Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-22
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
England was not manufacturing
country one hundred years ago. She

England was not manufacturing
country one hundred years ago. She
imported nearly everything, except corn,
WOO, and flax. She imported the great
est part of her iron from Spain, Sweden,
Germany and Russia. She imported
her pottery from Holland, her hats from
Flanders, her silks from France, her
cloths and carpets from Belgium. Her
cotton manufactures, her woolen and
flax manufactures, her machine manu-
factures, could scarcely be said to exist
Coal could scarcely be had, for the coal
pits could not be kept clear of water.
A hundred years ago, she could not
build steam engine; she could scarcely
build bridge. Look at the churches
built hundred years ago, and behold
the condition of her architecture. A
hundred years ago she had fallen to al
most the lowest condition as a nation.
She had not harbor; she had not 4
dock. The most extensive system of
robbery prevailed on the river Thames.
The roads, such as thew were, swarmed
with ilighwaymen; and blackmail was
levied by the Highlander upon the Low
land farmers down to the middle OF the
last century.
A hundred years ago her ships were
rotten they were manned by prisoners
taken from the hulks, or by working
men pressed in the streets in open day.
When James Watt was learning his trade
of an instrument maker in London, 2
hundred wears ago, he burst scarcely
walk abroad lest he should be seized and
sent to India or the American planta-
ions. Less than a hundred years ago
tie GOLFERS and salters of Scotland were
saves. 1t is not forty years since the
women and children worked in coal-pits.
Surely we are not to 60 down upon our
knees and pray for restoration OF the
horrible things that existed hundred
year ago.
A hundred years ago Ireland was
treatel like slave country, and hang
ings AMI shooting OF rebels were frequent.
The flet at the More mutinied, and the
mutiny vas put down by bloodshsd and
executions. Towns and cities swarmed
with ruffhns, and brutal sports and bru-
tai language existed to frightful de-
gree. Criminals were hanged, five OF
six togethr, at Tyburn. Gibbets exis-
ted at all tln cross roads throughout the
country. Tie people were grossly igno-
rant, and altogether neglected. Skepti.
cism and irrelgion prevailed, until Wes-
ley and Whitfield sprung up to protest
against Journalism and atheism. They
were pelted with rotten eggs, sticks and
stones. A Methodist preacher was whip.
ped out of Gloucester.
A handred years ago literature was al
a verJ low ebb. The press was then ir
miserable state. William Whitehead
. was poet laureate. Who knows of him
nov? Gibbon had not written his ''De
cline and Fall" Junius was the popu
la! writer; political corruption was sac
riiced in his letters. The upper classe!
we're coarse, drunken and ill-mannered
; Pribery and corruption on the crosses
scale were the principal means of get
ling into parliament Mr. Dowdeswell
M. p, for Worcestershire, said to th'
. Commons, "You have turned out mem
'ber for impiety and obscenity. Wha
halt-dozen members of this house eve
meet over a convivial bottle, that thei
discourse is entirely free from obscenity
impiety, or abuse Of government"
Though drunkenness is bad enougl
now, 1T was infinitely worse a hundre'
years ago. The publican's sign-boar
announced, "You may here get drum
for penny, dead-drunk for two-pence
and clean straw for nothing.' Drunk
enness was considered a manly vice
To drink deep was the fashion of til
day. Six-bottle men were common
Even drunken clergymen were not ur
huvun.
What were the popula, .--A~ao,.on.
} of the people hundred years ago? The
consisted principally of man-tightinG
dog ghting, cock-fghting. bull-baitins
, bad ger drawing, the pillory, publ
: whipping and public executions. Nj
e Wyndham vindicated the ruffianism {
the ring in his place in parliament, an
held 1t up as school in which Englisl
men learned pluck and the "manly a
of self Defense" Bull-baiting was, pc
n haps, more brutal than prize-fghtln!
h though Wyndham defended it cas- calc
+ lated to stimulate the noble courage
: Englishmen." The bull was secured
la stake in the market place, or bul
ring, and there the animal was baitt
IS by the rabble dogs of the neighborhoo
If One can scarcely imagine the savagene
n n of the sport-the animal mutllations, Il
lie imprecations of ruffians worse th;
y, | uGCS, GuO stAu III uhhS
e ness, the blasphemy and unspeakah
y horrors of the exhibition. The pub
i mind of this day absolutely revolts
( such brutality. Yet less than hundr
e. years ago-on the oath of May, 1902
IF bill for the abolition of bull-baiting W
d lost in the house of commons. by ski
IN four to fitty-one-Mr. Wyndham &C
C. tending that horse-racing and hunti
were more cruel than bull-fghting
ed prize-fghting.
ne ne The pillory was one Of her time-he
ty ored Institutions fifty years age, a
:, men and women used to be placed the
lie lie for offences such rs wise legislatl
p would have endeavored to conceal fr'
no public consideration. The horrid seer
n, which then took place, when men, v
IS, men and children collected in crowds
u" pelt the offenders with missiles, were
ek disgusting that they cannot be descrlb
.se Not more seemly were the pull
,e- whippings then administered to won
in common with the coarsest male
tenders. The public denominations a
* obscenties of the "good old time
,s- would almost have disgraced the d;
at at OF Nero.