Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-12-05
Good Manners.

number OF the Independent, has an ex-
'ceedingly interesting and well-written
paper on "Fine Manners as a fine Art"
1t is written from the standpoint of an
artist, and relates manly to the aesthetic
element in manners. We do not pro-
pose to criticise it, and we allude to it
only to point out aad emphasize the
distinction between good manners and
fine manners. A manner may be fine
without being good, and good without
being fine. 1t may also be good, and
good without being fine. The manner
of an aristocrat, who looks down upon
every nine persons in ten whom he
may happen TO meet, may be fine, but
it Is not good. The manner Ofa French
mana member of the Latin race,
which Mr.. Jarves praises-may be fine,
but it is not good, because it is not based
in that profound respect for woman
without which all fine manners exhib-
-ited in his intercourse with her are no
better than an insult. ~
And this brings US to the only point
we choose to make in this article. A
catholic love of humanity, and a genu-
inc respect for its rights, is the only
sound basis Tor good manners. A tender
and pure regard for woman, added to
isamong men, furnishes all thes spring
and impulse necessary for the best and
finest forms of poIitenoss. 1t is not
necessary TO go to the Latin peoples.
with their traditions of art and their
aesthetics are recognized and manners
take the form and are shaped to the
arbitrary rules of etiquette; it is not
necessary to stuGy manuals of social
usage, or sit at the feet of Mr. Turvey-
drop, in order to learn good manners,
provided man thoroughly respect his
fellow, and find himself possessed of
that sentiment toward woman which
makes her his ideal and his idol. With
out thisfespeet and this love, there is
nothing more hollow and worthless
than fine manners. They become, in
this case, simply the disguise of an ego
ist more or less base and contemplate.
We know thatit is quite common to
attribute fine manners to the Latin peo-
pies as characteristic. That their
forms of poiiteness are graceful and
picturesque is not to be denied. There
is more of the show of courtesy among
the common people, and more of what
may pc called gallantry in the treat
ment of women, than among the SaXOns
and the Celts; but form of courtesy
which is form of fawning for pur-
pose, and a gallantry which originates
in sensuality, are neither fine manners
nor good manners. The French have
been for many syears regarded as the
politest nation of the earth. The French
capital is looked upon as the very home
and high court of fine manners; vet
there is probably not city in the world
that entertains SO little respect for wO-
men as Paris, or that is so thoroughly
permeated by distrust. The French
man does not trust the FrenchWcman,
nor does she trust him. His treatment
of her, though fine enough in its man
ner, is dictated by that which is base
in him. It has the look of gold, but
both he and she know that it is only
lacquer. France is full of fine manners,
but we should never think of looking
in France for good manners. Any man
who has travelled there knows that
they who bow lowest to bim will cheat
him worst, and that underneath fine
exterior and show of self-depreeiation
and outgoing Difference and respect,
there lives and dominates q selfishnesS
that is hideous and hateful.
AS we are in the habit of praising the
Frenchman's. politeness, so are we in
the habit of speaking very contemptu-
ously of the manners of the Character
istic American. That in the lower
forms of American social life there is
much that is rude and uncouth is adj
mitted; but it is also claimed that, in
some respects, the American is the best
To =,
quarrelsome, his whole education has
made him careful to respect the rights
of those around him, and he entertains
regard for woman which the charac-
teristic representative of no other ma
ton shares with him. The theory on
which the institutions of his country
are founded, and the influence of those
institutions upon him since the day of
his birth, are favorable to the develop
ment in him of that respect for the
rights of all men which Is essential as
the basis of good manners. In no
country but Ameria can woman, un-
6 TENDED, travel wheresoever she will
without insult, or the danger of insult.
There are no countries in the world in
which woman travelling alone would
travel in so much danger as in those
most noted for fine manners.
American society is comparatively
new. We have very little among us
that is traditional. The national style
of manners is in formative state; but
we certainly possess the basis for good
manners in pre-eminent degree. We
are good-natured, facile people, not
ungraceful, and certainly not lacking
in self-possession. We have need only /
to respect ourselves little more, cease
looking across the water for models,
and give as graceful an expression as
we can to our sentiments toward uni
versal man and woman, to become the