The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-12-25
'sReand Dnnces,'-An Ecclesinsffcal
RInsf uainst Them.

oRound Dnnces,,-Au Ecclesfnsffcal
: Blast Against Them. n,
The Baltimore, Episcopal Methodist has
an article on the subject of the condem-
nation; by the plenary Council of the
Catholic Church, of certain fashionable
dance. The Methodist takes sides with
the Council in the discussion that en-
sued. We quote: v/qvsS
Nor are We ignorant of round dances
as prachced now. We have observed
them at Saratoga night after night,
until we knew all we wished to know
about them. An old doctor, accustomed
for many years to ice the unvarnished
side of society, is not likely to be OYER
prudish and fastidiops about corporeal
exhibitions: but if Esculapiush had lived
until now. he would not have thought
it proper to look at the phenomena OF the
polkas rs we saw them of Saratoga, ex-
cent as permitted study in animal
physiology or moral pathology. The
Young ladies who were handled and
swung about there night after night
may have been perfectly innocent OF all
evil-we trust they werc--but, five were
young and manageable again, we
would no more think of seeking one of
them for wife than We would select a
show-cake in confectioner's window
for home consumption. 1t might be a
very good cake, but then the association
of the ideas of purity with public ex-
posurc and irreverent handling has a
natural difficulty in it, so great that
from what we have heard fall from gay
gentlemen, even the practice OF the
polka does not overcome it. We know
the defense against it. We are en-
tirely familiar with "HoRi soft Qae mai
u pensc."-"Evil be to him who evil
thinks" but this motto of the garter IS
said to have originated under circum-
stances that CONFERENCE.-The philosophy,
and its use is commonly true to its ORR
gin. 1t is :. IL to have a pure magma
ton, but to have one purged of common
sense is not laudable. The mind that
can perceive no evil tendencies III things
not positive brooches of the command
ments is not only pure, but stupid. The
Curdellers have 4 legend that, when st.
Francis saw Young man stealthiiy
kissing maiden, he raised his hands to
Heaven and returned thanks to God
that there was so much Christian char
ity in the world. The saint was so pure
that he could imagine no impulse to
kissing but Christian sympathy, and
discern no spirit in it but elevated re-
ligious devotion. Now, we confess we
are not pure enough to be stone blind.
We are not to be 'honi Soti-ef out of our
senses and u knowledge of human ma
ture. We do not think that polkaing
has a power to steady the reason and
that waltZlng gives paraiEtlc vertigo
to animal nature, or that the German
shuffles the intellect into region of
pure elevation inaccessible to the pas
sions. We do not think that gross i'm
become harmless because
they are fashionable We think OF 4
waltz much as Byron did, who was not
4 Puritan. The opinion of the Catholic
Council, derives great weight from the
fact that it is based upon the informa-
ton obtained in the confessional from
Dne end of the country to the other.
Tie effect of these dances upon the
mind and morals, with us, is an infer
nee; with them it is a disclosure; and
We do not know how its weight is to be
esisted by tbs votaries of the fashion,