Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-07-10
DECAY OF PUBLIC VIRTUE.

UEsAE OE EOhLkC VEhs y Es
With all their advancement, and intellec
tual progress and cnlightment, there is un
questionably growing tendency among civ
ilized people to crafty theiEmaterial appe
tites immoderately. The more one has the
greater is his temptation to spend. The
man of limited income, acquiring wealth
suddenly, exchanges frugal for cxtravagani
habits, and rarely rcfrains from entering up
on the new and mazy avenues of material
enjoyment opened to him. One luxury be-
gets the longing for another, and from be-
ing attemperate, abstemious, well to do citi,
zcns, he too frequently becomes a fast
man of the world, spending his money in
selfish qualifications, and corrupting society
by his influence and example. This is cs-
pecially true of our own country, where the
poor man Of to-day may be the millionaire
of tomorrow, where the absence of all caste
distinctions found upon family, afford full
play for mammon. The very material sue
cess of civilized nations may, therefore, con-
stitute source Of their weakness and de-
cay, as was the case with Pagan nations -
Napoleon prides himself upon having brot
France to high state of prosperity and en-
jtymeut. If we are to believe Paris jour
nal, however, this pretended prosperity and
hides under its enchanting appearances the
but too certain germs Of dessolation, rum
and death"
To-day France is threatened, says Il Opia
Notionalc, with a rapid depop,lation in
consequence of the relative ''unfruitfulncss
of lawful marriages, the excessive mortality
among infants, and great number of per-
sons remaining in a state of cclibacy. -
While the rulers of France have almost
Exclusively encouraged" the qualification
of material wants, the people, it declares,
have formed luxurious habi,s which have
led to these national evils or crimes spcc-
fed. 1t then proceeds to draw the follow
ing graphic picture of French society as it
now exists, threatening to encompass the
ruin Of the people.
"Always to talk of money, wealth anu
public prosperity, represented by millions
and tens Of millions, to display high and
low fortunes most scandalousl ly-acquired, to
show instantly the power Of the god-mon-
cy to put in second place, literature, art
and science, which ought always to occupy
the first, to hold morIality--we mean the
great and the good-in sli ,ht esteem, and
hold it up for ridicule more often than TO
admiration, such has lcen or half century
the wor!; Of many people, who have at last
succeeded in bringing France into the state
in Which she now finds herself.
Go talk Of patriotism, of civic virtues,
Of devotion, or alas, even Of liberty, to all
those men who meet on the Exchange, TO
those merchants or stock joLbcvs who wish
to arrive at fortune by any means, 10 any
young men who only frequent women of
doubtful reputation, horses and gambling
houses-most of them will not understand
you this language is totally unknown to
them, the others will laugh at you, and take
you for man who has escaped from Char
enton, (Bedlam, or, at least, that you ought
to be sent there as quickly as possible.
"';uxury--a mad, ridiculous, cncryatng
and domoralizing lu.ury-,cover all this
ani aggrayatcs the sore, What mistake
again to consider luxury Us sign Of pros
pcrity!
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