Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-03-25


What we don't believe is that the world is bit
worse than it used to be in the good old times " Meth
er DO we believe that it is much better spite of the
wangs of grumblers one haad or the jubilation of
BuncombeS on the other over modern degeneracy or the
glories OF the nineteenth century, the may be-
No student of history think for moment that
morals used to be more pure Or politicians patriot
&c than they now In these respects there has been
but little change, but what change there has been may
be put to the credit side of the account If virtue has
not advanced at least decency has, IT. as is possibly
The case, certain proportion of evil must have if
In all ages human passions will have their vent in one
way or another it is desirable that this should result in
as little public scandal possible In this respect the
present age far superior to former times ncomparaby
so to that preceding the American Revolution when
England dsgraced by the grossness of the first
Georges and France by the denominations of Louis the
Fifteenth. Take the literature of England from the
toration of Charles the Second down to comparative
y recent PERIOD and the improvement in manners, if
not in morals must be apparent. There is little doubt
that there has been an improvement in both respects
When "developement'' is made in own country
at the present day. the sensation presses make the most
of it, and that all mankind corrupt and nearly
all fashionable women fahless. The fact is, that the
sort of people among whom these things always
have supplied instances like unto the famous Sickes
case and the like. Even the Revolutionary days had
their struggles their eaousies their back billings, their
selfshness, their Tories and at least one Benedict
Arnold.
Human nature is weak, very weak, liable to tempta-
ton, subject to the movements Of passion not all angel
but very much mortal and fallen mortal too Its desire
Of acquisition sometimes gets the better of it. Its pas
sons sometimes overmaster it, they always have done
but this tribute at least the present age pays to virtue,
that it would not dare to avow motives that were
unblushingy acted upon in times gone by
If cleanliness is next to Goodness surely modesty and
propriety next to virtue and great aduncts thereto
All the world may not be free, the millennium yet
arrived still the popular will has gained power and
rulers forced to conciate popular feeling even in
Russia and Turkey. Louis Napoleon, powerful as he
is would not be insane enough to say Louis Four
tenth did" The State-that is me-"
Extravaganza is said to be the besettng sin of the
age. But such has always been the cry Perhaps ex-
travagance has taken somewhat different shape from
what it used to But let us turn to the good old times
and remark the extravaganza of the closing part of the
last century, which ruined many of the fine old
Irish gentlemen" whose family estates have passed
away under the blows of the encountered court Or look
ing at home, to the high old first families of Vr
gna scattered and impoverished by the prodigaty of
carousing, ox-hunting, cardpaying ancestors. Will
not the recollections of many old citizen recall a
good many such instances in generation not long pass
ed away even from the said old commonwealth of North
Carolina?
The peculiar excess of the day, that against which
ern the press and the lions in the fable were no scup
tors so as rule, with few hardly noticeable excep-
tons, the women neither writers nor journalists
From the author of" Nothing to Wear" down to the
veriest tyro of village newspaper, Miss Flora McFm-
sey and her coDgeners share the honors of abuse with
venal politicians meaning, in nine out of ten,
successful aspirants This is no new thing, however,
any one may find by perusal of Smolet's beautiful
work of Humphrey Clrker, where he introduces the
case of the wife Of barone rivaling in show the equip
age of Duchess wealthy Squiress rvaipg lady of
baronet, less wealthy squiresses rivang her and so
on until half the husbands in county are ruined
This is natural. Men have many to distinc
tion-women but one that OF social display, which so
many construc to mean extravaganza.
Upon the whole, we think we are not much better and
not much worse than we used to be. Outside crcun.
stances change but the good and evil of the old Adam
and the old Eve remain with their descendants with
little difference from age to age, and will continue
long as the world lasts.