The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-01-05
A HOMESPUN PARTY.

mocracy to profit by it.
A HOMESPUN PARTY.
The Richmond (Va.) Wing gives the follow
ing pleasant account of rather novel private
party which assembled at the house of a lady
in that city, in which the female portion of the
company were arrayed in homespun of Vir-
ginia manufacture. We have often heard OF
the manufactures of Richmond, and we had
been led to suppose that the arts of life were
carried to far higher perfection than is indica-
ted by the description which the Wing furnishes
of the homespun party. IT would seem that
Virginia skill has not yet gone beyond the
manufacture of plain cotton stufs, such as are
used for common sheeting and shifting The
looms of that city, we are led to infer, manufac-
ture nothing in the nature of cloth, or cassnet
even, and the gentlemen were under the neces-
sity of wrapping their patriotism and devotion.
to Southern rights in the unhallowed products
of the North. We assume this to be the case,
because we have no reason to suppose that the
hostility of Virginia to the North goes to the
extent of repudiating all the modern inventions
and improvements in the arts of life. We will
not be so unjust as to conclude that the return
to the old primitive homespun is a matter of
choice, but that there was no alternative be-
tween that material and Northern manufactures
or importations.
The facts stated by the Wing not only throw
light upon the manufacturing skill of the Vir.
ginians, but upon their foreign commerce. We
understand this movement to be directed against
the free States, while great efforts are making
to encourage a direct trade with Europe. We
have therefore right TO conclude that no dry
goods are imported directly into Virginia from
foreign countries. A "homespun party" would
have thrown damper upon the foreign i'm.
porters as well as the dealers in Northern
manufactures, had any of the former class been
in Virginia. When we reflect that she is the
Oldest State in the Union, and not behind any
State south of the Potomac in manufacturing
skill, the Wings picturesque description Of the
homeSpun party cannot fail to be regarded as
Notifying exposure of the rude and primitive
condition of Southern society. The people in
that section are dependent upon the North for
everything, except the mere necessaries Of life.
They can neither manufacture nor import from
Europe the clothes, shoes, and hats, they wear :;
and it might be shown that four-ffths of their
coastwise trade with the North is conducted by
Northern men in Northern vessels.
We have no doubt that the ladies of Virginia
are as patriotic and as disinterested as those of
any other State or country they would without
hesitation give their silks and laces for gun
wadding, and throw their jewelry into the com
mon treasury, if the honor and safety of their
country should require it; but nothing is more
certain than that when the crisis is past, they
will expect to reimburse themselves for their
selfdenial by arraying themselves in the most
elegant and fashionable stuffs which their
means will afford. A homespun party must be
a very pleasant and picturesque affair; but we
shall be greatly surprised if the effect of such
parties is to dispense with finer goods of North
ern manufacture or importation.
In l930I3l, during the notification era, the
Southern people adopted the plan of wearing
homespun as means Of discouraging inter
course with the North; and, if we are not mis-
taken, the South Carolina delegation came to
Washington dressed in blue jeans But they
soon grew tired or ashamed of it, and laid it
aside. Sumptuary laws are prcverbially un-
popular, and it is utterly idle to expect their
enforcement by voluntary associations. The
Wing says;
" The movement towards Southern indpend.
ence is progressing steadily. The people of
Virginia are in dead earnest about this matter
While we gentlemen have contented ourselves,
as yet, with meetings, speeches, 40, the ladies
have begun to act. Without noise, they have
commenced to give force and color to our reso-
lutions--to put our theories into practice. We
had the pleasure, few evenings ago, of attend
ing home-spun party given by patriotic
lady of this city, whose excellent good sense
prompted her to substitute deeds tor words, and
to inaugurate at once that system of selfde-
pendence which has been the theme of the in
Vulnerable public meetings held recently in
every county of the State. The party was a de-
cided, brilliant success. More than a hun
dred ladies and gentlemen, belonging to the
most respected families in the city, were pres.
ent, all of whom were attired, in part or in
whole, in garments made of Virginia fabrics,
woven IN Virginia looms. 1t. was strictly
Virginia-eloth party.
AS matter OF course, the ladies were far
in advance of the gentlemen in their costumes.
Many of the latter wore but a single article of
clothing made of material produced and manu-
featured in the State some, indeed, had not
even so much as a Virginia pocket handker-
chief; bat the ladies, without exception, were
dressed from top to toe in homemade apparel
And it was wonderful to see how the plain
homespun became them. We were particular
ly struck with the effect which gas light and
little trimming produces upon the commouest
white cotton oznaburgs and flannel. Only By
the closest inspection would the eye be con-
WINGED that.this rough, coarse stuff was not the
finest Grape cashmere, of delicate cream color.
Nor were the blue and the brown home-spun
plaids less becoming to the fair wearers than
the oznaburgs. Not an article of jewelry was
to be seen anywhere, not an artificial flower or
ornament of any kind. Even the laces were
made at home, of ordinary cotton.
Doubtless the light of patriotism, which
beamed from the lovely faces of the maids and
matrons, helped to give the plain garments a
comeliness not intfinsically their own but, be
that as it may, we declare heartily, that vel