The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-01-23
Tgs fslitiana Democrat.
MORAL AND SOCIAL DECLENSION.

dress recently delivered before the University
of North Carolina, uses the following Ian.
gnugc we have need to address ourselves
with all our patriot sm, to the cure of great
social defects and evils in education, morals
manners, which We have suffered everywhere
TO run to waste. We have become nccommo
dated to the lowest standards in all these re-
spects going down, by natural process o
degradation, until church, State, society, poll
tics, morals education manners have all be-
come chaotic, rude, reckless, mean, evasive and
desperately selfish. Corruption in political
bodies must always argue II general corruption
in society ; and, where this political corrup
ton has grown. as in Congress, so reckless OF
shame and exposure, it argues society every.
where to be in a condition Of utter overthrow
and dsintegration"
The stern truth of these damaging confes.
sions will be admitted by all who have lived
long enough to compare the present condition
of American society with what it was quar-.
ter of n century ago. 1t is manifest enough
that within the period referred to, we have
gricvously declined not only in manners and
morals but also in pure patriotism. We as.
cribe this declension to the increased influence
which demagogues have been permitted to
WELD throughout the Union, through the care.
lessncss of the active, business men of our COM
munity and to the never ending demands made
upon the leisure of the latter by the rapid
spread of population, by the wants of con.
stantly expanding trade and by reason of the
numerous avenues opened to fresh markets
through the vast system of railroad communi.
cation which modern science has perfected.
But whilst we point with just pride to our
material prosperity, notwithstanding the lets
and hindrances or occasional panics and crisis
from over speculation, we have great reason to
dcpore the sectional disputes that have arisen
in the meantime to lower the standard Of eli
gibity now accepted in the candidates for
public Office and the corruptions that have
grown out Of our social disorganizations.
Living in perpetual ferment, and harrassed
by feverish excitement, that brings with it
prccocious manhood, and premature old age,
our prominent merchants, in their eager grasp
for that personal consideration, which, in the
absence of other distinctions, wealth alone is
supposed to command, forget but too often that,
.as citizens, they have other duties to perform
on which the safety of the common wealth in a
large measure depends. 1t is foolish to sup.
pose that the evils produced by what is tri-
umphantly termed =" Progressive Democracy"
will work out their own cure. The conscrya.
tive elcmcnt-that glorious quality which was
the distinguishing characteristic of the old
Wing party-is the only one by which the
constant tendency of a Democracy to a level
could possibly be countcrbalanced, but it has
lost much of its ancient vigor, and is now but
too frequently heard only in vehement and
short lived protests, when it should be felt in
powerful action. For long time past we
have been circling the edges Of whirlpool
and every succeeding year is bringing US near
er to the vortex. The rash speculative spirit
which now threatens to involve the country in
serious disaster, is but one Of the phases by
which our social depreciation is characterized
If that fine sense Of honor still pervaded
our community which was cherished by the mer-
chant princes of other days, and which still
operates as a safeguard in many Of the older
European communities, we might reasonably
hope to escape the painful fluctuations to which
we are now exposed, and to maintain that i'm
plicit confidence in the integrity of those with
whom we are brought into business contact,
which is now so frequently and so widely sha-
ken.
No one doubts the ability of our people to
acquire wealth by simple prudence. and careful
industry. The fields of enterprise are so ma.
ny and so various, and the opportunities so
perfectly transparent, that it needs only com.
mon caution and II steadfast persistence to
place any man. of more than ordinary intclIi.
gencc, N comfortable circumstances But we
have never yet learned the virtue of that ex-
eeIlent maxim which admonishes us to make
haste slowly" On the contrary, we have com.
pounded q word which has become popularized
as go.allaaiatiyeness," and obeying the sng.
gestions Of impulse, rather than those of right
reason, have plunged rccklessly into ali man,
ner OF extremes Rest, as the cessation of la.
Dor, we almost wholly disregard. The day is .
given up to its manifold cares, and the night
TO arranging plans for the morrow
If men, when the usual hours for business
are over, could throw aside their troubles and
perplcxites, and enjoy themselves in such du
ties as become worthy citizens and estimablc
heads of families--if they were SO to limit their
labors and their expenses that they should be
free from those terrible alterations of hone
and fear, by which physical health is now SO
frequently prostrated--if they would give to
society its social dues, and to their respective
homes that supervision which exacts from the