New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-04
SIGNS OF ETHICAL ADVANCEMENT.

SIGNS OF ETHICAL ADPANCEMENi'
Tho latest of the many biographors Of Lord
Macauay declared that his subject WIS deficient IN
ethical depth" 1t is charge which Is often am
pfed so as to include this whole generation--moro
particularly the American branch of it. familiar
Indictment of the censors is TO the effect that the
current typical Yankee is sharp but not ovcr-
scrupulous; that he has keen eye for the main
chance, but not nearly good an eye for the spon-
taueous appreciation of moral lJauty
IL is no part OF present purpose to answer THIS
serious criticism. Some of our cOuntrymen doubt-
less do lack @ethical depth certain Niagara
hackmep, for instance. We merely desire at this
time to direct the attention OF all those Interested
in contemporaneous America to the TACT that Tue
bistorv of this summer of SS as 1t is recorded In
the American newspaper, contains the demonstra-
tjon thar. "A a reople VIC are vIsibly improving III
40 vital a particular as that of ethical depth Are
We mistaken Let us see. It has been an OH
summer summer as unsIcitng as the fatent
Once Reports. Such. indeed. has been tho dearth
of news that one OF our esteemed metropolitan con-
temporares IN the absence of real topics to lsy be-
fore ITS readers at stated intervals has turned its
colpmn, into ,yries for the accommodation of those
oueer specimens OF unnatural history known as
mar.s' nests Now, in other years this kind OF sum-
mer ha, been the golden opportunity OF the Aineri-
can liar" wholesale only" lie has come forward
early and often with stories rich strange ana
colossal He has unfolded tales that made the eyes
bulge and the blood curdle stories that paraIyZeu
the printers that them up and the prooireadeis
that corrected without modifying them. why mas
not this professional promoter OF applied mendacity
peen "a active as formerly this summer why mas
he contented himself with porfunctory hnding OF
n mysterious sword that tell out OF heaven INTO
Ulster County and with taking listless note OF
pirate ship that sank oil the jersey coast III front oil
n botel-rednced rates for September There can
be but one coherent answer TO this question: anu
wo submit it 10 the student of American morals
with n cheerful and hopeful confidence. Tho
marked decline of tho American liar proves con-
cln,iyely-docs it noti-that the ethical depth OF
the country is deeper than it was. inst how deep
IL has become VS. cannot say. But when we find
the American liar discouraged as he evidently now
a. IL il safe to conclude that 10 Is pretty deep. The
supply Of his productions Is regulated by the do
maod The supply being small this simmer, we may
be sure that the demand is small
And 40 the outlook is full of encouragement
Hero wo are actually in September and ny yet
George Washington's body servant has not turned
up at Chicago. neither has the man that irst nom-
mated Lincoln registered at Saratoga. No lovely
fir tho sole support of nino younger brothers and
sisters. a drunken father. a bed-ridden mother and
a grandmother in the country has yet left at
tho paw.brokers shop tho watch that Lafayette
placed in hor hands ut parting. The regulation sea
SERPENT long as Art, broad as a French joke, and
hideous as some of the new wall paper, Las been
noticeable only by his absence. Two or three sim
pie fishermen. while berrying upon the highlands
OF tho Hudson during the entire heated term, have
refrained from turning up Captain Kidds hidden
treasure, and several of Anneke Jnns's heirs have
omitted to settle with Trinity Church. each re-
ceiving a cool million. Nota-
But on second thought We withdraw all that we
have said and desire to change the subject. IL sud
denly occurs to that Mr.. Ochiltree has been
spending the summer abroad. and that the proud
Mulhattan has been largely resting on his laurels.