The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-03-23
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LUxURYfHE CAUSE oFHATroHALpI0AY.
Frugality Of manners is the nourishment
and strength of bodies politic. 1t is that
by which they grow and subsist, until they
are corrupted by luxury-the natural cause
of their decay aud ruin. Of this VIC have
examples in the Persians, Lacedamonians
and Romans: not to mention many later
governments which have sprung up, contin-
'ued while, and then perishcd by the same
natural causes. But these are, it seems, OF
no use to us: and; in spite Of them, we are
in fair way of becoming ourselves another
useless example to future ages.
Simplicity of manners may be more easily
preserved in 2 republic than monarchy
sskResif fanssE
!. an n mouasehy, the example ofa.c court being
of great efficacy, either to reform or to cor
rupt people; that alone were sufficient to
discountenance the wearing of gold or silver,
either in clothes or equipage, and if the
same were prohibited by law, the saving so
much bullion would be the smallest benefit
of such an institution there being nothing
more apt to debase the virtue and good
sense of our gentry of both sexes than the
tri6ing vanity of apparel, which we have
learned from France, and which has had
such visible i'll consequences on tho ge Mus
of that people. Wiser nations have made
1t their care to shut out this folly by severe
laws and penalties, and its spreading among
us can forbode no good, if there be my
truth in the observation of one of the an
Giants, that the direct way to ruin q man is
to dress him up in fine clothes.
But We are doomed to be undone.-
Neither the plain reason of the thing, nor
the experience past ages, nor the exam
pies We have before our eyes, can restrain
ns from initiating, not to say surpassing
The most corrupt and ruined people in those
very points of luxury that ruined them.-
Our gaming, our operas, our masquerades,
are, in spite of our debts and poverty, be-
comcs the. wonder Of our neighbors. IF
there be any man SO void of all thought and
common sense, as not to see where this
must end, letk&bht compare what Venice
was at the league of Canlbray, with what
it is at present, and he will be convinced
how truly those fashionable pastimcs are
! calculated to dopress aud ruin anatians
1t is not to be believed, what influence
public diversions have on the spirit and
manners of q people. The Greeks wisely
saw this, and made very serious affair of
their public sports. For the same reason,
it will, perhaps, seem worthy the care of our
legislature to regulate the public diversions,
by an absolute prohibition of those which
have direct tendency to corrupt our NOR
ais, as we'll as by a reformation of the dra-
!. ma which, when rightly managed, is such
d noble entertainment, and gave those fine
lessons of morality and good sense to the
Athenians Of old, and to our British gentry
above century ago; but for these last
ninety years, hath entertained us, for the
most part, with such wretched things as
spoil, instead of improving, the taste and
manners Of the audience Those who are
attentive to such propositions only as may
fll their pockets, will probably slight these
things as trifles below the care of the legis-
lature. But am sure all honest, thinking
men must lament to see their country run
headlong into all those luxurious follies
which, it is evident, have been fatal to other
nations, and will undoubtedly prove fatal to
US also, if a timely stop be not put to them.
-Berkely's Essays
MISSOURI ARousED.--The popular
branch Of the Missouri Legislature passed,
Monday, the 9th Of March, the following
resolution, sbys vote of 65 to A.:
Resoiued, That the Adjutant General of
the State of Missouri be instructed to hoist
at half mast the flag Of the United States,
AZ betoketing the absolute humiliation of
the American people, who stand to-day the
coMardfY Ncfoflfesentatiye ofa HoSernrn enk