The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-05-12
no THE LOYAL LADIES OF THE
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Wcare in the 4th year of civil war
unexampled in history, not only for
the great principles at stake, but for
the magnitude Of its expenditures,
and for the sacrifcesit has demanded,
or. will demand, sooner or later, from
the people. After the precious blood
that has been poured out for the great
idea Of national integrity and honor,
in this stupcndous struggle, e,-afer the
substantial successes that have been
achieved over and above all drawbacks;
with the Border States and the whole
western bank Of the Mississippi Sc
cured to freedom, and the great river
itself commanded at all points By our
gunboats,--it will not be supposed that
any loyal man or woman would have
the country bate one jot of its high
resolve and indomitable effort, until
over every inch of national territory
the flag OF the Union shall once more
peacefully float. To live to see this
is the hope and the prayer of all gen
erous and patriotic hearts. ~
q But there is one consideration that
brings to the thoughtful and forecast
ing friends fthe republic the deepest
anxiety and regret, At a time when
the lives Of nearly halfa million Of our
best and bravest young men are jeo-
parded in the field or in the camp
when many thousands of the woun-
ded arc languishing or dying in hos
pitals, and thousands Of gallant sol
diers, crippled OF disabled in previous
campaigns, limping through ourstreets
frequently destitute and poorly clad, =.
we see such spectacle of extraya-
gance, expense, and ostentation exhib-
tied in the attire Of many of the ladies
of the land as seems to mock with its
heartlesS parade the bereaved affec-
tons and the mutilatcd persons OF those
to whom the war, instead of bringing
prosperity and wealth, has brought
only sacrifice and disaster. ..l-
To cater to this unreasonable appe-
tito for show,--to enable the frivolous,
the inconsiderate, and the self-seeking
to 60 clad in silks and ermines,--our
foreign importations are stimulated to
an unhealthy and unparalleled extent,
and millions in gold are needlessly sent
out Of the country, at time when all
the sinews of war are wanted to help
our success in the field, and to fortify
the government against that financial
embarrassment which always cventu-
ally brings in its train political and
military debility and Generalization
The present immediate consequence is
an enormous rise in all the necessarieE
of life, distressing to the poor, and
visiting with alarm and anxiety thou
sands of households. Material results
still moro pernicious are in all proba
bilty pending.
But worse than any merely materia
damage or disaster is the lowering o
the tone Of the public morals, the with
drawing of the attention of the activ,
and the cnterprising from the urgcn
needs of the war to the poor ambition
which wealth enables them to crafty
and the introduction Of spirit Of EN-
ulation, not as to who shall do most t.
help save the country, but who shal
get rich the fastest, and enable wifi
and daughter to make the most as
founding display.
Let it not be thought that we woull
insinuate that the gentlcr sex are alon
culpable for this state of things, o
that we regard them exclusively a
, guilty of extravaganza. But in thei
case we can see and measure the evi
= 1t is on the outside, palpable, obvious
1t meets us in the street and tlaunt
itself even in the house Of prayer. 1t
example is constantly operating TO ag
gravato consequences that are flowing
and must continue to flow, in over-in
; creasing volume, from the acts Of tina
restless folly which in time Of wa
makes the luxurious importations Of
people exceed threefold their exports.
Probably there are twenty thousan
women in our large cities who coult
by the effect of their example, and b
an organized combination in favor c
,, an economical reform in respect t
! ! dress, bring down the price Of gol
: twenty per cent, within three monthi
! Surely there are good women and truc
) numerous enough, and bold enough
to defy all the sncers Of interested O
apathotic parties, TO brave all imputa
. tions of Quixotism or any other tso
and at least by the experiment of dis
=, countcnancing both by example an
: precept that pitilcss and short-sighte
! selfshncss which would eagerly LAWS
hundreds of dollars on a new sprin
: wardrobe, but would grudge poo
ten dollar bill to help save fromstarva
tion our suffering co-patriots Of Eaf
Tennessee.
, The time has come when not onl
!, our countrys peril, hut every cons
deration of interest and humanity
: calls upon tho ladies of the land to eA
! ert themselves, and that speedily, I
i arrest the tendency that is leading
so much suffering, and sapping the Ell
ergies and very life-blood Of the natioI
). When Germany, wasted by Napoleon
: invasions, called out in her anguish fc
= help, the women nobly camo forwar
and gave up, not only their jewels, br
i every luxury and every adornment il
consistent with the strictcst econom.
. At the South, already, womcn bred I
: affiuence havo encountered privatio