Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-10-17

of those who find themselves engage
in humbleD empl0ymeuts. that the
shall virtually eOncede that somebod
somewhere is better than themselves
1t is singular that they should yolun
tarily take a course that proves tn
fact they are so unwilling, to admit Il
themselves and others. The man VII,
undertakes to prove chat he is as gOoc
as gentleman by behaving like
bOor, volunteers decision agains
himself; while he who treats al mel
politely, builds for himself position
which secures the respect Of all whose
conduct is not condemned by his own
The Americas il a kinder man than
the -Frenchmsn and better -natured
than the EngIishmen, but the humble
American is. less polite than either
One of the charms of Paris TO the
travelling American grows out of the
fact that it is one of the first places he
visits, and that then, for the first time
| in his life, be comes into contact with
a class of humble people who have
thoroughly good manners. He is not
called boss, or "hoss." is him
self put upon his good behavior. by
the thoroughly courteous treatment
he receives among railway Ofhcisls,
shopkeepers, walters at cafe and hotel,
cab drivers, etc. The : Bieni noa-
sieasr. aud " Bien Madame" which
responds to ones requests In Paris, Is
certainly very sweet and satisfactory
after, All right, boss; you can bet
on" -rars
" here the cure for our national
trouble Is coming from, il Is hard 10
tell There was time, fifty years ago,
when there was degree of reverence
in American children, and at least a
show of good manners. Great respect
to those of superior age and culture
was then inculcated, and at least for
NAL courtesey exacted. Those of
country breeding who are old enough.
remember the strings of school child
rem at the roadside, who arrayed
themselves for the formal exhibitions
of courtesy to the passenger. Ger
tainly all this training is done with.
and such sight as this, we presume,
has not been witnessed in America
within twenty-five years. Even the
men and wOmen-fathers, mothers.
teachers of fifty years ago-have re
eeded from lhe courteous habits of
previous generations. In the old
colonial, and even later days, great
respect was paid to dignitaries. The
clergyman was reyerenced because he
was Clergyman, and occupied the su-
preme position of teacher OF the peo-
pie. He was reverenced not only be-
cause of his holy calling. but because
he was a scholar All this is gone BY
The clergyman, if he is good fellow.
is very much liked and petted, but the
old reverence for him, aud universal
courtesy toward him, are unknown.
Are the people any better for all
this change? We think not; and do
not doubt that the change itself has
much to do with the habits Of incivil
ity Of which we complain. Men must
have some principle of reverence in
them, as basis of good manners. and
this principle Of reverence in the
modern American child has very little
development. He comes forward early,
and the first thing he does, in multi
tudes Of instances. is to lose his respect
foe his parents. Indeed, courtesy to
parents is in no way exacted. Poor
men aud women try to give their child
reu better chances than they had
and the children grow up
with contempt for those whose saeri6-
ces have raised them 20 higher plane
of culture. They call the teacher
= Old Snooks, or "Old Bundle, or
whatever his name may happen 10 be.
1t is not unjust to declare that there Is
in America to-day no attempt, dis
tinctly and definitely made, 70 eelti-
vate a spirit of reverence in children.
We acknowledge that We have NO
faith In any attempt to reform the man
ners Of the adult population of the
country. Our efforts to make sober
men oat Of drunkards, and total-absti-
nence men out of moderate drinkers,
are failures. Our temperance armies
are to be made entirely out of child
rem. Wecan raise more christians BY
Juvenile Christian culture, than by
adult conversion, a thousand to one.
SO it will be in this matter OF national
pOliteness. The parents aud teachers
Of the country can give US a polite
people by this cultivation of the prin-
ciple of reverence not only, but By in
struetion in all the forms of polite adj
dress.
With a number Of things greatly
needed to-day in home culture and
school study, this matter of training in
good manners is not the least. In
deed, we are inclined to think it is OF
importance. 1t should be-
come matter Of textbook at once.
A thorough gentleman and lady, who
has brains enough to comprehend
principles, while proficient in practice.
could hardly do better service to the
country than by preparing a book for
parents and teachers, as at once
guide to them and those who are un-
der them. Children must De trained
to politeness, or they will never be po-
lite. They must drink politeness in
with their mothers milk it must be
sxacted in the family and neighbor-
hood relations, and boys aud girls
must grow up gentlemen and ladies' IN
their department, or our nation can
never be thoroughly polite one-po-
lite in soul as well as 10 ceremony, and
kind in manner as we'll as kind IN
heart.-Scribaer's Monthly for SIP
'ember.