Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-12-29
HOLIDAYS.

w 1eQ return IrOm Europe duu nave
been a dayiin this county, said an exPe-
fienced traveller, sthe rush Of life and the
exhilsration of the atmosphere make me
feel as if had drank bottle of Cham
pagne." This intensity of life is chsFac-
teristic of America. 1t is both occasioned
and aggravated by the circumstances Of
our society and by our climate. And the
terrible evidence of the constant strain of
the vital powers to which We are subject
is the fact that paralysis is becoming na-
tional disease. A thoughtful physician
bids us expect great increase Of this dis
ease in the coming decade-sn increase
which he attributes to the peculiar and
prolonged excitement of the war. In the
familiar passage of Froissart the old ehron-
icler accuses TIE English Of taking their
pleasure sadly; but we take our pleasure
and our business and our duty almost
6ercely. rot
But as the genial holiday season sp-
proaches, and the pretty books begin to
multiply, and the shops to fill with new
games and toys; as the Christmas-green
gradually. steals into the windows, and the
sparkling frosty air seems so be getting
ready for the Christmas chimes; as the
exquisite romance which invests the season
in the song and story and tender tradition
of our native tongne once more reasserts
its power over our minds and hearts, We
find ourselves asking why, in so busy and
crowded and restless life as ours, we do
not use the common sense which enables
us to pile up the means of sustaining life to
prolong and enjoy it also.
The traveller who recalls the placid con-
tentment of the cafes upon the TerraSses
at Dresden, the smoking, jovial circles out
side the walls of Nuremberg, the pleasant
crowds in the TKier- Garten at Berlin, and
the halls where formerly Gungle ruled,
and where now another director nightly
furnishes the finest music for seven cents
coneert-whO remembers the gay leisure
of Italian town and country, and the uni
versal power of enjoyment which distin-
guishes the European from the American,
naturally wonders why we are content to
make the year long-tread mill instead of
passing in our work with frequent holidays.
Indeed, we are almost impatient of the
few and puny festivals we already have
We are almost ashamed to enjoy ourselves,
and the musical congress of our fellow
citizens of German descent have this good
influence, if no other, that they show us
how simply and easily and economically
people can enjoy themselves if they will
only choose to do so. A true German
gets more enjoyment out of shilling than
a true American out of ten dollars. Yet
there is no man in the world whose body
and soul demands relaxation and recrea-
ton so much as the American.
1t is therefore public duty to promote
the institution and observance of holidays.
We ought to disturb the ineessant strain
of mental and physical labor. We ought
to keep young by sparing the drain upon
the vital forces, and withstand by wisdom
the tendencies of our climate and social
conditions. Fhis can be done in no way
so surely as by an increase of the number
of public and recognized holidays. That
we hope the Thanksgiving which we have
just observed will become national festi-
val, and that next year the Presidsnt will
follow his own good example of this year,
and appoint a similar day, not indeed for
special gratitude, as in this instance, but
for the annual harvest and happy ending
of the year. The appointment of such
day is State right which every State viii
gladly yield to the nation; and if the States
will order another feast of another kind at
another season they viii be the gamers
Why should not Planting have its festival
as well as Harvest? In ancient days, in
the golden age, they went out with songs
and professions to turn the first fuErow Of
the year. Where has May-day gone?-
Why do we not celebrate a feast of roses
upon st. Johns day in midsummer
| At least if we cannot restore or create
and we could if we would--we need not
neglect or destroy. We may make more
of the days that we have. And we need
not fear that the more frequent the holi-
day the more debauched viii bethe popu-
lation. It is not found that it is wise to
treat people ike brutes. The safety and
perpetuity of the country imperatiVely de-
mand that the population shall not be me-
chanical drudges, but intelligent, respon-
sible, reflective persons. For this there
must be some relief from work. Let us
then encourage every thing that tends to
popular relaxation and amusement. All
work and no play makes Jack dull boy.
We need not fear to fall into the folly of
despotisms, which give bread and games
to pacify the mob, for in the old Roman
sense there is no mob in this countfy.-
The French proyerb assures US that he
who sleeps dimes. But it is an infinitely
sounder proyerb that he who plays best
works best. If we had more holidays we
should be more cheerful, more efficient,
more satisfied, and less paralytic people.