The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-03-31

bess religion y that which best promotes
the harmonious development OF oil the pos.
err; that man con be ct once religious
and have common sense that We cannot
worship God seceptably BY turning our
backs upon hiSuuivese; thsttodssy nature
Is 10 deny God, that To shrink from Gods
world and cover 10 gloomy and selfish mo
nastieisrn is an Atheism scarcely les mon
s,rous than the impioas Reputation Of Jehe-
yah himself
Far from regarding dancing ~ Inherently
vicious. Mr.. MILL admits thu: IN it, natur-
al and inartfcisl state, it is not only limo
cent bat eminentIy wholesome. 80 liberal
are his concessions upon this head that il
10 difficult to reconcile the conclusions TO
which be is led. philosophic reasons with the
conclusions to which be Is led Q little farther
on, from ecclesiastical reasons.
After showing the universAlity Of dane
log in oil ages and among all nations, he
says:
What leads to the prevalence Of dancing, In
modern days, Is query that now arisesf In
tbs first place We remark. that emotions Of the
mind are frequently manifested by muscular
actions. The soul and body are closely united
They are In sympathy with each other. The
child in the intensity of his grief distorts his
body and wrings his hands, while he who Is
happy At the thought Of release from the lily
! ventilated school room, cannot refrsin IRON
shnutlug and -kinnInu ahaul ha mi If kn
siness when detected moves slowly, with face
bent to the earth when animated by business
he maintains an erect position and moves with
quick and livelp step. A. the passer by liz.
tens TO the martial strains Of . military band,
there Ia tendency upon the part Of his mus
oles to assume certain positions. So excitAble
temperamenta when they are asse m bled In the
house Of worship or the mansion Of pleasure,
and feel their hearts full, are disposed TO leap
for Joy II was the sympathy Of the muscles
Of Miriam and her minstrels, with their minds,
that made them dance. II waa the same con
nection that made David dance before the ark.
| II " tho ssme thing, teat at camp meetings
| causes people to spring up and down and to
sing In luud tones. Nor IL there any harm In
these natural movements Of the body.
Every enlightened Christsn would be sorry
| TO see tho tender lambs cease from skipping
| upon the green play grounds, that God has pro.
yided for them, II would be 3 sad thing to have
tno vi tHe CHIiurtn Tepresteu. 70 tnht
they would move TO and fro with oil the sobri
ETY. Of their grandfathers. The dancing IN
ourbed by the dancing master, and unfsttsred
by any French or Italian rules, is not objection
able, for Il II spontaneous, and the offspring Of
| . cheerful heart.
Modern dane NJ is sometimes prsotissd. no
doubt, TO express tho joyful feelings Of the
dancers, but second cause OF Its prevalence
| IL because those who practise IL hope thereby
to create pleasant sensations. II Ia possible u
create emotions by making the muscles assume
tho expression peculiar 10 this or that state
Of mind burke. in his Treatise on the Sub
Lime and Beautiful. says: Il have ofteu observ.
ed that In mmckipg the looks and gestures of
angry. or placid, or frightened, or daring men,
have involuntariiy found my mind turned to
that passion whose appearance Iendesvored to
initiate.
II is plain, therefore, that Mr.. NEnLs
objections to dancing are not against the
thing itself, but, as be shows elsewhere,
against the mode in which il il performed,
and the tendencies Of the present practice of
dancing. The point apparently where it
ceases TO be inDocent, in bis opinion, is
where it ceases to be natural and becomes
artificial. tie does not condemn it in a mere
wording, but considers it improper 10 Q
protesting Christian. The gst Of his Oh
jectious seems to be expressed ia the title
page that 1t is AN undignihed amusement
for Il CHRISTIAN and in the sentiment Of his
text:
2 sam. d. ID And "a tho Ark Of the Lord
came into tho CITY OF David, Mchal, Saul's
daughter, looked through window and saw
King David lsapiug and dancing before the
Lord. aud she desplscd him In her heart.
The learned preacher. however, forgot to
give the sequel of the story, which was that
for the bad temper exhibited in this matter,
Mlcu>L was cursed with barrenuess.
". %. whsrcupon Mchai the daughter Of
saul had no child to the day OF her death.
A very significant comment on MIcuALs
anti Terspschoreau bercsies.
10 short, Mr.. Mill does not propose to
show why dancing is wrong, but rhy the
church Is opposed 10 H."
IL is curious to note the cxege,icaI pro-
c,ss by which the elements OF this not very
Mcld theory OF The lmpropfiety OF dane
ing, are gathered under the awful wing of
the church.
Reason |, The church does not approve Of
her members engaging In the fashionable
dance. because in the first place the Scriptures
do not sanction any such custom.
Now, with all respect for Mr.. Mill. We
must say that more udicrous ncn ssq,a,ur
could not well have been devised.
As far As We know, the scriptures contain
no express sanction for putting mustard on
cold ham--and We, in spite Of weI.defined
an,i-Porcine tendencies in the holy writings,
We know good many church members who
indulge in this practice without rebuke from
their Elders.
Nay. they ~ farther, and withou, being
anywhere authorised blythe Scriptures, eat the