Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-03-23
American Society.

0LA1AAOah OOC4tGy'
In this country we can hardly be said to
have a distinct phase Of society, truly Amcri-
can. Our population is so mixed, that the
style which we appropriate to ourselves, the
american people, is almost a misnomer.-
Yet, there arc portions Of our vast country,
where society is made up entirely Of Ameri-
can elements, and where those characteristics
Of habit and manner predominant, which en-
title it to the American name In the rural
districts of our country, where religion and
education have difused their influences. and
where simplicity, industry and n cheerful
competency abound, you will find it, in its
highest, best state. Its prominent features
arc irankness, u~ndisguised honesty, true hos
pitality and friendship, and a ready will to
make an honest man feel at home. All his
is the natural outburst of yeon:an hearts.
But unfortunately il is not to be found in
our larger cities. There, TO a true American
heart, all is foreign and unnatural. Modes Of
business, social intercourse, pastimcs, amuse-
mcnts, dress, furniture, architecture. crave
assemblies, morals or religion, all are STRANGE.
still, foreign; forcing out from all classes Of
society almost every yCstige that is American.
strange to say, although France has fewer of
her population mixed up with ours than anv
other foreign country of easy access vet
Paris, at this moment as entirely controls and
governs society in our large cities. as she
docs any city Of France.
Yes, we blush to admit it, the most infdel.
immoral nation OF this babbling earth. is ON
nipotent in its influence upon the American
people especially that portion conarccated
in our largo cities. Our STYLES Of dress fur
niture and c~quirsge mrst lie Partisan. 4
shoe, n hat, n dress, n clcGk, a crinoline. q
collar, every thing from top to bottom, must
be French. Our tablc-talk, or street r~ccogni-
ton must be q IL Paris. Parties, balls or
private circles for conversation must be of
the same stamp. Etiquette, which we have
always been so foolish as to import, can no
longer be endured, unless from Paris. Hence
IN company, or at q party or ball, the wife and
daughters Of a gentleman, must he given up
for the hour to the whining, fawning atten-
tions of a whiSkcred, mustached fop or rake.
and he must 90 in quest Of another mans
wife or daughters to iawn around and rondIe.
Out upon it. Our old Saxon blood curdlcs at
such a degradation, such a ~scrvilc trucklino
to a people, a nation, a city, whose very at
mosphero is contaminated with moral poll1.
ton and whosc oorruptious call for the ven
geancc of God.
And alas! our schools, the nurseries of our
sweet boys and girls, whose halls and cham.
bers should be the rcccptacles of all that is
pure and lovely and of good report, arc be
coming tainted with the vile cfIuvia Of French
manners and habits, which from thence mus
be mixed up with the simple manners of ouI
people, even in the rural districts.
What is to be the result of this conuptin,
influence, time alone can reveal. Nor are tn
morals and habits alone of our people, to b
damaged by it. This is doubtless its vors
feature but perhaps our people, who though
vastly initiative, have yet remaininga deal Q
old English prudence and sinister feeling, ma,
yet see and feel the evil Of all this. when the,
begin to calculate the enormous load Of OK
travagance, which like an avalanche is Over
whelming them from this source, in bank
ruptcy and ruin. Thomas Jefferson ono
wished that the Atlantic was a sea of fire
to protect America from foreign influence
hhe felt the necessity Of it in that day, hoy
much more now, when every breeze tina
blows across the Atlantic, comes frcightc
with fresh manaclcs to bind America to tn
wheels Of a car more destructive and ruinou
than that Of Juggcrnaut.