Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-24
COMMUNICATED.
THE YOUNG MEN OF GEORGIA.
Rev. MT. StrOng's sermOns-The Mora
self Culture.

Rev. Mr.. StrOng's SermOns-The Moral
seIf-Culture.
Rev. Charles II. Strong, oil st. Johns
Church, has commenced a series of lectures
on the subject of the prevailing vices of the
| day, and the direct manner in which he APP
| plies his arguments without being personal,
must have a good effect on the many whose
sins are not so much those of commission"
as the result Of Omissions, negligences and
ignOrances-"
of the Church of the AtOnement, in Augusta,
entered on a. somewhat similar course, and
not without effect. though as yet the evidences
of a thorough reformation of manners and
| commercial morals are not very strong in that
| city; nor may the fruit of Mr.. StrOng's elO-
quence here be Immediately apparent; but
the fact of his attempting to eX-
mission of the church in holding
up the mirror of truth to the eyes OF a mixed
congregation, instead of assuming the role of
| the Rev. Cream Cheese, and dealing in re-
ligiOus platitudes. together with the fact that
the MORNIN NEWS, a secular paper. should
regularly publish the discOurses of DR.. Tai
mage, and the general call for reform be
heard through the land, creates the hope that
we have among us the ten righteous men
needed to redeem our Ountry from the fate Of
SOdOm.
That two Young men should simultaneously
enter upon this unpopular course about the
same time and be tolerated. must be a source
of qualification to GeOrgians, who, believing
that "GOd moves In a mysterious way His
wonders to perform" look to the history of
their state and recognize in it an instrument
in the hands Of Providence fora great work.
Established as a home for an impoverished
..middle class" the victims of a highly arti-
fetal state of society, rather than of their in
dividual ineficiency or viciousness,
the religious element and the temper
ance sentiment influenced their moral char
acter, their arms drove back the banner of the
Inquisition in the hands of SPAN, their pulpits
preached liberation for jew and GENTLE, for
Puritan and Paplst, their young men seized
and sent powder to Bunker Hill and Fort
Noultrie to drive back the invading hosts of
old England, and their TrOup first boldly as
serted the right of a state to manage It's own
domestic affairs in opposition to the claim of
a sectional party to domination through the
powers of Congress and caucus.
In one of his sermons before the American
revolution Wesley said that the crime of
Americans 'wa IN fullness of bread" j. e. sin
Iururv, and any one who has had experience
OF the living of the peasantry of Europe, must
admit that the living OF our plantation
NEGROES before the war was comparatively
luxurious, for as a general rule they had
ssfullRess Of bread"
But all the preaching of the pulpit, all the
efforts of the Sunday school teacher, all the
energy of reform societies will fail if one thing
is lost sight of, viz: Civilization extends
downward from the crown to the court, from
the court to the drawing-roOm, from the
drawing-rOom to the shop, from the shop TO
the street. Such was the opinion of a past
generation, and therefore they kept their
children out of the streets by making the
drawing-room attractive, and cultivated
manners" as the lesser "mOrals." But
now things seem changed, and our
present civilization appears 10 come
from below, and consistently so,
for the many are the sovereignty of America,
and to pander to 1t is policy, the god of the
politician and the time server. Fifty years
ago the boys were kept out of the streets at
night. and at the parties given to the young
there were at least a third of the parents, both
male and female, present. The result was that
Inc society of Savannah ami Charleston was
recognized as equal to any in the world! So
much so that to hail from Savannah
was considered as announcing ones
self a gentleman, till the fact be-
ing known every one who could write
s1from Savannah after his name in a hotel
register did so; then our prestige was lost.
One instance of the deteriOrating~ influence OF
our democratic society fell under my oOser-
walton, when an excellent lawyer, learned
Judge. and noble gentleman, seeing me start
at a most outrageous abuse OF the Engnsh
language in a plea to the jury. followed me
out of court. and taking me by the arm, said:
ssYou must not be surprised at my language
in court, for if L used expressions suited to
refined ears l should be stigmatiZed as "stuck
up and my opponent would defeat me,
ala az Sem senator "a judge Berrien, 'nnV %bc,
left his seat in Congress to advocate a most
important measure in the State Legislature,
and did so in an admirable speech. The effect
was great. and the result almost certain sue
cess. but the Judge had quoted the original
Latin from ancient authorities, and of this
Walker took advantage to declare that when
the learned gentleman could not appeal to
the hard common sense of the country mem
bers. he presumed on their ignorance, and for
guessed-the Judge lost his case.n Yer. sat.
II. w. ii.