New-York tribune., 1871-04-06
SINRnL. 1MNSENENT.

We are especially pleased TO notice the pro-
cress made by our Methodist friends In Their
views of the amusemcnts hitherto proscrlpcd
by that church. The expression OF opinion
IN tbe kssocietion of Clergy held in Newark
last week was, for the most part, more llDerai
opd souudIy grounded on philOsOphie pI1ncI-
,Ies fhan we would have hoped from body
of men usually noted GOr strict adherence TO
their hereditary and narrow code me ieilu-
ing members OF the Conference nave cVidenily
had their eyes cOuched, and enough Oh tie
da,iielt OF The nineteenth century has crepV
in 10 show them wholesome and pure elements
IN The tbcalcr, in nogcl-fcading, IN moo"St
dancing, and in healthlul oui-door ga'nes'
They Frankly acknowledged their conversion
while they continued TO protest against me
o.,nses 90 be found in each. There we're, OF
course, equally sincere and honest men to OF
nose them, who detected Satan's hoof ana
tai in every human employment outside OF
legitimate work and church-eoing. Nine
"tcuths of our .amu5cmontj being sinful said
one of these sit is best to f0rcgo the other
| tcnth."
We attach more importance to this discus
sion than perhaps, at arS' sight, it seems to
warrant. The Methodist fraternity, as we OBJ
served thc other day, includes a vast and pow
! crfnl body of our people; being an accrc'ion,
| for ihc most part, of the working Intelligent
middle class 1t il especially desirable that
it's leading ideas on social morality should bo
| free from bigotIy and prejudice; and no sub
cct trenches, at tho present time, more deeply
on The moral or mental health OF the people
than their lac, OF wholesome, HbcraHzlng
amusements. Now Church bodies ore proven
blny slow to apply the divine yet practical
truths of Christianity Of which they are The
! Keepers to varying everyday popular exigen-
cies. They are ied by political and social re-
forms oflcner t!du they lead them; the reason
! of which ia, we suppose, That each sect, al
though the bearer of a banner which should
,lace her in the van Of every reform
in Thought or practice, still wears and IS ham-
| pcrad by whatever peculiar doctrine or opinion
formed once her swaddling-clOtlcs. Ii Il
Church had ia birth in protesting with bloody
! testimony acnin,t any tenet or practice, she
mutually cxaR-cratC6 it still, Gitcr centuries
have passed, as the chief evil on earth. TO
! Christians outside of the churches the qneS-
lions of apostolic Succession, dipping or
sprinkling, elders and bishops, plain Ian
guagc ana shad-hcllicl coats, are feather
weights, mere tithcs Of mint, anise, and
cumiD. compared with tho eternal tragedy of
! % lchasod human nature striving to rise to an
almighty, all-loying God and every year We
hope brincs this profound conviction home TO
the churches also. This very matter Of amusc-
mcnts is the peculiar bcie nOr of the Method
ist Church. Dissipation and wantOnncss Of
In lish society terrified the Church into eX-
istemco in the iirst place. II is hardly 10 be
cxpcctcd therefore, that it should be able to
regard the subject oven now with q cool unprc-
iuGiccd eye. But orr Methodist brethren shOuid
be able 10 perceive The difference between the
canccrOas luxury OF an eneryatod court and
the absolute ncceS ity Of relaxation, bOtl phys
real and mcuial, sOr people nervous, bilious,
and oycr-wOrlled. a. are the Americans. Cll-
matte influences arc more eNhausing in the
United States than in Europe. There il in
every class the faycriSh struggle for money or
Success unknown in any other country. The
whole nation male and female is possessed
by a demon Of unrest and anxiety. The higher
we ascend in The social scale the more intense
il the strain upon body and brain. The alnbi-
tious professional and business nan rarely
takes breath to enjoy the wide life God has
opened; one dny Il but burden scarcely
this ia. true. it is also true that there
is 10 other people among whom amusement is
50 little understood or practiccd. The incyita-
bic consequence follows. You might as well
try to choke a burning gcyser as to shut down
man or womans whole nature into money
making or clurch-going. There is an excess
cf animal spirits, heat III the blood which
will find vent. The Italian sings; the French
man dances; the Nun and Methodist, who can
neither sing nor dance. fall into frances and
see heaven opened by the aid of hystcria and
catalepsy. Tho American so far has found
his escapc-valye in whisky. "Hc drinks" said
a kcen-sshted foreigner lately, "not for social
enjoyment, but as physical necessity, to
"relievc apparently some actual cerebral over
"strain.n One Cf the clergyman in Newark
stated that, ain consequence of the love OF
dancing. every third child born in France is
"illogitimate." Our friend shopld be sure Of
his facts. Paris, it is true, has the vices pocu-
| liar TO all the great rendezvous for strangers
in tho world. The French and Irish rural
population, who amuse themselves heartily
more than any other people, are the chastcst
in Europe the least so are the Swcdcs, whose
solo relaxation is our Own-whishy.
| We trust the time will soon como when our
Methodist brethren will he led to follow the
common sense of mankind i'll believing that
whatever tends TO keep the animal in man
in check aud develop his higher nature, what
ever makes him better appreciate bis brother
man, and more thankful for the beautiful,
joyful world he lives in, is for the glory Of
"God" whether it be hymn or sermon, novel,
dance, or drama.