The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-07-01
8egister
MID DLEB URY:
WEDNESDAY, JULY /, 1857


word ro'edy, and nothing more. But
when we have such an immense amount
Of the concrete, it lie but in the natural
course of things that we should begin to
form notions Of toe abstract. II is not
strange, then, that among all the isms of
the day, from Mormonsm to Rheuma-
tism, the popular language has assigned
q permanent place to rowdyism.
The two most important ingredients
in rowdy, are lawlessness and selfcon.
csit. Whether the trait is developed on
large case as in the case of Gen. Walk
er, Mayor Wood, and the Border Ruff
fans, or is exhibited in the more harm.
less displays OF youthful recklesspess, it
bears the same impress. These older
rowdies, who are making a strike for an
immortality of fame, and are making
their ro,cs matter of national history,
are but carrying out the principles with
which thousands of younger ones are ov-
erywhere imbued. They are acting con.
sistently in supposine that, if a disre.
gard of decency and morality can be
pardoned in a boy, much larger amount
ought to be pardoned in a man. If we
cannot countenance them, it becomes us
to consider what are our feelings with
regard to tho young rufians, young riot.
ers, and young fillibusters that are grow.
iug.up in myriads among us. For it is an
undeniable fact that the same spirit
which animates them and which coca.
sions such a fearful number of riots.
murders, and outrages, is extensively
prevalent, not onl y on those occasions in
which it obtrudes itself upon US, but at
all times, We see it trying to assert its
sway. We see it in the want Of respect
on the part of the young to the old in
a reckless disregard of sacred things,
and an Indifference to the majesty of the
law, The young rovdy must accustom
himself to use profano and obscene Ian.
guage with some degree of fueucy, and
take special delight in it when he knows
that it is specially offensive. He must
resent with spirit any Interference with
his liberties, and must not be sparing in
his insolenee to his superiors. He must
throw aside any modosty that may i'm.
pedo the free development and display of
his genius. He must not be shacklcd
by any squeamish scruples concerning
what is proper or reputable. He must,
with the murderer in Richard III, feel
with regard to little things at least, that
conscience els dangerous thing it
makes man e coward"
This is not overdrawn Examples of
this class Of per'Ons are plenteous Wo
are constantly seeing instances of this
lowness of principle affoctation of
shrewdness, and insuferabe self.conceit
There is everywhere displayed preco
city Of wickedness that points plainly to
some evil that ought to be rcmedied--
That this evil consists mainly in a dc.
fective early training is too obvous to
need proof Many children have never
known what it is to obey, Every within
has been gratifed every approximation
to smartness spplaudcd; every peculiar
ity Of disposition nursed, until insubor.
dination becomes a second nature and
selfshness a ruling principle. To cut
a swell" is the great object of life and
to this object, if need be, reason, law and
conscience must all give way.
We will not say that young men ought
not to SOW their wild oats; it would be
o difficult problem to determine how
much lawlessness ought to be overlook.
ed, on this ground but we are very sure
that the greater part of what passes for
wild oats is a spurious article. The
"honeSo u niooV Jouth 10 put ou III
does not work itself out. They consid-
err defiance Of the moral law as heroic
as resistance to an armed foe. To de.
clare themselves free from all subsection
to this, they regard as the most glorious
of all declarations of independence -
And SO it will be just as long as they
fud an encouragement from those who
might check them. When, in tho fami.
ly, in the street, in public places, in
schools and colleges, rowdy ism, instead
of being connived at as an evidence of
spirited character, is discountenanced
and made unpopular, then may we have
some hope that we shall not long be
characterized as a nation of rowdes
Ter rpu.rtONc Tho A marioane loyo