Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-02-10
pUYSI TRAININ
from the n. Y. Times

rom tne n. Il Times
We think it not at all improbable that the
.stsbI;shment of gymnasia at our two principal
ssqts of learning-Harvard and Yale-within
The Iss: few months, Is an event which, little
ttsntion as il excites, will influence the future
- the country a good deal more than the ''Or-
gaDization of the House" The political insti-
tytions of a nation have of course not little to
40 with its destiny; but the health and happi-
ness Of the individuals who live under them
bsye u great deal more. Constitutions and acts
Of Congress, and decisions of Courts are, after
all. but paper and ink. They owe, we were
going to say, all their real value to the mental
and moral characteristics Of the men who are
to obey them.
great many races and nations have had
just as good laws on paper as we ever had.
They had boasted systems of jurisprudence
more logical. more scientifically arranged, and
more comprehensive 1t is not in legislation
that we can ever hope 10 defy competition.
frenchmen, Mexicans, even Chinese, have all
drawn up codes which trained jurist would
pronounce superior TO the best efforts Of our
lawgivers; but whatever superiority we can
claim over our neighbors organized
community Is due, as we have already said, in
the main TO the mental and moral characters
tics of individual men and women; and no one
who knows anything Of the Anglo-Saxon races
can deny that these charsc teristics depend in
great degree-whether for their badne:s or
gV,dness-upon the hardness of our muscles
and the strength of our digestion. The Anglo
Saxon race-there is no use in denying it's a
most gluttOnOus race, has enormous appetites,
sud is not always Scrupulous in their grati6ca-
ten, but it is also the most industrious and
restless race in the world. There are no linn
i,s to the tasks it. imposes on its brain and
nerves. There are no men who undergo the
tremendous strain to which professional and
business men here, and still more truly in Eng
land. subject themselves. The New York
md
chant in the full blaze of success. is phe-
nomenOn such cannot be witnessed In any
other countries. The German plods nine hours
over his books, but he is never excited about
his work. He absOrbs slowly, but he is never
intensely agitated, is not devoured by a mer-
ciless ambition, or scourged by an Unsuitable
activity. The Frenchman, rs all the world
knows, is an exceedingly clever fellow, but he
Is the last man in the world utterly to scorn the
delights of the cafe, the salon, and the theater,
and the BOulevards, merely to live laboriOus
days. To find people to whom idleness il mis-
cry, to whom night brings no rest and morning
no respite. who spend their days in Court or in
offices, and their nights at meetings or lectures,
or over their books, or in the House of Com
mons, one must study the English race. Com
bine with this much devotion to law and physic,
8 and science, and theology and commerce this
feyerish thirst for the process which brings fame
and money, an appetite which is rotoriOusly
equal to al enormous amount of badly-cOOked
: fish, meat, vegetables and pastry, and it must
he confessed the result is an animal which il is
no easy matter TO keep in good health. We
have, in short, inherited the love of our Saxon
forefatherS for the good things of this life, but
have long lain aside the outdoor pursuits which
made them impregnable to the assaults of dys-
pepsia. Our pursuits are civilized and refined
but our hunger continues barbarian. We work
as If We were all nerves, and eat if we were
all muscle. What the result is we all know
. has been saved hN- he tIot
IDLE and wealthy aristOcracy has made out
door exercise, and the leisure that it REQUIRES
f'SHIOHHHe. We, having no such protection,
are falling victims to all the diseases known 10
pharmacy. The American women have already
succumbed, and owing to the exertions of pious
professors, the ignorant precautiOn of fond pa
rents, in early life AMI an insane devotion TO
money ma king IL after years. the men are on IL
edge Of the abyss of aliing into which their moth
ers and sisters have fallen All the influences
under which the student of the last generation
lived, taught him to associate muscle with row.
dyism, ruddy cheeks with cocktails. long wind
edness with profane swearing, and broad shoul-
ders with neglect Of the ordinances Of revealed
religion. TallnesS was the only sign of virtue
toierable and tolerated. Width and weight were
held to Indicate a steady tendency towards the
State Prison, and the model young man became
pale, lanky, dySpeptic, his only rational notion
on the subject OF health being contained in q
profound contempt for his own body, as the
author OF all his wretchedness. His desire was
to be all soul. But this generation, we are
glad To see, is at last beginning to recognize
the truth that if we seek to turn ourselves alto
gether into soul, we shall end by having the
poorest possible kind of article; that crushing
the body on behalf of the intellect is like i'm
proving wine by watering it-what You gain in
Volume You lose In strength; that the pale
slckly student may possibly win prizes in col
Iege. but that the hardy robust one is he who
Viii win most prizes in the world and that. in
snort. natural abilities and industry being
equal the man Is most successful who ut the
close of his career has digested most dinners
with least difficulty. The Count de Sepur
relates that the tOrtures of hereditary disease.
united with the pangs of fever, wrunc from the
great Napoleon, on one of the most critical
days IN his history, the exclamation that the
nrSt requisite of good generalship was good
health. JOIhini records that in his csl1,sS,
moment he adhered to the mayim which RI
own sun tsrinss had suggested, and we have No
<Souot that be would, if the occasion had arisen
- We extended It's application To every nursuit
~ ME Health IL daily becoming more and
nore condition of success The favored
aces In the struggle for life are On ho ,.Il
ban ever the healthy races. We bs~a hoae hoas
erisaing too long the absurd couoeit that
8 renee and machinery were doing away viii
necessity for physical strength. and that
VI mission henceforwsrd was TO devise and
nv auu Iulnk e are discovering hefora
Il too late, that even to think we'll He mus,
ave great deal besides brains.
nHClrEakNr on THE BoRpxR-Fouy Hu,5,.d
IN irmS-A letter from Little Os,oe R,,s.
univ, Mo In the Bates County Standard. which
paper states Is from a reliable source men
hs that there Is much excitement at Pari. linn
aeI IN, n, Il; on account Of an apprehended
nom hissourians and parties In KanSs
el'ef states that there Were four hundred men
- Ss., arms on Mine Creek near Or C;oodsont.
an assault by Hamilton Lands and
- Iuinof having reached them that these r,sn
uPiated hostiiities in retaliation for ths -
age committed on their friends ''''e
- C0i Meminger, Of South Carolina :, h,s
- ,.th 20 the Virginia Legislature, fr,ntly a.
lnh' south Carolina had no onfdenJ,a =, =;
guarantees. nor does II believe tb,, 81. "a
OF restriction or retaliation Mir ,h
eh tH'on will avail OF cons, ,hsn we we
Sst" OF Government is looked 10, H.
~ same ume, however. stated tha, ST.
e na % would follow, and did not wish 10 I'D
INA, ~ would defer TO the opinion and yvis%.
- NE other Southern states anu WISHES
NnTES ho