American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-01-04
s,nnI Manners.

Mr. JAMES JACKSON JAKvEs in late
number ot TIE independent, has AN
exceedingly interesting and we'll
'Vr ttcn paper on zine Manners
as Fine Art" 1t is written from
he standpoint Of an artist, and re-
lates mainly 10 the aesthetic element in
manners. We do no- propose to criti-
/ else it, aud we allude TO it on Y to point
out and emphasize the distinction bet 'seen
good manners and fine manners. A man
ner may be fine without being good. and
good without being fine. 1t may also be
good and fine at the same tidie. The
manner of an arisiOcrat, VINO looks down
upon every nine persons in ten whom he
may happen TO meet, may lie fine, but IL
is not good. The manner of Il French
man "A member OF the Latin race, which
Nr. .Jarves praiSeS-may be fine. but IL IS
not good, because it is hot based in that
profound spect for woman without
which all the fine manners exhibited in
his intercourse with her are no bettsr than
an insult.
And this brings us t. the only point we
choose TO maze i'll this article. A catho-
lie love of humanity, and a genuine re-
Spect for its rights, Is the only sound ba-
sis for good manners. A tender and pure
regard TOR woman. added to this among
men. furnishes al the spring and impulse
necessary for the best and finest forms of
politeness. 1t is not necessary to 60 TO
art and their aesthetic culture; it is not
necessary to see countries where classes
are recognized and manners take the form
and are shaped to the arbitrary rules OF
etiquette it is not necessary to study
manuals of social usage. or sit at the feet
Of Mr.. Turveydrop. in order to learn
good manners, provided a man thorough
~ respects his fellow. and find himself
possessed OF that sentiment toward wo-
man which makes her his ideal and his
idol. Without this respect and this love,
there is nothing more hollow and worth
less than fine man ers. They become. in
this ca e, simply the disguise of AN ego
list more or less base nd contemplate.
Am rican society is comparatively new.
We have very little among us that Is ira
ditional. L G national style of manners
is in a formative state; but we certainly
possess the basis for good manners
in prominent degree. We are
g0Od-natured. ia lie people, not unorace-
ful, and certa My not lacking in self-pos-
session. We need only to respect our
selves little more, cease looking across
the water for models and give as grace
ful an expression as we can 10 our sentl-
ments toward woman. to become he
acknowledged possessOrs of good man
ners.
Fine manners will not become universal
and characteristic of American life
some ears. The absorption of the Ameri-
can mind in the Development of the ma
teriai resources of the country. in the
prosecution OF its industrial in eres s, and
i'll the pursuit OF wealth, forbids tn Rs-
thetic culture whose natural outgrowth is
fine tanners. Good manners. which we
already possess. and for which we hold
the only legitimate and reliable basis,
need simply to be refined. The refine
ment of good man ers will not come to
us through the pursuit of ''fine manners
as fine art but they will come to us
as natural Outg Owth of g neral aesthetic
culture. As the nation becomes more re-
fined, manners will he only one of the
forms and modes through which the
growing idea of that which is graceful and
beautiful will express itself. The man
who feels finely viii act finely. provided
he mingle sufficiently in society to act
freely. Thee is no v.lue in any form of
fine art without line eeling. and there
mus be aomething better than the charac-
ter of the typical Latin on which to base Il
style of manners worth possession or en-
ulatiOn. Manners pursued as ~ art, for
their own sake. viii become artificial. AMI
thus react upon character in a very disa-
greeabIe and dangerous way.-Scribner
for December.