Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-10-10

which bind Christian c0niInunitl
together win be utterly dissolved.
Senator Brown, OF Georgia, thou,
perhaps travelling little out OF Il
record in his speech on the bill again
/, Mormonism, nevertheless was not 4
} wrong when he characterized the {
most universal prevalence OF divor'
in New England, as a species OF poly
amy, which though not like Mormon
ism consisting in the possession
many wives atthe sansetinss, yet differe
only in the fact that it allowed as man
wives in succession as might suit til
inclinations of the citizens. 1t is
! just subject of congratulation to th
| South that this can never be charge
| upon her by those who n1align an
Islander her, as having been the hom
of that "Sum of all villaiuies" slavery
Especially should we be gratified t
find the following given by lourna
| mot of the South-as "the moral re
cord of South Carolina" State whicl
has always been regarded by her enc
mics as "the chief of sinners:
@South Carolina prohibits divorc,
absolutely. 1t prohibits the sale o
liquor in the rural districts, allows j
in incorporated towns, with the prlvi
lege of local option, of which abou
half the towns avail themselves. j
| forbids the running of all freight
trains, and Of all passenger trains ex
cept such as carry the United States
mails, on Sunday. 1t classes dueling
with murder, and disfranchises the
lotteryticket dealer"
1t is noteworthy too that Georgia
Tennessee and Mississippi are making
noble efforts to redeem themselves
and their people from the curse of in
temperance, and with bright prospects
of success in the war against this
demon Now while this writer has
no wish to be Censor Morun, or a
self-constituted Reformer, still there
are two things that may be said with
out anything like railing accusation,
and these are: 1st, that every lover of
this grand and noble country which
God has given us, must rejoice to no
tice the first evidence that presents
itself of reformation in the moral
habits of any part OF onr people, and
the consequent advance of the country
in all true elements of prosperity. The
second remark IS that the change that
has taken place in the habits OF thought
and action of the two sections whereby
the moral tone of the South has inn
proved and that of the North has de-
Perforated, is doubtless attributable to
the fact that the wonderful material
prosperity, the increase of wealth
which has been realized in the latter
section has been attended by the effects
which follow such accumulations in
individual cases, viz: to ergender a
spirit of pride and self-suficiency, while
luxury and self-indulgence have taken
the place of the harder virtues of
economy and labor, which once char
acterized them; while the adversely
and toll for subsistence, and poverty
suffered by the once wealthy and lux
urious South, have wrought the usual
effects of bringing us to a better state
of mind and suggesting to US the wiser
method of building our superstructure
OF national greatness and glory upon
a foundation of morals, rather then
upon wealth. For we have the author
ity of one who is regarded as WE'LL
fitted to judge, that
Sweet are the uses of adversely,
Which like the toad, ugly and venemous,
Bears yet precious jewel in its head.
Let US hope for two things:
l. That the incipient indications of
reform among us of the South may
develop into a grandeur of moral char
lcter for our whole country.
Q That the North may at once erase
from her escutcheon the blot of di-
vorce, and heresy, that is beginning to |
east dark shadow upon her whole |
The times may change and even
now coming events cast their shadows
before" " seeming TO intimate that pros
perity, material wealth, may be once
more found in the South; and our
of the North may find |
heir wealth taking to itself wings |
md vanishing" Then if our poet be /
correct in his Judgment, the latter con-
lition of things may be hopeful for
he North, while the former condition
f realized in the South, may awaken
ears lest all we may gain by our pros
oerity may be lostin our morality.
w.