The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-11
SATURDAY, JULY IL, 1868.
The Latter-Day English.

English press seems to have fallen into per
feet passion Of self-detraction.. Journal after
journal falls into line, and exerts all its
strength and expends all its eloquence in the
endeavor to describe the depth of depravity
into which the nation has descended.
Among the most prominent of these much
iamented signs of the times, according to some
of the journals, is the tone of cynicism
adopted by the press itself-nothing is good or
true, and if by chance anything looks as if it
were, the utmost ingenuity must be used in
discovering the evil that necessarily turks
beneath the specious appearance of goodness
Deeds of benevolence, acts of virtue or words
of truth must spring from vicious motives and
be intended to promote selfish and evil ends
therefore, it behooves the press to reveal such
sinful causes and wicked aims and unveil
them in all their hideous deprsvity to public
which might otherwise be deluded into the
belief that virtue was still probable or benevo-
enoe possible.
DR.. Pusey, in a sermon upon Ash Wednes-
day, added his additional weight to the already
turning scale by painting the present as in
deed ga generation of vipers," and strength
ening his denunciation by showing that the
Pharisee, held up by the Scriptures as worthy
Of all exeoration, was immeasurably superior
in virtue to the average citizen of the present
day, insomuch that if he did blow his trum-
pet he did also give aims, and if he made
broad his philacteries he did not forget his
prayers.
But it is upon much suffering womankind
that the walls of wrath are poured without
stint. The fair, modest, true hearted English
lassie, 80 lovingly described in story and sun o
in song, is according to these authorities, en-
tirely extinct, and her place has been supplied
by damsel cloud aud FAST" who "talks
horse, " is knowing on the subject of the races,
dresses in an exaggeration of fashions which
are themselves immodest, neglects all the
home duties in order to "have a good time, "
and is generally lax upon the old established
doctrines of social life.
In all the eloquence lavished in this ecstacy
Of self-depreciation there is total want of
that simplicity which marks profound contri-
tiop, and the luxuriance of the style of the
confession is in itself almost sufficient to prove
the truth of the grievous depravity so vehe-
and glories in boasting of it; if it delights in
painting sin and sinners, and absolutely gloats
over orime certainly that ''great moral AGENT
has come to pretty bad pass. Sodom was not
overwhelmed until its one surviving righteous
man had left it, and we may draw comfort
from the old-time instance that even the
Satanic press of Great Britain is not as black
as it paints itself
AS to the women it is certainly true that
some of them write books which are trash
and it is presumed that other women read
them, but we cannot think that the sex is
irremediably lost in land where Mrs. Gas
kill lived and fought her way to fame, or
where the sermon preached by George Elliot's
F'Arthur' has been welcomed. Anthony
Trollope seems certainly to hold the mirror up
to nature, and yet the true old-faShioned
English girl still fingers in his pages. It seems
more than probable that, after ali, the curses
heaped on themselves by the British journals
are but bids for contradiction, aud are not to
be taken in earnest. In short, the abuse
lavished is merely an affectation.
1t is true that public opinion is always pre-
men form public opinion, but, rather, that
they follow it, The sex are the sworn subjects
of Mrs. Grundy, and in that fact lies their
greatest point of weakness; il, instead of fol-
lowing public opinion SO implicitly, they would
endeavor to create it, it would be better for
themselves and the world, and there might be
a great improvement in things in general it,
''ipse dirif could be changed in gender, There
will always be class OF women in every
country rather wanting in brains, and espe
oially deficient in that lesser conscience, taste
with which the sex is endowed-who will
follow in manners and style whatever the men
of their order think commendabe; they will
not make, but follow the fashion, aud they
ought not to be blamed too severely for "talk-
ing horse" if tie superior sex talks OF nothing
else.