Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-08-03
For the SPECTATOR.
Profanity.

Inc very utterance of an oath evinces
I the character of the man more fully than
words will ever be able to accomplish.
now often do we see members of the
most renned and high-tOned families of
our land reveling in degrading and
blood curdling profanity? It is an evil
dence of the fact that a mans veracity
Is at very low ebb when he has to
: sprinkle an assertion with oaths that it
may, even to small degree, be be-
!eved. Profanity puts man down in
the lowest prostitute class of humanity,
which shows the utter vacuity of his
nature and corruption of his morals
Whilst profanity is not admirable in
any one, yet it may, in the sense that
every man is responsible for his own
acts, be allowed in those who have ar
rived to years of maturity, but what
more abhorring sight can be witnessed
than to see a child who has not more
than passed the period of accountability
running through the street interming,
ling his childish talk with dalnning
oaths? and who never being once cor
rected by his parents, and as matters
that they, perhaps, may have set the
| example. he goes on from bad to worse
until untutored and uncared-for he be-
comes the abhorred of all and despised
of every decent person.. The use of pro-
| family shows that the user respects
| neither God nor cares for his fellow
man, contaminates him until he be-
comes liar bold and un blushins snd as
degraded as man is capable, any when
life's lamp ceases TO burn and its fitful
dream is over he with curses upon his
once pure innocent lips, in frenzied
condition, breathes his miserable life
away and goes down to pauper's grave
unwept, unhonOred, and unsnng. This
is no fancy sketch or picture gotten up
to produce an effect, but the experience
of every day life; for upon every turn one
is met by persons whose very breath is
polluted with vulgar expressions and
disgusting profanity. Such persons
ought to be discarded by society, cast off
to themselves and disrespected by every
one, for the useless and ungenteel
habit once acquired never forsakes, but
''sticketh closer than brother" and
they are constantly using the most de-
mOralizing Oaths and at many times
unconsciously. The following we'll
known lines from Cowper sum up in a
nutshell what an unparalleled vice pro-
family is:-
1T chills my blood to hear the blest Supreme
Rudely appealed to on each trifiing theme
Maintain your rank, vulgarity despise-
"
You would not swear upon bed of death
Reflect! your Maker now may stop your
BREATH
Oh! even the utterance of an oath
moves the inhabitants of heaven to tears
and they, too, sympathize with the poor,
pitiful, brutal, cursing wretch, for says
Sterne in the following beautiful words:
1.-THE Accusing Spirit, which flew up
to heavens chancery with the oath,
blushed as he gave it in; and the Re-
cOrding Angel, as he wrote it down,
dropped tear upon the word, and blot
ted it out forever"
fit were possible te get the swearing
man to consider whose name it is he so
lightly uses, that it is the name of God
to whose power there is no limit, and
that in q moment He could hurl his
oath-stained soul into eternity, he
would be awe stricken, but he will not
listen to any pleading, but madly and
heedlessly rushes on to his frightful
destiny, crushing the hearts of his
friends and damning his own soul with
isstefrible oaths-cOntinues to mingle
with his passions and his wit, without
thought or regret, the name of his best
benefactOr-the name of Him whom the
angels worship, and whom the heaven
of heavens cannot contain.
July 9th, 1880. PRESTON.