Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-09


concerns us SO much as the food we eat-and yet,
none is so generally and so heedlessly msmanaged.
Our diet can make us TO great extent sick or heal
thy fat Or lean, dyHpeptc robust yet most of us
live as if we had responsibility or interest in the
question of our bodily condition. We are creatures
of habit to that degree, that our daily food and
drink are far more matters of habit, than of choice
or of principle. For the most part they chosen
for us-not by us. We live not according to reason,
but according to custom in diet, as in dress, fash
ion rules u.s. and it is almost as rare an indepen-
dence which ventures to be singular in the choice
Of a dish, as in the cut of garment
For want of a little good sense and reason applied
to the selection of what we eat and drink, we
tablish habits of feeling which destructive of
health, and tend to undermine, instead of building
up the vital powers. The manner of our eating is
frequently worse than Its matter. The American
celebrity nests the table, not less than the street and
the workshop, and we bolt dinners in style
which is more business-like than beneficial. Our
gross feeding is another eVias injurious to health
as 1t is destructive of refinement With all the
bountiful kingdoms of nature, from which to pick
and choose our own food, We confine ourselves
chiefly Ito few of the coarser materials, seldom
getting out Of the rut of habit far enough to invent
a new dish or improve an old one.
There is little doubt that the enormous consump-
ton of animal food to the neglect or exclusion OF
vegetables is injurious to the highest health. Not
that we should by any means be vegetarians; that
would be going to the other, though perhaps more
reasonable extreme. But experience shows that the
most robust people are those whose diet consists OF
iudicious mingling of vegetable fruit and fari-
! nacious diet with animal food. The British, con
fessedy are the best fed nation in Europe, and they
are physically the most powerful race. The diet Of
the English people is more generally mixed one
| than our own and far more than of the French
/ the staple of which is bread, united with great
many fanciful dishes not particularly nutritious in
themselves and only good for the variety they sup
ply.
Bread alone, without liberal supply of meat
and vegetables, IS not thoroughly nutritious
healthy diet 1t is too strong and highly concentra
ted. Potatoes and roots generally, more succu-
| lent than grains-and animal food is more stimula-
ting. Slightly olanginous food is better to give
weight and development to the person, than pure
| " vegetable diet.
But, while it is not good to live by bread alone
neither is 1t to live largely upon meat most of
| our people do. Many families think they cannot
exist without meat three times day. They eat
it too frequently alone, or with bread as an ac-
| companiment-makingt too concentrated and stimu-
lating nutriment for average stomachs. Vegetables
of the root kind indspensably necessary to rem
der the diet varied enough to be wholesome. 1t
| will not do to neglect totally any one kingdom OF
nature in making up properly nutritious bill Ct
fare fer mankind. Health, vigOr and longevity are
prizes too valusble to be lost by lack of little
thoughttulness and in selecting your food. Ma
4 ture detests monotony-whether or not she 'abhors
a vacuum" If you want to see the effect of a
diet running principally on q single kind of food,
/ 90 into the armies nayies of the world, and
watch the prevalence of diseases growing out of
the terrible monotony of living on ship stores or
army provisions.
They tell a story in the Pacific, of the people of
the Cannibal Islands preferring TO dine on an En-
glishman, rather than the people of any other ma
tons, because they find John Bull more juicy and
| sueculent food than the rest Tins is supposed to
imply the superior physical condition produced by
the style of living OF Mr.. Bull His diet is so much
more wholesome hearty and nutritious than that of
the French that it makes itself visible in the whole
outer man. The Engshman's taste for fruits and
vegetables n well known, and :" the roast beet OF
Old England is plentIfuly garnished with variety.
In the rural parts of America, where fruits and
vegetables most abound they are so little priced,
that you find many table set full of bread and
meat without so much a potatOe to season the
feast withal. This is a wanton neglect of the good
| gifts of Providence The quantities of cured meats,
and especially Of pork in its various forms, which
are consumed in the country enormously great,
and out OF all proportion to their value in the scale
| of Nutritious food. In some country taverns that
we wot of, you seldom find anything but pork bread
] and cofee-let the season be what 1t may. Ham
for breakfast, ham for dinner, and ham for supper
lis the cheerful and appetizng bill of fare proTid-
ed for all comers-the only variation being in the
method of cOoking-nore or less execrable, that is
/ adopted. And this too when the fields are full-or
/ ought to be-of a dozen varieties of wholesome and
! delicious vegetables, and the trees loaded with
fFt. . -. ..,,. -,
/ neglected. and the meats and pasty receive IN
| due share of attention. in so bOuntifu year as
| this, when POMONA has poured her treasures full
handed into the lap of the great West-when or
chards overloaded with golden apples, and
succulent pears and juicy plums have been over
| flowing every hand. it is pity and shame to
see such wasteful neglect Of them for less whole
| some and appetizing food. The variety of dishes
which can be made out of apple would astOnish
most epicures.
It's cheering to reflect that the cause of good
sense and good taste in their application to the diet
| of the people is, on the whole, gaining ground.
Vicious and vulgar customs are being ameliOrated
| and we are being ameliorated, and we are steadily
finding out fresh methods of rendering food palata
be and wholesome. That variety which is so de-
SIT able III the food of the people, Is beginning to
prevail We have in this country everything favor
this progress in the right direction. There is no
| poverty in our soil, nor unfriendness in our eli
mate-but the bounty of nature lends her aid
TO the intelligent skill which is supplied to convert
the fruits of the earth into fit supplies for the wants
! of men, Cincinnati Commercial.
Gen. Shields on Mexico and the MexIcaas.
Gen. SHEDS, who is now in California, recently
delivered lecture in San Fra 1csco on Mexico. He
thus discourses on our duty towards that unhappy
and distracted country:
What is the policy, or rather what is the duty OF
this country with regard to Mexico? The time is at
hand when our Government must come to some de-
termination tins subject. Our general policy is
noninterferenCe; but cases may arise where such
policy would be very unwise, not to say criminal
Mexico must be saved TO christianity and civiliza-
| ton. This is a work that will have to be done by
some power. The first obligation rests on US, be-
cause God has placed at the head of the nations
this continent. Our position in this respect is
exalted one; but exalted positions impose CORES
pondng responsibilities. Power is great trust to
be exercised with justice and moderation; but the
trust must be exercised. When God enthrOnes
nation Individual, not to act is TO abdiCate.
Mexico needs guidance and protection. Our posi-
ton enables duty e1Joins us to extend both.
By thus acting will splendid country, anG
on the whole simple, aimiable people, from i'm
pending ruin. The United States has her Indies
well as England Our Indies are the Spanish coUn-
tries South of us; but mission is not to subju-
gate and enslave those countries but to regenerate
and protect them.
Gen. SHIELDS disagrees with those who pronounce
the Mexicans incapable of being brought up to
good standard of civilization and government. He
says:
The mass natives, simple ignorant, inoffensive
and Industrious in their way They are the most
easily managed aud easily governed people in the
word-ndeed. unfortunately for themselves, they
too easily governed, and their misfortune is to
be governed by brigands-and revolutions only up
set one horde of brigands to install another. The
inhabitants of Mexico number about seven or eight
millions Five millions are Indians and the others
an average are the best-the whites passable and
the mixed breeds inteerable. The natives are sim
pie and hospitable, and in their way Industrious
and one of the most active, temperate and we'll !
formed races in the world. | think they would
make the best light troops in the world if well |
disciplined and well differed. They possess all the |
patience sagacity and activity of the Indian. with
portion of the whites. The American victories |
over the Mexcans, in the late war, not ascribed
to their cowardce. |
DABoLIcAL OUTAGE NEAR MEIPHIs-The Mem !
shs Argus of the 9th inst gives the following par
tculars of diabolical outrage committed near that
city.
A negro man belonging to Mr.. Test had, during |
portion OF last week been running little express
aeon between the city and the race track We'd
nesday evening just after dark and during the rain
Storm he started from opposite the track, having in
his wogon as a passenger a negro woman who had
been keeping a fruit and pie stand in the vicinity
The woman had about thirty dollars in her posses
sion which was kept in little tin box and placed IN
the corner of the wagon. They had proceeded