The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-02-18
PARIS w.. THE UNITED STATES.


pean social effeteness and politicsi errors
uttered the wish that sea OF IRE roiied De-
tween the Old World and the New. thus
sufficient unto itself, having transplanted the
advanced ideas of English and Continental
political liberalism, to q more congenial soil,
and fostering them to more expansive de-
velopment, receiving the teachings OF reiig-
ions tolerance from ROGER WILLIAMS and
WILLIAM PENN, and LORD BALTIMORE, and
making them the rules of ecclesiastical gov
ernment, the new continent should be the
creator of its own institutions, draw from
within itself the elements of its growth, and
preserve its democratic simplicity, secure
from influences from abroad. Such national
anchoretism is, however, no part of the Dl-
vine economy. The growth and institutions
of America are too nearly connected with the
welfare of the human race everywhere to be
thus confined in continental bounds. In the
contest just closed was fought, not the battle
of the United States slone, but of right and
freedom and constitutional liberty throughout
the globe. We would not have the life and
death of ABRAHAM LINCOLN the property of
our own country When England and France
and Germany, Russia, Italy and Turkey,
even distant Algiers and the isles of the
sea- ioin in admiration of his life, and sorrow
at his death, we recognize the grandeur of
our national mission, and the importance of
our relations to the worlds progress, and we
would not in one "jot or title lessen our
connection with the rest of the world.
We don't believe in croaking, in that
morbid and doleful perceptive, that sees no
good in the world since the fathers fell
asleep. We believe that the world is better
than it has ever been. That there is more
intelligence, morality, piety, and true man
hood than ever before. degenerate sons of
warlike sires,n was the burden ofthe croakers
Of this generation. "Mawkish, sentimental,
vain and extravagant daughters of mothers"
who in homespun were much your betters-
thus these jaundiced souled social mentors.
Then came the mad attempt of the rebels to
destroy the Union, and these degenerate sons
spraug into the battle ranks by regiments, aud
they breasted the crimson surge with hero
ism unprecedented. These mawkish daugh-
tiers, too, proved worthy of the age and the
crisis, and the world never saw such courage,
and self devotion, and noble womanhood as
they displayed Ayl such sons and daughters
as they are, two generations hence they
shall be praised for heroism, and croakers
shall twit that generation with their example,
and declare the then living unworthy Of the
dead. and the croakers will be no nearer the
truth then than now.
But in national as in individual life, true
noble life is selfimposed and involves effort.
The fact that our people could not be slain
by the sword, doesn't prove that they may not
be endangered by luxury and social vices.
Rome resisted the sword of the invader and
of faction, but she perished by the affiuenee
of her own citizens Disciplined as we have
been by war, it could not train us to every
virtue, and so there is more violence, more
lavish display, extrayagance, luxury ano
social dissoluteness in the land than ever be
fore. Paris may destroy a people that no
the armed hosts Of rebellion. nor yet Francs
and her Emperor could intimidate or van
quish.
While affording home 10 the inhabitant
of all countries, while showing the world tn
fitness and stability of our free institution
let our citizens be thoroughly American
Millinery shops have more popular potenc
than lyceums or forums. From our CONNER
cial metropolis, New Y York, goes out fashion
and opinions that affect more than we think
mayhAp, the thoughts and actions OF the IL
habitants of all sections of the county. Ne
York. in turn, goes to Paris for costumes an
customs Getting her gear from that city
Mrs. Grundy is very apt to draw from ther
Partisan social forms and convennonalism
Thus insensbly we become Frenchihed.
and what's the Paris to-day that rules th
fashionable world and issues the edicts
which our own people are learning to bow
The Paris correspondent of the Chtods
Tribune paints in startling colors the shoc
ing grossness that is rampant in the Frene
capital, and affects all classes of the peopl
but is especially encouraged and patroniz'
by the higher social classes. He says;
If it were possible that any reader OF Il
Tribune admired the morals of Paul
Koch, and regretted the gay "old times
the French Regency and the glorious Il da
of our Charles H. | should advise him
come instantly to Paris. Things in that ca
ital are nearing such pass as to scandal
all Europe. Paris was never remarkable I
straight lacedness, but the modern Cupua b
generally managed heretofore TO cover b
shame with hg-leaf of outward decenc
Such evidences of weakness are now cast
the wind, and the orgies of the Second FL
pre challenge our admiration alongside tho
of the Pare ahr Cerfs.
The morals of q community, like of an i
dividual, are to be discovered best by exal
ning It's amusements and pastimes. Bera
ger evinced profound philosophy when
said ';Let VINO will laaks the laws, SO tn
write the songs" Could we believe IN t
transmigration of souls, we might be led
think that the participants in the ancient ri
of Ceres had revisited the earth, and TAX
up their abode in Paris; but not holding Il
belief, ii would seem as though the gay Par
isns were returning to the early Worship
the human race and substituting the ado
ton ofthe god Priapus for the moral teae
ings OF Christianity and the cold formular
of their own Encyclopedias. A few We,
ago French dramatists favored us with c
lection of plays and comedies of which
Dame aur Cdmeiias and Les Files de Mar
may be taken as the type; these pieces vo,
have brought bushes 70 the cheeks Of
but they were inocuous and moral in comp
ison with the efforts put forth in the Fam
Benoiton La i3icAe a,lr Bots and La Lante
Magioue. The last piece is drawing all p
TO the theatre of the Chateiet; fer sew
score Of young ladies, of ''great prepossess
appearapcer are nightly dancing there