The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-10
Ethics of the Tight Rope.

Tho satirist of human nature would have
found ample scope for his cynical medltatlons
could be but have been present at the extra
ordinary exhibitions which, for the past three
or four days, our usually impassive city has
afforded. crowd estimated at not less than
10 600 persons of all ages, sexes, sizes and
colors," according to the public prints, block
ing up the streets and sidewalks, to gaze for
hours upon the performances of man with
balancing pole upon wire stretched some fifty
feet above their heads is certainly spectacle
caculated to arouse some wonder and not q
little curious reflection. To the question.
"What went they out for to see 2" can any ade-
ouate answer be given? What is the principle
underlying the popular passion for excitements
of this sort? We are in the habit Of telling
ourselves, and for the most part OF believing
the assertion, that this nineteenth century is
infinitely more civilized, mere refined and en-
Gghtened than any previous ago of humanity.
The dogma fits in with what we conceive to be
law of being and the natural order of things,
and is undoubtedly, on the face of it, plaus-
ible hypothesis. But if civilization means
ANYTHING, it must mean civilization Of tho
inner and not solely of the outer man. If re-
6ncmcnt and enlightenment mean anything,
they must mean an advancement of the mo-
two principle of humanity, not simply an I'M
provement in the method Of manifestation.
Otherwise, we are at once involved in the old
antagonism between seeming and being, and
the most perfectly to assume tho virtues which
we least possess will become at once the test
of progress.
The bull fights and sladiatorial conflicts of
the past have generally been admitted to point
tho extreme moral Of refined barbarism. Will
the apoloeist for the spectator of Professor
Bonds performances point out the precise line
of demarcation between the characteristics Of
the ancient and the modern exhibitions ? The
interest of the former hinged on the fact of
the deadly peril of the combatants. Beautiful
women, with lips apart and bated breath,
watched thrust and counter-thrust, attack,
feint and retreab and when the catastrophe
came, which came so often, soon learned to
check unwomanly tremors, and, even in later
days, to turn down the fatal thumb. On what
does the interest Of Professor Bonds gymnas-
tics turn? Simply and solely on the fact that
only hairs breadth divides him from hor-
rible death. If this be doubted, apply prac-
tical test. Let Professor Bond lower his rope
to within ten feet OF the ground and cover the
stones below with sawdust. Will he got his
crowd OF 10000? Will he get 1000? Will he
get 1902 No one pretends to suppose that he
will. The fascination is gone. If he falls he
will not be hurt. But" say our apologists,
tive have confidence in him; we are convinced
''that he will not fall" Mighty power OF faith
in one Of whom, week ago, no one in Charles
ton had ever heard Surely sceptics must be
mistaken in supposing that human nature
finds it so hard to accept the marvellous.
The simple fact is, that the whole affair is an
example Of mental intoxication; Of that fatal
impulse towards unnatural excitement whose
prevalence among people is one Of the surest
signs of popular Generalization. The best
thing Professor Bond can do to please the
thousands who flock to his daily exhibitions,
would be to fall and break his neck. Not one
of those who have gazed spen-bound upon his
exploits but would forever regret being absent
from such catastrophe. Meanwhile, thor
ougnfares must be rendered impossible, traffic
must be suspended, and the world in general
must "stand agaze like Joshua's moon in
Ajalon," to allow this pleasant excitement of
being 81 braue duec Ia pedu d'autrul.