The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-14
"A NATIONAL WEAKNESS

II a ma 4xV0dA WhAAu0D0se !
Among the minor vices of this country il
the propensity to disputaton and controversy
The forty millions Of North Ame1icans debate
more than al The balance Of the civilized
world This Republic Is % entirely free tina
everything becomes in time . subject Of I
wordy litigation, In which the contestanti
fill the various functions Of jurors, Witnesses
judges and advocates. Religion is free, and
therefore every man, woman or boy attacks
every religion that does not please her or him,
and Is instant, in season and out Of season,
in calling upon everybody 70 render reason
for the faith that IL in him. Preachers OF
disagresing scots wage linguistic warfare upon
each other. Every unsettled item Of doctrine,
Of which hundreds of sects furnish an meal
culable number, becomes the subject Of
earnest and often angry controversy.
In politics it is far worse, for, while in mat
tiers pertaining to religion there are many in
different, all grown men, majority Of boys
and great many women belong to or prefer
some party, and feel under obligations to
champion and defend their party, its doc
.trines. its measures ard its exponsAta All
that is done in any government becomes the
subject of debate. If it concerns city, the
whole body corporate must join in the contro.
versy. If it is matter before State Lagisla-
ture, all the inhabitants of the Safe inconti-
nently "pitoh ia" and argue the matter IS
long, as noisily and as vehemently as if their
lives or fortunes were at stake. y
/ An election is the signal for all. citizens,
irrespective of age or sex, to enter upon a
boisterous, eager and most inconclusive logo
machy. The candidates become wordy and
windy gladiators before the sovereign people,
and the friends of each make war of words
upon the friends Of the other, until the entire
district, State or Union, resounds with dis
putes. wrangles and contradictions The air
is perfumed with adjectives, oaths, arguments
and epithets, mingled with the aroma of to-
.baceo and alcoholic spirits. People cease to-
converse but dispute, debate and declaim
about men and issnes until the day of the
election, and afterwards quarrel and debate
over the results.
The press Of the country, in like manner,
has become q machine for debating and
scolding on q large scale. After what is
printed as mere news or literature, or is Of
or general character, We find
but few we'll considered essays and disserta-
lions worthy Of the toll and research of the
writer's, and worthy Of the attention. time and
thought of those who read to be improved
and informed. Thsspirit of controversy 30
the field of journalism as to leave |
but little room for the spirit Of philosophy.
A great deal Of the contents Of daily Journals |
seems to be in spirit Of hostility and to be |
aimed at some men, measure or party. The |
spirit of contestation and warfare appears in |
al their columns, which bristle with invec-
lives, and thunder with q fusilade of epithets |
Whether in neighbprhoods, corporations,
societies, cities, or States, the people of Hail |
are never at peace with one another,
ind never SO much interested, animated and |
rejoiced, as when involved in fierce verbal |
controversy Thedisposition to debate has
,olored all our linguistic forms and made of
popular language an armory filed with
Weapons and ammunition. But what is still
serse, it has cultivated the carpipg,. hair
Flitting propensity, the desire to defeat and
nnoy at the same time. 1t destroys rhetoric,
Iifgures our vocabulary, and renders an y
hing like grand logical sequence Of thoughts
nd differences impossible It's At enmity
nth the spirit of Investigation, no less than
nth all chat Is noble in true ofa.ory, or
esthetic in literature. Hair splitting oquib-
lers are always hunting for blunders and
lips, and are never 50 thoroughly happy
8 when they find new mares nest. Ii