Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-05-08
THE GAZETTE.
More about the Mighty "Mill"-The "Thun-
derer' PHILOSOPHERS over it.
TUESDAY MORNING, NAY 5, 1860.
From the London Times, EditoridO 1911.

derer' PhlloSopnlSeS over H.
From the London Times, EdtortdO l9m
The prophets Of nlghtenment and progress
must sometimes be little sore at finding
that nature does not show that steady
advance which they would attribute 10 IT,
The broad assertion that men are the same
in all ages and all the world over Is GER
tainlv fallacy which will find acceptance
only with cynical minds, but, on the other
hand. reformers must not expect to change
us too quickly. 1t may be that IN some
Darwinian lapse Of ages the Ethiopian may
change his skin and the leopard his spots,
and it may also be that time Will come
when men will lose all interest IN their own
homes and muscles, and value each other
solely according to the power OF the BRAIN
as tested by competitive examinations. But
that time has not vet arrived. The tluakers
were much astonished that within three
years after the peaceful gathering of 1851
their cOuntrvmen should have rushed into
war with the alacrity OF Catres. The
philosophers Of the last century could not
understand how the people who had been
penetrated by the gentle teachings OF Rous-
seau, should shout with triumph when the
charrottes passed to the guillotnc. 81 the
representatives of responsibility, refinement,
progress, education, social science, ana all
the other ameliorating distractions which are
in vogue will be somewhat dlsconccrted by
the fact that two great divisions OF the Anglo
Saxon race have been worked 10 the highest
pitch of excitement by the prospect OF two
half naked men pounding each others coun-
tenanceS for some hours IN a meadow. The
low. the disgusting, the immoral practice of
prize-fghting, as we have been accustomed
TO consider it, has suddenly resumed its in
terest for, we may truly say, every class OF
the population. If an Archbishop and Il
Chief Justice had met on Tuesday evening
we will venture to say they would not have
talked for ten minutes without some mention
of the Champion" and the "Benlcia Boy"
The Times, which cannot neglect any sub
iect of national interest, is forced for once, to
dedicate its columns to the 'P. Il. Muscle
and bottom, clever hitting and neat stop
ping. must be recorded like debate on the
Budget for the Swiss demonstrations against
France: for the fight Of the 18th OF April,
lH6U, is great national event, and has been
accepted as such by the inhabitants OF two
hemispheres For weeks the general know
ledge OF society respecting 1.-the noble art OF
<elt-deteuce" has been on the increase. But
a short time since we were most of us pain
fully ignorant of this great subject. Living
IN state Of utter reSpectablllty, many OF Us
were unaware that England hada champion.
or else thought that the Office was hereditary
in the tamiyo OF Dymoke. The public-houses
in the region Of ST. Martin SHANE and Leices-
tcr-Stuare were then vaguely known as dis
reputable haunts, instead OF being, as now,
sources Of important information and centres
Of the deepest interest. The portraits OF the
two antagonists in every variety OF style,
from the penny wood engraving to the neat
lv-executed photograph, have stared uS in the
face from shop-wndowS for the last month.
In fact, people have, in spite OF their better
Judgment, been brought to take an interest
in a pursuit usually associated with the most
offensive characters and the most vicious
habits. All this has been brought about
by the fact of an American pugilist coming
over to fight an Englishman. National
rivalry and the curiosity regardinga slngu-
lar spectacle have overcome in Il day all the
intellectual and moral teachings of a gener-
alton The fastidiouS public OF the reign OF
Victoria have for once been carried back TO
the days Of their fathers, when ''Corlnthlans"
attended the encounters of Crib and Molly
neuy.
An enlightened foreigner passing along
the Strand on Tuesday afternoon must have
been strangely puzzled. Crowds thronged
the streets, and pressed against the doors OF
the newspaper-offices, where these sheets,
wet from the press, were distributed to eager
buyers. On every countenance there was
an expression Of excitement, violent discus
Sions were going on, and triumph or cha
Grin was in the air of each. What could 1t
he about? Such an assemblage was hardly
wtnc ssed when the crown of Louis Philippe
fell into the gutter or when the Allies
stormed Sebastnpol. Surely Louis Napoleon
had threatened the Rhine, or at least the
British Cabinet had fallen victim to some
internal ieud? No: it was simply that two
professional gladators had mauled each 9TH
or for two hours that morning, and the news
papers were publishing the narrative with
more or less felicity Of slang. To see this
encounter a large body of people had started
from town before dawn, in a train supplied
by dccorous and dignifed railway compa-
nv. and, though the whole civil force Of the
South Of England were on the alert, the fight
had taken place. The continental night
well wonder III Tue ciNtIlAdtiun anu Viz 'tu-
administrative system of the country in which
he had arrived But it is not only strangers
who are astonished at the occurrence o, such
an event in an advanced stage ofcivilization.
Many excellent persons among our Own
countrymen are shocked at the outbreak Of
passions, aud the sudden revival OF tastes
which ii was thought that education had
buni>hed from society We are asked how
it is that such proceedings as those of Tues
lay pass without the denuncatl0a of the
pubiit presently the conniving Executive,
the uhetting railway company, and the whole
band of gentlemen who assisted AT the terri
Dlc sight are not held up to reproach. as they
deserve. We answer that the very univer-
SALTY of the interest taken in the fight, is a
proof that the exhibition was different from
others OF It's kind. Thousands of people
read the narrative we published yesterday,
who probably had not for years, or perhaps
in their lives, peruSed the details of a prize
fight Their curiosity was reused, not by
prize-tighting generally. but by the circum-
stance OF this singular encounter. We have
no fear that the result will be to restore
the faded glorieS of the prize ring. The
feeling is that the whole affair Is an anoma-
", as much as the Eglntoun tournament;
that one such display is enough, and that