 10 San Fran.
cisco, carried to such an extent as to degenerate
into seDfshn IS and sometimes inhospitality.
Hence the bold and prasuming are oftentimes
selfconstitnted social leaders and the monopoli-
zers of female society to the exclusion of others
who are more retiring by nature, aud perhaps
have more correct knowledge of social Ell.
quette acquired by education. This monopeliz-
ing principle is much carried out here we see
it in our parties and social reunions A stran-
ger must belong to the SET or his chance for
enjoyment is indeed limited
Now. OF course. sensible men care nothing for
being snubbed Ivy their Interiors; and conse-
quently tn" evil has grown without being no.
ticed Still it exists, and although individual
Cases are OF triHing import as principle it Sc
rously affects thu progress of Our social organi-
cation, and is detrimental to the development of
society upon correct principles. There are
other evils to which W might call attention.
We content ourselves with this one as an illus.
tration 1t Lay prove suggestive. 1t is of the
utmost importance that .any thing having bad
or perverting tendency should be thrown out of
our social system.