The Portland daily press., 1864-06-08
Wednesday Morning, June 8, 1853.
The .Thunderer on American Ladies.

The London Times is down on the recent
movement Of American Ladies In regard to
the curtailing expenses of Dress. The Thun-
derer don't fancy the Inauguration Of such
measures, and in its usual style when speaking
of our affairs, attempts to throw rldiculc over
the whole concern. All very natural for that
Journal. After all It imagines that Washing
ton aud New York will not Immediately wear
a gloomy and sombre aspect, or that the New
England people win relapse into Puritan So
briefly of apparel. The argument is that any
absolute abandonment of articles Of luxury,
taste and fnery would itself be treason to
the welfare Of the Union; for the very wealth
Of these ladies' husbands and fathers depends
upon the demand for articles Of luxury, inn
ported or home-manufactured. This Editor
is willing to wait bat not without anxiety, to
witness the sequel Of this resolution OF Amer
lean Ladies. This anxiety arises, no doubt,
from desire TO manufacture for them all
these articles Of luxury for which the English
have the requisite skill, and receive the gold
in payment. This is not an unnatural desire
and is one which John Bull has long cher
ished. He has great many workshops In
his Kingdom, aud all want employment That
is well, but then we love to work for our
chants will continue to import cigars, liquors
and wines without the slightest attention; for
an American without cigar is about as possi-
BILE metamorphosis as an Ethiopian with
white skin. He puts a very fine point on
matters and draws some very neat inferences.
He says "the probability Of an abandonment
Of imported wines may be judged Of from
the fact that ia his late defeat Gen. Banks
"lost his baggage and champagne" That was
decidedly unpleasant, for Banks, without his
champagne, might possibly be as badly of as
an Englshman without his beer.
This astute Editor is quite faceiious over
the address these American Ladies have pub
lished. He dwells on that and fires off good
many squibs and tries to be exceedingly witty.
And that isn't ALL He is alarmed for the men
"whose wives, daughters and mothers can find
no other public exercise of feminine qualities
than this bizarre and tricky patriotism" We
regret that this gentleman should SO far for.
get his galantry as to speak thus disparaging-
ly Of any ladies'. A man who writes for the
columns Of the Times, ought to be more re-
fined and less cynical. Our impression is that
he is crusty old bachelor and scrupulously
avoids the society OF ladies'. II SO, we GER
tainly pity him, and can almost pardon him.
Now he grows more serious and assumes a
face as long. as boouack. The sacrifice of
human life III our great struggle, and the mo-
mentous issues that hang upon its result flll
his soul with the most gloomy forebodings,
and.b for these he would be disposed TO
treat the whole affair 1as ode grand panto-
mime where the only object is to OUTAGE alb
surdity with absurdity and wait with the easy
excitement of spectators the anticipated and
intended crash" There, that caps the cli-
max True enough he would not only with
the easy excitement Of spectator, but also
with great pleasure behold our Union broken
up, the prestige of the stars ard stripes des-
troyed and our country divided into many
petty republics Such spectacle would
please his eye and gladden. his heart In spite
OF any drawbacks which the loss of life or
momentous issues might have upon him.
Out upon such hypocrisy! Away with such
bloated aristocracyl We have no patience
with such miserable stuff. We have seen too
much of ii in the columns of the Thunderer
during the last three years. But we rejoice
to know that 1t is far from being the true ex-
ponent of public opinion in England. The
masses, the working men and women of the
Start Anchored Sole," are all right in spite OF
the aristocratic doctrines of the Times, which
1t endeavors to instil into their minds. But
this journal has a wonderful tact for changing
its course when 1t feels that the public pulse
beats hard against it. The world knows that
1t can 'wheel about ana turn about and jump
Jim Grow" as adroitly as any other newspaper
In Europe. The time may not be far distant
when another change will come over the spirit
OF its dreams. Until then we shall wait with
the "easy excitement of a spectator"