The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-04-09
OUR SOCIAL CONDTTION-THE LATEST NEW
YORK EXCITEMENT,

the mixed character of its constantly in
creasing population, displays itself not only
in the reckless energy which distinguishes
its business operations, but also in its social
characteristics. Tho wise man and tho fool;
the honest man and the knave; the mer.
chant and the specplator; the dandy and
the sloven labor, sloth, crime, liccntious-
ness, religion and inidoIity; are all jumblcl
together in that SETTLING cauldron of human
life, and each, in its turn, bubbles up to the
surface, and sometimes becomes a means of
pointing moral, and sometimes becomes
the theme of romantic narrative. Life in
New York is a fitful fevor, with its tempo
rary calms and its prolonged struggles aud
writhingi its sensible intervals, alternating
with dreaming or foolish wonderings, or
passionate outbursts. In that one city,
more than any other on the face of tho
globe, the world may be truly said to be
epitomscd. Representatives of all nations,
and I'll creeds, are there TO 10 found; and
there also tho basest crimes jostle tho no.
| blsst virtues.
In sach motley multitude as is congre.
gated together on tho Island of Manhattan
these violent contrasts were to be expected
and the consequence is, that an ever vary
ing succession of criminal mysteries and
social scandals afford, not only the people
of that city, but the whole Republic, with
topics for discussion or themes for dchorta-
| ton.
For a month or more, the journals were
filled with strange details connected with
the Burdcll tragedy. The Coroner's in
quest, conducted in an unusual manner, and
laying bare, with daring and shameless
hand, the privacies of life and character,
stipulated the morbid appetite to an extent
not cxceled by the most liccntious Of French
romances, and encouraged the publication
of rumors which gave additional spice to
the narrative by revelations damaging alike
to the victim, to the parties accused of put.
ting him to death, and to minor personages
either Immediately or remotely connected
with this terrible drama.
But replction came at length, and just as
.Ac src": public "a= tog::,Hiag 10 weary {.
the horrible repast, the table is cleared OF
the fragments, and the appetite is again
tempted Will: tic cakes and delcacies, the
wines and walnuts Of a little romance il,
private life, the dramatic persona of which
consist Of wealthy father, wiful young
lady, and an adventurous Irish coachman
In another column the last act of this trac
ic-comedy will be found recorded. We
call it tragc-comedy with reason, for how
ever the masses may sympatl,izc with tho
romantic young lady and her successful
suior, there can be no doubt that her pa
rents must be suffering intense anguish 70,
what at least they regarded rs the loss of q
favorIte child. around whom their affections
were tw;ncd, and for whom they had prob
ably anticipated brilliant future. What
ever others may do, we, for our own part
sympathise with these parents. The match
may turn out i'll or well {; but the crosse,
nature of the man leads naturally to tho
belief that the future of refined and sepsi.
tive woman, highly educated, and accus.
toned to every luxury her fancy cravcd
cannot be SO happy as in her sentimental
momcnts she has imagined it will prove
Cast loose upon the world-he to the exer
else of his rough labor, she to teach music
and the languages-Ihcir path through life
must be ono of sharp contrasts, and hers
especially of painful "reminiscences. Love
may do much to abate the pang-but even
love cannot compensate for the lack of that
intellectual accord which usually comes into
effectual play when passion subsidies and
reason rc-assumes the mastery. Lear, in
his desolation, wildly declarcs-
"Oh. sharper than serpent's tooth it is
To have tbankess child"
And many parent now lives on this
continent who has realized the truth of this
outburst of agony ON the part of the dis
crowned king. Disobedience to parents is
the clinging curse of the rising generation.
The old reverence for authority ha. depar.
ted. That beautiful harmony which once
existed among families is rapidly passing
away, and in its stead we have those clements
Of ipsubordination, which but too frequent.
~ lead boys into evil courses, and girls to
sacrifice themselves al the altar of ambition.
or to marry some rude clown with whom
they can have no sentiment in common
The fault doubtless lies, to some extent in
that wapt OF system which is all essential
to an appropriate home education, but it
also results, at least IN part, from tie OK.
treme freedom which pervades the body
polite, and occasionally tread. on the verge
of license. 1t is sad state of things. and