Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-06-07
American Ladies' National
Covenant.
An English VieO Of he Movement.

from the London Times, March 1sih)
A great movement, designed by its promoters
10 produce nothing less than "sOcial revolution"
has Just been innugurated in the Federal States.
Tho financial condition Of the country has OF
last begun to cause alarm among all classes
Gold stands at least at so premium, and even
MIR. Chase is at his wits end for aqy promising
mems Of reducing its price. But sudden re
souoe has opportunely come TO light. The panic
has nj length reached the ladies, and they have
txtemporized plan for at once putting stop
to the evil Our readers have been made fannie
liar with the proIuse and extrayagant expendi-
ture which the war has encouraged among I'LL
the prosperous classes OF the New England
States. There has never been such demand
for jewelry, diamonds, silks, laces piotures and
every article Of luxury. American expendi-
ture was reckless, aud American ladies' had
reputation even before the war for indulging
and pamperng every passion Of taste touch,
sight, smell, or hearing; but since the war they
have spent at pace which has taken away the
breath Of even native-bOrn Americans, and
BrOadway has stood 10 amazement at itself.
But it has suddenly as il seems, been brought
home TO the mind and conscience of American
ladies that this extravagant luxury is not only
highly unbecoming, but that it is M obvious
source Of the extraordinary aud ruinous demand
for gold. These lacea, silks, pictures, and
jewels, are for the most part foreign nnd import
ed articles, which must be paid for in specie
This beiug once realized, eau American ladies
hesitate at the course they ought TO pursue
Can they shrink for q moment from "self- sacri
flee" Of restricting the exercise Of their vanity
aud "yielding up" their unbecoming luxuries :
OF course, their resolution has nc once heen
taken, and 1t has even surpassed the abnegNtOn
which could have been expected of them. They
have not only determined to diminish their i'm
ported luxuries, but to abandon them altogether.
Their patriotism has shot up into one irresista-
BILE blaze, which consumes every shred Of foreign
luxury aud self-indulgenoe
The repentance, after ALL is not in sack-clOth
and ashes, but in purple and fne linen only
a different sort Of purple and fine linen from
what was indulged in before, aud such a sort
ss will enable the fair customers to kill two
birds-nay, three birds-wth one stone. to
satisfy their own requirements, to enrich instead
OF impovershing their country, and to sturye
the foreigner, Our readers must by no means
Imagine that New York and Washington will i'm.
mediately wear gloomy and sombFe aspect or
that tile New England States will relapse iulo
Puritan sobriety OF apparel. The taste and the
quality will alone be diminished; not even will
the expense and the extravaganza be the less for
II is obvious that the prices Of foreign articles
will not diminish when it becomes risk to i'm
port them, and the home manufactures under
the increased demand, will be able to keep up
10
highest price Of the foreign articles. In point
of fact, any absolute abandonment of articles
OF luxury, lasic, and fnery, would itsulf be
treason TO the welfare Of the Union for the
very wealth Of these ladies' husbands aud
fathers depends upon the demand for articles of
luxury, either imported or homo manufactured,
and to annihlAte the custom in these productions
wonld be TO create panic in trade to ruin
themselves, and to raise tho price of gold still
further ,f iag.t
one magnificent race of neck or nothing. Let
only one interest stand still for moment, and
all must come down for moment, and all must
come down with q crash. Indeed, it NAV be
uonbted whether the step already taken may
not II II may be carried out, produce some Of
the very disasters it seeks to avoid Congress-
mas just raised the duty on all imported articles
oU per cent for three months, not only with the |
same ohJeet Of protect ng native manufactures
us seems to be primarily pursued by this ladies'
association, but also with q view of raising a
larger revenue. The Immediate effect of the
ladlts resoulution would be TO nnuihilate this
revenue completely, aud rs last year the rcceipts
from customs waa two thirds of the United
states income, the result would probably be
somewhat disastrous to Mr.. Ohase's budget.
Addison gives numerous account Of n tory
squire whom he met by chance in a country ride
and who maintained, over a bowl Of punch, 10
which he Was evidently addicted, that England
would do very well if it would conteut itself |
with its own productions, and not depend upou
Foreigners. Addison reminded him, 10 his ereat
discontinue, that of the iavorie drinks
he was enjoying the water was the only
constituent part Of English production and
that the brandy, the lemod, the spice, and
the su5nr were all foreigners The american
ladies, and still more the American gentlemen.
Will, we imagine, be in very much the same
predlcament as the squire. We Shall wait with
some anxenty 10 see the sequel of this heroic
resolution, or whether it hag any sc all. AS lar
ns me men are concerned, we IRE quite certain
.nat merchants may continue to import cigars,
liquors, and wines without tho slightest aliera
uoh' AN American without his cigar is about
US possible metamorphisis as All Ethiopian
wlth white skim and the probability Of IN
abandonment OF imported wines may be judged
o. from the fact that in his late defeat General
Banks tlost his baggage aud champagne" When
generals in difficult march over hostile eoun-
toy ind champagne necessary addition TO their
baggage, the chance of New York merchat1
abandoning imported wines must be infnitesi
NAL. IL is to be feared that the hat 4 Of Tie
ladies will in the same way prove too strong for
them. American taste will be to that of Paris
as Jersey lightning" to Cognao, and will stand
the same chance against it. II il were possible
though one would be glad to see the experiment
well tried for the sake Of it's very absurdity.
teers m IS something like burlesque in the notion