Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-06-04
The anti.Luxury Movement = An
English view.


American expenditure was always reckless.
aud American ladies had 4 reputation. even be-
fore the war, for INDUCING aud pamperng every
passion of taste, touch sight smell. or hearing;
but since the war they have spent Al pace which
has taken away the breath Of even native born
Americans. and Broadway has stood IN amaze
ment a, itself But !, has suddenly as IL seems,
been brought home 70 the mind and conscience
Of American ladies that this extravagant luxury
= not only unbecoming, but that il Is an obvious
source OF The extraordinary ane ruuous demand
Tor gold OF course their resolution has az once
been taken, aud Il has even surpassed the abne
cation which could have been expected Of them.
They have not only determined to diminish their
imported luxures, but 10 abandon them alto
gether Their patriotism has shot up into one
irresistible blaze, which consumes every shred OF
foreign luxury and self indulgence. We must
leave the New York World itself 10 describe this
rush OF feminine patriotism in the following sen
satlon headings, which do no more than justice
10 the enthusiastic language of the ladies: -" No
more Foreign Goods Formation Of a Ladies
Covenant. Flora MeFlimsey to be put in Con-
yentry Hon Mrs. Shoddy in new Dress. No
Imported Jwelry, Diamonds, Silks, Opera Clocks,
Laces. or Loves Of Bonnets What il asked Of
the Men. The Lai lies demand that they shall
give up Imported Wines, Liquors, and Cigars
The Social Revolution. Ladies to drink Catnip
Tea. and the Men Jersey Lightning French
Boots and Paris Lapdogs to be kicked out to-
gether"
Addison gives humorous account of Tory
squire whom he met by chance in a country ride.
and who maintained over bowl OF punch. to
which he vas evidently addicted. that England
would do very well II il would content itself with
its own productions and not depend upon for
eigners. Addison reminded him to his great dis.
comfture that of the fayorite drink he was en-
joying the water was the only constituent, part Of
English production and that the brandy. the
lemon. the spice. and the sugar were all foreign
ers. The American ladies', and still more the
American gentlemen. will. We imagine. be in
very much the same gredicament as the squire
We shall wait with some anxiety 20 see the Sc
quel OF this heroic resolution, or whether il has
any AZ all. As far a. the men are concerned we
are quite certain that merchants NAV continue 70
import cigars, liquors, and wines without the
slightest alteration. An American without his
cigar i about as possible a metamorphoss a. an
Ethiopian with white skin; and the probability
OF an Abandonment OF imported wines may be
Judged Of from the fact that in his late defeat
Gen Banks lost his baggage and champagne"
When the generals in difficult march over a
hostile country find champagne a necessary adj
diuon to their baggage. the chance of Few
York merchant abandoning imported wines must
be inhnteSimal. Ii is to be feared that the habits
of the ladies will in the same way prove too
strong for them. American taste will be TO that
OF Paris Jersey lightning to Cognac and
will stand the same chance against il. II il were
possible. though, one would be glad TO see the
experiment well tried for the sake of its very alb
surdity. There is something like "A burlesque in
the notion of the principal ladies of the smartest
nation under the sun carving out in broad day
light the muddle-headed fancy OF country squire
OF George Is time. Fit were possible to forget
the terrible sacrifice of human lite that is in
volved in the struggle, and the great issues to
history which hang upon its result, one would be
disposed to treat the whole scene as one grand
pantomime where the only object is to OUTAGE
absurdity with absurdity. and We should await
with the easy excitement OF spectators the an
ticipated and intended crash