New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-19
U1NTED-ST. GEORGE.

Champions of Chrlstendom IN their warfare
against all "Pagans, infdels, and enemies of
1.-THE God of Heaven most notable mention
and mastership is given to st. George, not
alone for his invncible pIowess. for his
enchanted steed Bayard, and sword Ascaon,
but for that he was clothed with all gentle
graces, that he was by day or night the
"courteous knight, of rare and lprincey
4" behavior
Nowadays there are no burning dragons or
witch Kalybs for the champions of Christen-
dom to overthrow. The cOnspirators against
decency, civilization, and heaven muster yet in
legions; but st. George with his Barbayy armor
and enchanted lance would cut but a ridcu
lous figure before them. Our champions rout
them manfully; one by one of the dark host,
Slavery, Bigotry, and Unbelief, has gone
down, or is to 60, before the modern
weapons of the pen and tongue. st.
George and his compatriOts needed
physical strength and skill to meet their
CHASTITY foes but our knights must attack
their spiritual enemies with spiritual forces;
faith in God and man, shrewd mother-wlt,
and, above ALL mouths like Aaron's, that will
speak well 1t is, as we all know, not only by
their tongues they set forth the civilization,
the lofty truths born into the world, since
the days of dragons and witches; it is in their
words, their gracious lives and presence, dig
nfed by all nobility of manhood, that we hnd
the old-time St. George, with his poor courtesy
and effort at gentle grace set aside and utterly
thrown into the shade as the rude type OF
rude era.
Conceive that most grave and cOurtly knight,
l. I,l,, ,lr a nil
grimage through the United States to witness
the signs by which this rare civilization and
progress of the nineteenth century manifestS
and justfes its life. Imagine the finely-toned
manners, the rare courtesy, the gentle dignity
of speech by which they would be instructed
and warned of the new brotherhood among
men.
DO they take up a journal Of the foremots
thought in the central city of civilization in
tended for the morning supply of mental food
for cultured men and delicate women Eight
of the twelve columns are devoted to Beastly
Murders" "a Thief 3 Games" "Chopping a
"Man to Death" or the details Of Burns
"Pit,r and accurate descriptions Of the chew
ing therein of trained rats by man. But hold
here is a history of a noble charity wherein
homeless DaDtS are IdhcH III anu CdlCu IOi'
Here the knight, whose VOW was to protect the
weak and helpless, can surely learn novel
lesson from these later times Our modern
champion finds it and reads it to him: " The
lovely lady President was present and wore
ga gros- gram silk trimmed with gold color
piping, and bestowed her wreathed smiles on
"all The Secretary was ravishing in blue
velvet etc.
If st. George should fail in these dashes here
and there by that most Christian knight
Jenkins to detect any symptom OF progress, or
of the rare aud princely behavior worthy of
country and an age which have spent their
best blood in the cause of freedom, and loos-
ened the chains of four million slaves, let
him enter the halls of Congress and hear the
daily discourse of men who represent and gov
ern that country and that age. Here, doubt
less in the wise benignity of words, in the
stately gravity of bearing, he will find the
reflection of this day of the world, day more
noble than any which Plato knew. lie hears
the lie given and taken without a grimace; he
hears this man accused of bribery, another OF
theft in the same language which he heard In
the New York slums, and finally, at the mys-
FERROUS words, "ShOo fly! don't bodder me-
thinks it better to go down to the sums at
once, and learn from the shoe-black teachers
what Congressman only give him second hand.
But on the way, Sabra, let US suppose,
desires to find convention of her own sex,
whercupon they journey to Newark. Women,
no doubt, with the wider culture and lofty
glmpses into truth afforded by the many
passing centuries. have risen to nights of
strength and serenity to which the fair and
gentle maiden of that past barbarous
age can only look up in hopeless envy.
Their desire, too, to assume the place and du-
ties of man can only arise from the fact that
they have conquered all those of their own
that in purity, refinement, tender womanli-
ness they have no more to learn. Sabra seats
herself in chattering, turbulent crowd and
hears one of her sisters announce that Man
"was tho whale; Jonah in his stomach was
"woman; and man would find it plaguey
"bard to keep her swallowedw Another
sister varies the figure and defines imam.
"as little Almighty in boots" Convinced
that the language of these oracles is iigurative
and capable of some divine Interpretation,
Sabra gives it up and comes away. Where
shall we direct the sanguine knight to take
her for the cearest glimpse of our modern
civilization Shall we invite them to peep
in the back door of II. X. HIS bedchamber
with us, to count over his collars and socks
and finger his jewelryf or to the gallows to
gloat over our next treat OF dangling wretch
who dies gameY
Or shall we honestly ask ourselves if there
is not some altogether noble and gracious
thing owned by this knight Of the grave and
gentle speech which we have almost let fall in