, 1862-08-30
Gentlemen swearers.

1t is not pleasant to admit that the world is
getting worse instead of better, or that any rep
rehensible habit is becoming more prevalent and
common. Especially in christian land, and un-
der the influence of the purer religion of which
Americans are somewhat inclined to boast, one
might look for higher style Of morals and a
more uniform outward regard for sacred things
But the worlds standard is 5sfe- than it used to
be when we were less enlightened The cata-
logues of moral sins and of venal offenses have
changed their proportions as we have grown in
wisdom. So long as we desire to maintain res
pectable social position, are called upon to
abstain from murder, except it be done according
10 the code; and theft and lying are acknowl-
edged to be ofenses against society. The deca-
logue has dwnded down to these narrow limits,
and in the place of the comprehensive law that
applied to all relations and circumstances Of life,
public opinion has established another code, strin-
gent enough, may be, but which only affects to
regulate actions that have 10 moral quality what
ever.
To discuss the subject of profane swearing, even
upon this low ground, it would be difficult to show
how the practice is profitable to the answer. If
it is important that an excited individual should
get off extra steam by the agency of such safety
valves, why would not some more innocent exple-
tive answer as well as an oath? Or, if nothing
else will do in the moment of strong excitement,
how does it pay to toss about the name that is
above all other names in ordinary Conversation
to play with the royal titles of the King of Kings
as though He were some idol divinity! If
there is profit in the practice, we have never been
able to find it out.
There are great numbers of men in the world
who are weak enough to abhor profanity and to
shun the society of the chivalrous gentleman who
can not utter a sentence without one or more
blasphemies in it. If the influence of these
squeamish individuals should ever happen to be
necessary to the habitual swearer he is tolerably
certain to go without it. If the good opinion of
the moralist has any value it is great folly to
throw it away for the sake of momentary graf
ifcation Very young men swear because they
desire to look manly and important and in our
day the quantity and quality of the blasphemies
are generally in inverse proportion to the age of
the swearer. There is some show of reason in
this, but the matured man must fad better ex-
cuse. We wear boards nowadays, and the hir-
suite adornments that Dame Nature furnishes
better proves our manhood than any quantity of
hppant appeals to the Deity can do.
The time was when one of the most infallible
marks by which the gentleman was distinguished
fha ri he al e
profane expressions on the part of the former
We know that swearing was fashionable vice
with some of our ancestors The court of the
first Charles was vast manufacory of blasphe-
mics aad the gallant cavaliers of that day swore
by exact rule. But the tremendous fulminations
which they had invented in more peaceful times
were of very little use at Marston Moor and
Naseby. And the descendants OF the men who
were victors in these battles settled in America,
brought with them stricter code of morals, and
the swearer was tabooed upon principle What
ever may be said about these rare old worthless,
they were certainly men of purer lives than their
degenerate successors are apt to believe, and the
power of their example was felt through one or
two generations. A low fellow was expected to
call down curses upon his own head, and he was
an outcast because he swore, but no gentleman
was guilty of practice that was considered utter
ly degrading.
If there is no God of the Universe, it is great
nonsense to swear by him. and to lug in his name
to strengthen an argument or polish sentence
and if there is-One, holy and supreme, noting
the fall of sparrow, and needing the lightest
words of man-some better and more appropriate
football should be found.