The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-11-11

{ NUMBER 20.

The soberest Of American cities has had
its winters excitement furnished by the
Can can the officers Of the law in New
York act or remain inactive, accordiHs-to
the relative length OF the plaintiffs and
defendants purses, While the hot wlhfl Of
Newport and Saratoga serve as a ready
Lethe for all moral Obligations; A rather
disheartening picture might be drawnin
| this way of our probable future; and yet
we can not believe in its truth. "F..-
The question is, what amount of in
anence do the forces called social exert
upon the general current Of thought and
upon the general moral tone Of the country?
We can not say how it is, in p England or
France, (Which latter country, we suspect,
has furnished most of the material for
these .essays) but in America this influence
is, on the whole, slight. If"socie'y" here
were in the hands of The older and NOR,
prominent men and women, 10 the hands
of our great bankers, and great orators,
and great merchants and their wi es, the
extravaganza and stupidity Of which We
hear so much might fairly be expected to
b"get extravagancc and stupidity among all
orders and classes, and those who believed
a general reign OF corruption ard inanity
to the approaching would probably from u
majority of the thinking public. -..-
II the people who by their standing at
tract the attention and mold HE fashion
of the masses are sensual in their tastes
and low in their aims, the rest Of the peo-
pie will, by coming under their influence.
become ike them. They say that when
the Baggar's Opera was first performed in
London, Sir Robert Walpole. then Minis
ter and well known to be bribing to the
right and to the left, was in a stage box.
On the singing he following air of Lockit's.
all Goes were turned on Sir Robert, and
the ar was cncored.
when you censnre the age, - f.-.
Be cautious and sage,
Lest the courtiers offended should be
+ lfyDu mention voice or bride, .i
It's SO pat to all the. tribe, ... .-
That each cries, That was leyeled at me y"
!. Sir Robert, observing the pointed man.
ner in which the audience applied the last
line to him, parried the thrust 10y encoring
it with the single voice, and thus not ,.nlv
b.unted the pjetical shaft, but gained a
general huzz, from the audience. And
there can be no doubt that Walpole low
. nr,1 Ia, IF lv
clever au lacty which gained lin the
huzzl.
But if you seek the leaders of society in
America, you do not find them in the
statesmen, the orators, the presidents of
colleges hut in boys oftwenty-two with
good faculty for dancing. and girls of
twenty just home from Paris. Or if you
took for maturity you mny find it in the
person of some br0keri-down stock gambler
known by his fs-t horses and disreputable
life. '@'t i.. a"''.s:i- t... # .a '.-
Even these last are in small minority:
the crowd is young, and is the youth of
the crowd. and its consequently uninfuen-
tial character, upon which We wish to
dwell. A generation in our society lasts
three or at the outside four years, and it is
only at the close of their social career that
our young men and women begin to have
airy Influence in directing the current Of
thought or action at all. The number #
: persons who in any large American city
are at once prominent members of" society"
and also prominent in public life or bust
ness Of any kind, GIN be counted ON the
fingers of one hand. And it is very easy
to see that prominence as cotillon dancer
, and promin nee as human being are
. really Incompatible, tor it req Tires all the
energies of ones nature to be prominent
in either capacity. r. -sf %
II any one wishes to realize tie 2touth
of these statements, let him pause a mo-
ment and reflect upon his probable scnsa-
tons, on being toll that some eminent
3 public lecturer in the United States Was IN
! the habit of spending his summer after
Moons in driving on the avenue at New
y port, and his winter evenings in leading
# the German at Delmonico's. The fact is,
7 that AL young American men and women,
: who have any ambition or desire to serve
e mankind, lrave society" rs soun as they
d arrive at years of discretion and the re-
{. suit is, that society Is composed OF those
J.. who have not yet reached years Of discfe-
ton. and those who never will do so-a
n society not very likely to mold opinion at
It large, or in the long run to damage the
r cause Of morality with those who remain
on. of it.
Let us say that in making these remarks
we are no. speaking of any society othe'
p than that which is known by this name in
RI our large cities which is recognized Us sucl
by reporters Of newspapers at Long Branch
. or Saratoea-the only society" properly
sp. aking, in America. There is, indeed.
larger meaning in the word, which permits
at i: sometimes to include any association 0
!, men and women for purposes of pleasure
y or instruction. meaning which woull
hardly exclude lectures or"r readings" an,
ne would certainly comprehend "tnlkng par
in ties" But, this is Tot society," 1t cal
y not be too often repeated tba society i!
America means the "Germni."
We 1t is very difficult To subtantiate wha
e, we have said, because. from the fact tina
,e the influence of society on opinion is 5
10 small, special instances Of it, weakness ar
- hard to find. We are obliged to appea
Is to the general sense Of the public, ard "