The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-02-09

ed by yourselves, and without any request
from us, and yet you seem to have entire
ly Ignored it in your article. By your in
serting that phrase we supposed that you
saw some amiable feature, in the card
playing and dancing of this village, which
we have not been able to discover, and as
you are by experience no doubt well quail
fled to testify ON this point, we have
hoped you would have set forth some of
the peculiar beauties of those practices in
this place.
We feel disposed to ask why you inser
ted the pLrase-"a s practiced by the peo-
pie of this village" Was it intended as
caution to ruthless hand, that were liable
to crush or spoil beauties that lie half con-
cealel by their own modesty? In speak
ing on this subject we had classed the card
playing and dancing of River Falls along
with the same practice in other communi-
ties, bat we. are given to understand that
they do not belong there. Indeed one
of the gentlemen who challenged US to de-
bate this question, declared he was OPP
posed to these amusements as they gen
orally prevailed, but was in favor of them
as they were practiced here. But the read
or Of this discussion, may please omit in
reading this little piece of intelligence as
confidential, for the gentleman who took
this position, is the same that told us that
there was excitement in the community
| on the subject, about which this discussion
is going on, and he did not write it and
/ of coursei it must not come into this discus
sion. We only desire to tell in this con-
fident;al way, how we were led to suspect
that some concealed beauties, were lying
hid behind that cuatain. cas- practiced in
this village" We hope the the curtain will
be withdrawn in the progress of this dis
cussion.
But we may suggest that it was I'M
fortunate for the logic Of your article, that
you suffered this little qualifying phrase
to drop out of your promises.
By that sad oversight the underpinning
| Of your whole structure is loose and dam
gerous as a foundation. Suppose we
were to admit all, and even more than
you claim to have proved, viz: professors
Of religion who pray, &C., and that the
chmch of England &c, do sanction these
amusements astaught and practised scien-
tifcally by them and that dancing has been
practiced by religions persons and SO on
to the end of your augmentation; and
then admit what you do not claim to have
proved, that these amusements as so prac-
ticed were innocent; that does not prove
that they are so, as practiced by the pco
pl' Of, this village. But you may feel
oblie ed to us for pointing out this broken
link in your logic. 1t may lead you to
to make stronger chain by proving
hem right in those cases and then for
tori they must be praiseworthy as prac-
ticed by the people of this village.
We.confess we admire your Bible argu-
ment and think you have decided talents
or biblical Investigations. We hope
you will turn your attention more to such
studies. You have produced quite
number of ,sos of dancing, which are re-
corded in the Bible. Miriam danced, all
the women with her danced. And ada
yid danced before the Lord with all his
might"
And when the prodigal son repcnted
and came to his fathers house saying. 81
have sinned against heaven and in thy
sight" there was dancing for JOY because
the son that twas dead is alive, was lost
and is found" But you will notice one
peculiarly in all this dancing. 1t was in
each case, evidently a religious exercise,
dane NJ before the Lord, DC. To this all
the commentators agree, SO for as we are
able to examine, unlsss we except our
friends Cox, Morse, and Taylor. But
dancing as religious exercise is just that
sort which you expressly do not advo-
cate. You advocate that sort that is 'snot
calculated to develop the religious ele-
ments in mans nature any more than it
would to hold the plow, jump rope, row
a boat or toss ball"
H Again, this Biblical dancing was prac-
tieed by Miriam and her friends some
three thousand three hundred years ago,
and by David some two thousand eight
hundred years ago. It is quite evident
then, that the people of this village did
not join in those dances which you have
c.tcd, aud the dancing which they do
practice is of different kind. And the old
Bible dancing isjnst the sort that you do
not advocate. Why then bring it for
ward to prove the propriety of dancing
Gas practicel By the people Of this vi