The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-10-04
BALTIMORE.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1859.

active. Having redressed already, as it fondly
thinks, the evils of political state it has found
in our social condition a new field. and has
therein gone vigorously to work to root up the
tareS OF vice and SOW the seeds of virtue. As
striped tickets are to be prohibited at the polls, so
polkas, redowas, mazourkas, and the German are
to be banished from the bathrooms. The disgust
and anger with which our neighbor regards these
festive amusements it expresses in the strongest
terms, and describes them in language too free
and glowing to be used, or even quoted, by any
save those whose regulations as rigid moralists
are thoroughly established. We propose to take
no part in this movement, and will couch no
lance against the wind-mills, whose strange
motions so alright the soul of our sedate con-
temporary. But we shall not begrudge it the
honor 1t may win, nor detract from its meritori-
Gus services, if success should crown them. When
the hated Ground dances" as it terms them. are
abolished for ever, and more sober measures are
substituted for the giddy and bewildering whrl
when Is now the chief feature in the curious rites
That the dervishes of fashions temple celebrate
we shall laud the great reformation; and when
we behold THE american amid the gay and
minuet, or tripping through the PAGES of the
sprghty coranto, it shall have our heartiest con-
CALCULATIONS its triumph. But we must dis
sent at the outset from some of the arguments
and illustrations by which our reformed friend
seeks to enforce its views 1--WE shall mt the
ease" it says, strongly, but fairly" and it
then proceeds to divide the people who defend
these dances into pdrUenues and poodles It de-
picts little domestic scene, the actors in which
are supposed to be accurate types of the men and
women who habitually witness or indulge in
round dances" The Gold people" as thew
are sometimes irreverently called, are repre-
scented as having begun life in humble cir
cumstances-which is sad-but are now ahont
to enjoy it, the 'large property" which the
industry of ''paterfamilias'' has accumulated
enabling them to do so, and this part of the
story we like better. 1t is a good, virtuous
and respectable pair, or rather would be
such, but for two awful failings that must in
evitably weigh them down forever in the estima-
ton of the swell educated and well bred.n They
have natural weakness for display, and thew
tolerate ''round Dances" wherefore they are Int
fools compared to those ascetics who have no
taste for the Injuries that wealth commands. and
are desperately wicked in the eyes of those who
disapprove of the polka. But why, most worthy
monitor? ''Because thou art virtuous, shall there
'be no more cakes and ale''?
Mr.. and Mrs. X, the much abused couple re-
ferred to-
are not anxious to make fools of themselves or their
cuen ont they are determined to do what other rich
people do and do as well or better IF other rich
people dress spenddy they and their children dress
the mark of wealth, Mr.. Y. will have themn
Now suppose this family, for which we confess,
we entertain high regard have honestly come
by more money than they well know what TO do
with, why should they not indulge in 'sfine
'horses and magnificent vehicles" Suppose they
live in most excellent house, keep a sumptuous
and hospiable table, dispense most bounteous
charities and take The american, and having thus
fulfilled every social duty, some thousands still
remain ON hand out of their annual income why
should they drive carryall forever, or be dragged
for the remainder of their lives by two spiritless
hacksf Does every good merchant and planter
VINO hnds fault with the KS, give all his surplus
revenues to the poor? If not, it might as well be
spent as be boarded in bank stocks. 1t is per-
haps better to live literally and die worth hum
dred thousand dollars, than to keep unneeded
hundreds out Of circulation, and leave the world
to criticise will which disposes of half million.
But the next group which the fertile fancy of our
austere neighbor has portrayed claims attention
maiden and youth" appear, but not in the
guise IN which BYRON pictured his "two beings"
Here they are precisely as the saturnine imagina-
nj lit
I'VE will suppose Mr.. and Mrs Y to be at home En-
terlng the parer of their fine house. they discover
their eldest daughter handsome sprighty girl of six
teen standing the polished uncarpeted floor She is
not alone In close proximity is seen miserable carrie
AZURE of humanity, The is an exact copy of
taors print Its clothes of the latest and of per-
ect nt It's hands are goved, its feet shine in patent
leather Its abundant hair properly creased and eIabo
Iatey cured parted most nicely the centre of its
nape OF its neck From its jaws hang shaggy whiskers
Its shirt bosom has many horizontal paits Its expires
sion is conceted, its demeanOr impairment Is il I'M
man peng or French poodle?''
This is a fine specimen of the descriptive power
and keen satire of our ally, and we think we can
see the twinkle which quivered in the writer's eve
as the handsome, sprightly grip arose before it,
and the scornful curl of his nose as he summoned
up the dandy. How those stiff old Puritan nil
grims who thought man with long hair was
being too abandoned to be entitled to considera-
ton, and that for the woman who wore lace no
epithets were too harsh or disparaging, would
have frowned in grim disapprobation had they seen
the image OF this representative dancer of our
timel How they would have appauded the on
slaught now made upon his style and habit
But alas it against notions like theirs
that the sinners rebelled always, and not only
managed to hold their own, but even converted
some good folks to their way of thinking Per-
haps the same results may occur in our day,
should these old theories be detected in the
vamped-up propositions of our new reformers 1t
will be difficult to persuade this generation that
we-dressed youth is necessarily fool, or that he
is q Fbertine because he wears whiskers and parts
his hair "most nicely" On the contrary, people
have long since become satisfied that the feet
which ''shine in patent leather" NAV walk as
steadfastly in the path of duty and of danger as
those which are protected by pegged brogans; and
that the hands which are sometimes ''gloyed.'
have not unfrequenty struck the blows or patient
iy wrought out results which have changed the
destinieS of nations. 1t is wiser and peradven-
ture, manlier, to judge of the intelligence and in
tegrity of men rather by their lives and converse
tons, than by their 'tshirt bosoms' and ''shaggy
'whskers." If all who indulge even to excess
in these harmless vanties are simply to be ranked
with "French poodles, - it may occur to those who
are fond of classification to select from the canine
race such species as adequately represent all the
varieties of stupid and unkempt humanity, and it
will not tend to bring US nearer to the moral and
shaver condition, towards which the new reform
points, if we treat all the inoffensive
people who differ from us as fools or ours. We,
therefore, suggest that while our neighbor strives
to square the circle of the waltz and put down the
'loathsome German, F." he shall let Mr.. and Mrs.
y. spend their own money in their own pleasant
way, and suffer "the miserable caricature of bu-
"manity' to pass in peace to and from his tailors
THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE IN LouIstANA.-Tbe
Echo, paper published at Lafayette, Louisiana,
draws the following picture of the condition of
society v hich led to the organization there of a
Vigilance Committee:
"For several years, in that portion of our parish
known by the name of Cote Gelee. lar