Smyrna times., 1870-06-08
Poetry and Drunkenness.

Justin Mccarthy, in late excellent article
upon the points of difference between English
men and Americans, asserts, that, SO far as his
observation goes, Americans are the SObCreSt
race under the SUM- I" No Englishman," he
says, mot professed teetOtaer, dreams of
dining without a G ass Of wine or ale. In
America the ice water for dinner is the rule,
the wine or beer the rare exception" Mr..
Mccarthy notes, however, the existence every
where of barroOms for the use of a respectable
class here, and their constant use, while "nO
Englishman whatever above the level of coal
HEAVIER or a cOstermOnger walks into a bar
room at midday and swallows ardent spirits
The bar-rOOms Of the Fifth Avenue Hotel or
| the st. Nicholas would be useless institutions
in hotels Of that class in London" He is
| keen-Sighted enough, too, to detect the cause
of this seeming contradiction in our habits
"When an American drinks, he drinks to sat
isfy certain craving to supply certain sup
posed necessity not for the joy Of drinking or
the sweetness of prolonged sensation"
! The New York TriLune says: In this
symptom of the lack of sensuousness among us
Mr. Mccarthy finds matter for regret, which,
we confess, our prejudices will not allow US to
share. Sixty years ago, wine or brandy were
as common adjunctS to every meal here as in
England liquor was brought into every rite of
hospitality. We drank over the new born baby,
and over the corpse in its coffin. No bargain,
no social call even between women, was COM
plete without the offered glass of wine even
ministers Of the gospel kept the usual liquor
stand upon their side boards. 1t is not fifty
years since the motion to refuse the sum GUS
tomarily appropriated by Presbyterian Synod
for the use of liquor at their annual assembly
was bitterly opposed as Pharisac and fanati
cal. That so great change has taken place in
this regard among the educated classes, and
that drinking is almost altogether confined tC
those who drink to satisfy certain physica
craving, are glad tn acknowledge, even if We
have to plead guilty that it is owing to lacl
OF desirable sensuOusneSs amOngus. We ven
ture to differ with Mr.. Mccarthy when h.
ascribes this deficiency in our character to tn
Mr.. Mccarthy himself gives the real caus
of it when he hints at the utter absence Q
caste and traditional usage among us. . Eve
rything is on trial here: everything is posi-
bic. Hence follows the perpetual friction
striving, clambering over each others shoul
ders party conflict individual conflict Tn
American is never, like the Englishman, Dor
into social niche he has not only his brea
and butter to make, but his position; not onl
} to conquer the certain place, brt to convinc
everybody that he holds it. Nothing goe
+ without saying here, as in communities lon
! graded into ranks. A mans wealth. piety
: good breeding, must be, so to speak, thru;
down his neighbor's throat before he is accreC
: tied with it. At least that is our ordinary bt
Q lief and course Of conduct. What time hav
1 we to " loaf and invite our souls?" Mr.. NJ,
! Carthy must see the unreasonableness of h
!. demands. The Vennese, with his yard
e thin, bright beer, has nothing better to
4 than to enjoy it. RObby Burns, sure of dyr
IS plowman or gauger, had leisure to apostr
e phize daisy or mouse but if he had live
IS in Iowa he would have had not only his whe
"a crop to think of, but his place to choose al
e struggle for from President to prOthOnotar
e After awhile we will be older and wiser, al
= perhaps will take time to amuse ourselves, al
IS sky is blue. But with the growth Of needf
consciousness, we do not believe there will
d an increase of sensuality. And we will be n
h the worse poets because we have learned to
,e sober ones.