Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-15
JULIUS CESAR.
A Few Thoughts Suggested by Seeing
This Piay Presented by Young Ladies
and Gentlemen of Savannah.

time OF three score years and ten, believes
hat he has seen all the world has to
snow, had all the world has to give.
knows all the world can teaeh-when he
realizes that this is not our dwelling
place, that all is not vanity and vexauon
OF spirit, that we are not the descendants
OF a creature of arbOreal habits, beasts
that are doomed to perish and be no more.
but IL the first stage of an existence pro-
gressive and eternal, in the full ENJOY
ment of all his mental and physical re-
sources, and can live his life over again in
witnessing and forwarding the eniov-
ments OF the young, he will be, hope,
exempt from the charge Of egotism if he
gives to the rising generation something
OF advice coming under the formula.
"Festina leute.' "make haste slowly
as the result OF his Correspondence.
First. We are living in a fast age. Fast
physically, morally, intellectually! For
if the dead OF 80 years agO-a half CEN
turY Only-were to come back from the
supposed oblivion of the grave to be as
tonished at the rapid advance of physical
science AS shown in chemistry, geology,
mechanics, ocean navigation, electric
telegraphs. railroads, Photographs and the
like, would they not be astOunded at
seeing little boys dwarting themselves
INTO a coming race Of pigmies and dys-
peptics by the use of cigarettes, at an age
when their fathers and mothers were
scarcely out OF the nurseries, and the girls
whirlng on the light fantastic toe. in the
giddy waltz, so closely in the embrace of
men and youth as to cause that form of
dance TO be called "hugging set to music"
and that at an age when they were once
thought too young to go into society save
under the wings OF their mothers? Grown
men, too, calling themselves gentlemen"
smoking cigars and pipes in the streets,
in public cOnveyances, at the church
doors, in the entries to places of public
amusements, and even in the presence OF
ladies! manners are little MORALS"
say that philosophic and prac-
tical people, the French and
it is well known that a disregard
to manners has always preceded the
downfall Of national virtue and with it of
national liberty and popular prosperity.
"Pshawp to this says the dude, with his
thin voice. "YOu are an old fOgy-be-
hind the times-a fossil. ignorant Of mod
ern progress and the lapse of time" Ora
dudine, in voice to be heard above the
crash of the brass band, replies: "If we
didn't dance round dances we would be
wall flowers, and if we did not make our
selves heard we would pass for stupid
and the men wouldn't notice us. And
then who would marry us~
BUT, SWEET DAMsEL, PLEASE RECOLLECT
that if proverbs are the condensed wis
dom of ages and constitutions the best
limits Of political power, conYentiOnali-
ties are the best security for the harmO-
nious flow of social relations, and feminine
attractions the most potent when they
come upon our heated blood with the
soothing influence of E'breezes from gar
dens Of Gul i'll their bloom" and upon our
ears with the breathings of the flute,
rather than with the bray of the braZen
trumpet or the cry of the auctiOneers:
"Make your bids, gentlemenw
Second. Our age is fast one, but on a
broad road to anarchy and the slavery
that follows it, for knowledge, which was
once power, has now become the slave of
money in the hands of the vulgar and the
illiterare, and the labOring class has too
much education to submit to its control,
and too little to resist it successfully.
Politics has degenerated into a money
making profession, and patriotism pur-
suit Of the lOaves and fishes tnat can be
made to multiply till the crumbs of Office
can fill one hundred thousand baskets to
the full.
Third. Our age is a fast one, in crowd
ing the Young mind with more than it can
receive in knowledge Of abstract subjects,
aud neElecting the use OF the hand and
the eve in fixing on the mind ideas or the
images of things. from clear perception
of which alone combinations which con-
stitute original and useful thoughts can
be constructed.
To one who clearly perceives these three
tendencies, it is evident that we are in
danger of a rapid physical, political and
mental degradation, ard with it, as an
unavoidable consequence, moral and reli-
giOus TetrOcession.
Some months since began to fear that
my wise old grandmOtheT's assertion
(made in commenting on the spread Of
The abolition mania so far as to reject a
prO-slavery bible. as they called our King
james translation of the Scriptures,
that our attempt at self-gOvernment was
destined to be the greatest failure the
world ever saw, would prove prophetic;
but | was treasured in politics, by the
election of Cleveland and his subsequent
nerve and judgment displayed in his 0tii-
cial conduct; and, in social matters,
strange as it may appear, by the acting
of Savannah youth and maidens IN their
recent rendering of Shakespeare's play Of
EtJulius C9sar,H and in comments made
by some of their elders on the round
dances which followed, and on the cigar
smoking carried on by men and boys in
the entry.
Now, 10 explain this, il is necessary to
refer TO the tact that half a century ego,
when travelling at the North and in
Europe, / was often surprised and de-
lighted to find the cordially with which
was received by utter strangers upon
merely hearing that was from savannah.
THE EXPLANATION WAS THAT IN THE
COURSE OF BUSINESS,
pleasure, or health seeking. visitors had
been long enough in the little citv-for
such il was then--tO know and appre-
ciate the moderation Of its inhabitants in
all things: For example, in religion, men
Of al denominations, and in politics, men
of all parties met 40 dinner tables and
drawing-rOOms, carefully avoiding all dis
cussi0ns that might arouse personal feel
ings. AS in Philadelphia only, Jews were
regarded as equals according 10 their
breeding and cultivation, and even hon
ored as Of race TO whom we owe our
civilization as distinguished from that of
the Latin races. Foreigners and Yankees,
disposed TO assume airs on the assumed
inlerorty, ignorance ana proyncialism
Of the Southern people. soon found them
selves relegated 10 their proper social
places, whatever their credit on bank
books. by the evidence Of conscious SUI
periority that precluded all show Of anger
or contempt while it ignored the vul-
garity it recognized ia the offenders
IA ..st.