Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-07-03

1--WE were asked TO describe Che
present sge BY it. chief characteristic,
We should pronounce it the age Of
humbug. We are By no means blind
to it, masy sterling merits and advsst-
ages. We know that in some things,
il 10 in advance Of any preceding age.
We are quite conscious, too, that it 10
animated by large amount Of genu-
inc earnestness, both in thought and
action. But sham in oil forms and
ways-sham in social life, in commerce
and trade, in politics, art and letters,
and so on. to the end Of the chapter, is
the prevalent trait of the times. We
cannot turn in any direction, without
meeting with forgery and counterfeit
ing, imposture and deception. In low
and iu high, in material and in spirit
ual matters, the presence Of hypocrisy
and falsehood Is visible. 1t would take
too much tine and space, though It
would be very easy task to enumer-
ate the instances in which the empiri.
cism Of our day has grown up and
prospered beyond all previous example.
Suffice to say here, that oil quacks and
quackery abound in church and State,
IN private and public life, in the prac-
teal and speculative pursuits and con-
Germs of the world. The evil has got to
such a pass, that implicit faith in
anything seems to have vanisbed away
from the earth. Cheats and frauds
have become so common and universal
that every body is on the lookout for
them-cvcry one 10 10 continual fear
of being "sold," or taken ill.," to use
the vulgar phraseology which has
literally sprung out Of the pathological
necessities of this era of false pretence
and deceitfulness. Society is like
juggler's show, with this notable differ
ence, that all of US are mountebanks,
in one way and degree or another, and
are perpetuslly cheating and being
cheated. Spuriousness and falsity are
the rule; genuineness and truthfulness
the exception. The art of the world
seems to have achieved its highest
development in the faculty Of substitu-
ting the unreal for the real-the shad-
ow for the substance. Almost every
thing we eat and drink is adulterated.
Even our medicines are not pure. The
structures we dwell in are getting to be
little better than card houses or finder
boxes. Inc furniture is all plated
and veneered, aud is palmed off for
solid oak aud walnut, silver and gold.
Our social manners are, likewise, but .
thin gliding of courtesy and decorum,
covering up all sorts Of baseness and
turbulence, treachery and uncharitable-
ness. Our morality and religion, which
we think so exalted and immaculate,
are to sad and fearful extent nothing
but pinchbeck-which, however, pass
es as currently aud serves its purpose
as well, as the tawdry jewellery ofpaste
and brass with which the prostitute
virtue and lespectability of the day
bcdeck and bedlzzcn themselves.
But what is most amazing in all this
thing is, that the game succeeds 80
well. 1t really seems as if mankind
had acquired passion for shams, and
take delight in being humbugged.-
Show, and pretention, and putfery
carry the day against modest worth
and honesty in al! matters, great or
small, intellectual or mechanical
Signs and labels. and trade marks and
flash advertisements, have got to be
the essential elements of our mercan-
tile success, and kindred means are
alike popular and potential in gaining
professional advancement, renown and
wealth in science and art and letters,
respect and position in fashionable life,
and place and power in politics. Natu-
rally enough, IN this state of affairs,
reputation is put in the stead Of char
acter. What we seem, or what we
are reported to be, is mistaken for
what we are. The rogucs and charla-
tans of the world, through bold for
warduess and mendacity, thrive and
flourish, while solid, yet retiring merit,
starves in obscurity and out of this H.
deserved triumph, opulent vulgsrity
and ignorance are fast getting deci-
} dcd dominance in American society to
the exclusion, if not extinction, of true
nobility of nature, lofty intellectual
talents and attainments, and high
moral culture and breeding. Our social
/, life, in word, is being rapidly demon.
. allied and degraded by the wrctched
parvenuism and snobbishness that gain
the ascendant wherever what consti.
tutes the genuine arristocracy of 8
community, Pays court to the mere
trappings Of gentility, ard the afecta
tons Of taste and refinement, with
which upstart wealth can surround and
magnify itself. 1t is seen to beso easy
to succeed at anything by all sorts O
clap-trap and fraud. and success is sc
. coveted for the purely worldly ends i,
may secure, that slow-plodding and
humble honesty is ceasing to be Of any
, account in this fast age, aud trick
, cry Of all kinds is superseding it,
, Bogus" saving funds, wild cat" banks
quack doctors, pettifogging lawyers
; pot-house statesmen a " flash" clergy
> with splendid --churches, fashionabl.
congregations and princely salaries
militia colonies and majors, and scien
ti6c professors, without any right t.
their titles; gentlemen, rakes aud lib
crimes, in the best society, and ladies
to match sensation lecturers on art
!; literature, morality and religion
!. videlicit, the Spurgeons and Beechers
Sucy Stones and Harriet Blackwells