Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-16
TOURNAMENTs-TII VALUE As
CHRISTIAN AMUSEMENTS.
Trom the bod, Farm and Turf.

From the Field, Farm and Turf
In olden times, gallant knights sought to
win the smiles Of lovely women by deeds OF
proves in the arena. The tournaments
were the occasions for grand reunions OF
wealth, chivalry and beauty, and brave men
struggled heroically for victory, beneath the
searching eyes Of the assembled multitude.
Each manly art was marked, and the skill
and grace Of the contestants challenged ad-
miration. These exhibitions were some
what novel, yet full Of a strange power Of
fascination And they were not without a
lesson. They gave prominence TO those del
icate emotions Of the heart, those lofty feel
ings Of honor, and prompted that chivalrie
sense Of action-qualities which never fail
10 command admiration. They gave proud
and noble bearing 10 manhood and the hope
of becoming a hero by deeds Of prowess en-
cOuraged the youth Of the country 10 cult
vate those arts which lead TO the develop
ment of physical strength and beauty. 1t
was deemed proud privilege 10 be able TO
enter the lists and SILVER a lance for the
honor Of q lady love. And there was some
thing glorious in the thought Of becom-
ing the hero of the hour, and of re-
ceiving, as a tribute to proves and
gallant bearing, the applause Of the
assembled crowd Ii IL true there was
much 10 condemn in these tournaments for
they were characterized by spirit which
belong TO a feudal age. Christianity cannot
accept the sacrifice Of life for the empty
honOrs Of a hero's crown. Nor can it sane
ton the promotion Of clivalric notions at
the cost of pain and the useless flow of blood.
There may be much 10 excite admiration in
the gallant bearing Of knights with helmets
upon their brows, and in the skill with which
a lance is welded, yet when the challenge is
10 mortal combat, all of the feelings Of civil
lization rebel against it. The shock Of steeds
and deadly thrusts are suggestive Of brutal
ARRAYS, and we shudder at the thought Of
reviving and perpetuating the classic sports
Of Greece and Rome. In this more enlight-
ened day, il is the principle alone that we
should labor 10 preserve. Our tournaments
must be conducted in a spirit Of christianity,
therefore, unlike those of old, life must not
be placed in jeopardy for the qualification of
a desire born Of dark and warlike age.
Woman is ever ready TO smile upon deeds
Of prowess yet her heart sickens at the sights
Of blood she admires noble bearing and
physical beauty, vet they must not be at
tanned at the sacrifice of intellectual powers
We must develope the mind as well as the
body. The great misfortune of our age is,
that we fail 10 combine the physical educa-
ton with that Of the intellectual. We run
TO extremes, and we read our mistake in
the thousands that make up the great sea Of
humanity. We might modify this through
the influence Of properly conducted tourna-
ments Memphis and GAINESVILLE, in Ten
nessee, have furnished us with examples
which should not be lost. At each place
tournaments recently have been held, rcceiv-
ing the patronage Of wealth and fashion.
Contests on horseback were the order of the
the day, and calamity did the knights strug
gle for the privilege Of naming the Queen of
Love and Beauty; and when bright eyes
flash AZ gloriously as those in Tennessee
this becomes a proud privilege indeed
Such contests, though not Of a dangerous or
deadly character, like those which were the
pride Of Rome, serve 10 awaken feelings of
emulation, and 20 keep alive a chivalric sense
Of honor Skill which commands success,
is only acquired by practice, and this prac-
tice becomes a model school for the educa-
ton of the physical powers. The touma-
ments, from their very character, are popu-
lar with the refined and fashionable, and there
is nothing in them at war with the teachings
of christianity. The youth are brought
prominently before the educated and the inn
portance of the development Of the intellec-
tual faculties at once is impressed upon
them. They thus receive an incentive toun-
dertake a two-fold improvement combi
nation of the physical and mental-and
learn the mutual advantages to be derived
from their mutual education. The unity
makes perfect mana being worthy of the
admiration and love Of women.