Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-04
.LndRmenf. Nnt Of Paris.


A friend, whose communication we pub
lish in another column, takes up the cudgel
vigorously in defense of music, occasioned
by remark in the Catholic Telegraph, that
music is the more dangerous of the fine
arts; il can be made, more than poetry or
sculpture, or painting, the cbsequious hand
maid of the most lawless passions of the hu-
man heart.' We print the communication
on account of its general remarks on art, not
that there was anything in the remark of the
Telegraph that, taken in its proper connec-
ton, required any refutation. The article
was on school commencements, and noticing
the objections made to dramatic represents
tions on the ground that they tend to foster
a taste for theatricals that will lead to mis-
chief in after life, it inquired, why not object,
also, to learning to read, on the ground that
it widened the sphere of temptation; and
why not object, on the same ground, TO
learning music; and then it declared the
objection as springing from a Pharasaical
Puritanism, including the supposed objections
in the same category.
AS to the fact that music can be made the
obsequious handmade of the most lawless
passions of the human heart, we do not per-
ceive that il is any serious charge against
music, nor that our correspondent refutes it,
Poetry may also be made the obsequious
handmaid, &c, yet no one proposes to abolish
poetry. No general law can be made to sup
press indelicate books that would not include
the Bible, and there are some parts Of it, for
instance the canticles of Solomon, that would
not be tolerated in any modern work, and
which "may be made the obsequious hand
maid of the most lawless passions Of the hu-
man heart" But it is not pretended that the
Bible is to be condemned therefor
Painting and sculpture may certainly be
made such handmade. This fact is plainly
recognized in the Scriptures, the Jews being
forbidden to make craven images or ike
nesses of any thing, except those which were
placed in the Ark of the Lord and in the
Temple. This seems to have been forbidden
to them on account of their singular prOpen-
sity to make images TO worship, even in the
very presence of the pillar of FIRE, the pillar
of cloud, the thunders of Sinai and Of all
Gods direct and uncommon dealings with
them. This seemed to be their most lawless
passion, except their propensity to make
alliances with the women of Moab. We are
not aware that it is proposed to abolish paint
ing and sculpture on account Of its facilities
for abuse. m,t efnn
Il is argued by some that beauty may be
made TO the impure mind the obsequious
handmaid TO the most lawless passions. Some
are 80 material as to argue that because
beauty excites love, love is but the obse-
quious handmaid Of the passions. If love is
not passion, they argue, why should beauty
of person excite IT 80 much more than beauty
of character2 Place the two in competition,
they say, and which will win2 The objsc-
ton which the Tslsggph msetsNwill apply to,
music and 10 every thing beautiful or pleas
ing, and that, we understand, is the tenor Of
the article. fa sos
The eye is undoubtedly the chief hand
maid to the,nostlawless pessiohs. bat there
ny ~ ~ '.'.tI ~ ~ r0Ir