Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-07-12

polygamy Is not condemned in tile Old Testa.
ment md yet who would contend it is right
for this reason. The Bible lays down general
moral principles and rules Of conduct which
implicitly condemn all ungodlinoss and all
improper practices. Itcould not particulariyo
every offence without bong voluminous and
tedious. Besides tho dancing of tho Bible
differs from that Of the present day. In all
recorded instances but one person dnncod, or
If several were engaged eaoh was an indvid-
ual, separate and distinct from the othcrs.
There was no contact Of hands or persons
Farther, tho object Of tho jewish dance was
tho worship of God, and who would say the
dancing Of tho ball roums Of to-day Ind such
an object. The idea and existence Of Gnd is
far from their thoughts at snch times These
two material differences exist as to D.blo
dancing and tho pastimo Of to-day. II Chris.
tians will dance let tllcm come to tho house Of
God on tho Sabbath ant dnncc separately.
having in view and in their hearts the worship
Of God; but let M ono try to connect tho
dancing Of to,day with that oftho Diblo and
thus justify it.
The second argument f,r dancing is found
w
everything thcre is n scuSpn. aud II time t.,
every purpose under tho SUM-" .,&:. X X
"a time to mourn and time to Dance" g..
This cannot DO construed into an argument
that dnnciny is right. In tho same chnu,er
VIC find these w"rdS ~ timc to kill and a
time to hea. Il * y time to love ana Il
time to ha,e. Will any one say these en-
prcssions make killing or ha,in. right or
excuse .a"":? The la"suago means propcrl,
thore is tine in which these things ~, l,n;
or that there is rs much tino to murder q, to
pray, or to hate as to lore. Hence if his
chapter approves dancing then it also AZ
proves Of mrrlcrins and hating, which to tn,
Christian w.'nll he rejected as ;b!.ur:ent I,
every iIca IF dril:.
The ,hird argument, and the ono mo
relied on by the advocates ur dancing. j., thut
it teaches p"ltcncss and grace of movement,
and that these are csScntiul passports to g,ml
society. Dancing refers only to tho cnl,ivu-
tion OF the body, the exercise Of the physical
appendayc+ Of man. No ono will saw It's
object is to train OF cultivate the head or Tic
heart. to expand the mind and refine the
sensib,litics vi our nature. Now all true
poitcncSs springs irnnIa right heart. directed
by n cultivated mind, aud hence it follows that
the cultivation Of the mind and Heart can
nlonc cng'ndcr and dcyc!,p true p,litencss.
Dancing having no influence in this direction,
cannot be essential to true pnlitencss.
Besides. IL man who has nDt enough conm.,n
sense to c,ndu4t himself properly in s,c;cty
and learn Wy observation, has not sense enough
to deserve or malataia u position in good
s,ciety. The same is virtually t:uo as 70
grace Of M ,vrmcnt, fr thon III It is to be de-.
sired, yet if mans position in society de-
pended on the position "f his feet ur some
other limb. he would h"ll his standing by II
slender thread.
Why do we regard dancing wrong an | op-
pose i,2
First. Any person who will look around
will find that ~ IN Isl all the piDus and g,lly
neople "t his ncqnnimtancc oppose danoing
Those nrc not all old ingics. or old people, who
take no pleasure in seeing young people eni,y
themselves; but many of these nrc young aud
lively and like TO witness the innocent diver
sions Of youth. This is prcsumptivc argu-
ment against it. Pious people find it duty
to study moral questions. and the great bulk
Of the confcsscdly pious say dancing is wrong
both By thcir words and acts. Their opinion
on such subjects is worthy Of serious consid-
Grafton and should have controlling influence,
unless good reasons to tho contrary be shown.
Second. In what consists tho great charm
Of dancing. for that it is fascinating to the
young must be admitted? Where is the
charm? Docs it consist in jumping about
over the floor and exercising the limbs? II
so, to follow the plow would be equally fasc-
mating. rs it affords equally good and health
ful exercise. 1t cannot be in that. Does it
consist in keeping time to music2 If so.
would it not be less laborious and equally
charming to keep time in your mind OR with
your hand or stick as with your tcet? 1t
cannot be in that. Docs it lie in the pleasure
Of observing graceful movements on tho lloor?
If this were true, thcro would be more
observers than dancers, for all must admit
that better view Of tho movements can be
had by looking on than by taking part in
it. 1t cannot be in this. Does it proceed from
ono person moving with another to music? If
so, then there would be rs much charm for q
man to dance with man, or n lady with q
lady rs to dance with each other, and danccrs
will deny this. The grca: fascination of tho
dance lies in the fact that one is u male and
the other female. Men will talk together
for hours and seem TO enjoy themselves and
often they travel for weeks together without
firing but they will not dance together. The
enjoyment of tho dance grows out of the fact
that the parties are malo and female and
there lies the danger Evil thoughts and
passions nrc likely to be excited by the
contact and exhinration OF the dance. Is it
consistent with genuine chastity for lady in
the first flush of maidonhood, warm, vigorous
and impulsvc, to be huggcd up and tossed
about by man equally cxcitabic, robust and
vigorous? If SO, l have formed wrong idea
Of genuine chastity. IF tho warm contact of
two persons, malc and fomalc, in vigorous
youth does not tend to excite tho animal
passions and to arouse lccntious thoughts,
then am profcsscdly ignorant of the first
principles of dcpravol human nature, and in
this ignorance havo tho company Of many
of tho best and wiscst men. am unable to
see how parents can permit their daughters
tD n
especially when at balls the malo portion is
often full Of whskey. If can DO convinced
it is right to encourage llcentous thoughts or
TO prnctico whit tends to excite them then I