Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-03-05
THE QUAKEhS.

THE resolution of the members of the Society
of Friends to relax the stringency of their stan
dards concerningIplainness of apparel and plain
ness CT speech is not nearly so important in q
practical sense here as in the north Ct England,
where the body is so influential. The original
object Of the Quaker mode Of dress was to fix on
that form of costume which should mark the wea-
rer's simplicity and mcdesty Of character by being
the least conspicuous and discernible that could be
put on. The consequence, however, of adhering
with pertinacity to the letter of the first arrange.
ment. and refusing in the slightest degree to yield
to the varying currents of fashion and haoit among
men, has been, that. by degrees the garb chosen
for its ordinaryness hos become signally conspic.
uous and extraordinary. OF a like tenor is the
history of the heeing and houing. Men Of sober,
and, let US admit, so far sound and correct taste
took umbrage at the fashionable euphemisms and
Alterations of the age, and at the ambitious litera.
ry effects which were embarrassing the plain En-
glish tongue with tropes and pleonasms. The rule
adopted by them was one Of perfect simplicity-to
speak in good grammar and use no useless words.
But forms Of grammar are liable to change, be-
coming first obsolete and next i~llegitimate, until
the good grammar Of one century is the bad gram.
mar of another, and in the mouths of the great
grandsons of those who adopted it for it's good.
ness and simplicity, it becomes conspicuous for its
badness and affe ,tedness. Those who would be
simple in mere human institutions must 20 in
some measure with the world remembering that the
makers of all Of them are but men with imperfect
capacities. II is like an assumption Of infal.
libility to maintain the handiwork of our own i'm
perfect faculties as absolutely right, and those Of
the multitude as absolutely wrong. Nor are these
peculiarities of the surface all that occurred to re.
mind our friends that they could not raise them.
selves on q solid platform far above the sins and
lollies of mankind. They had their share OF
these, which have presented themselves in all the
more grotesque and sometimes formidable an as
pect from the antagonistic elements among which
they have developed themselves. No external
crust Of broad brim or brown cloth could keep
pride, and vanity, and love of wealth and power
-uot to speak of the grosser feelings of human
ity-from entering The Quaker heart; and wher
they got into that guarded sanctuary, they made
wild work in it. Towards a class of men, how
ever, whose general characteristics have been no
b.eness and goodness, we are not going to take thu
ungracious task Of casting up against them thu
deeds of those sinful brethren who have reminded
them from time to time that they are not entirel,
removed above the level Of the rest Of mankind
The grotesque shape in which it has been founC
necessary for those who kept themselves SO rigid
~ apart from the ordinary forms of human vanit,
and weakness to yield to these failings, when the,
did yield, is a more legitimate and less unchari
table subject for animadversion and we propos
to conclude with q characteristic little anecdote
not generally known. but to be found in a curiou
book of the last century, called Douglass DescriI
ton Of the East Coast Of Scotland. 1t relates t
+ Barclay of Mathers, the father of the Apologis|
, who had been a colonel under Gustavus Adolphu,
but become Quaker in his old days. The deseeu
dant Of a fierce race, which in lator days produces
a Russian field marshal and an English pugilisi
the colonel had strong, hot blood in him.
ueighbor, trusting too implicitly to the restraint
of the order. was found encrOaching on Barclay
marches. lie argued about justice and rropert,
10 vain. The neighbor determined to support hi
encroachment by force, ana brought q follower T.
the spot. Barclay also went thither with some o
his people, and. marching forward with grim sere
nifty. said. Friend | have long since renounce,
the wrathful principle and wish not to quarrel will
} thee but, If thou pe%rsistest, perchance thou mays
!, arouse the old Adam within ME, and | warn the,
that he may prove too strong both for me. and FOL
thee" This ominous warning of the colonel
continued liability to the f%railties OF the flesh wa,
prudsatly noted and acted on.--Scotsman.