Year: 1877




LUxURYfHE CAUSE OFJATI0NALpf pfCAY


Frugality of manners is the nourishment
and strength of bodies polite. 1t is that
by which they grow and subsist, until they
are corrupted by luxury-the natural cause
of their decay and ruin. Of this We have
examples in the Persians, Lacedemonians
and Romans: not to mention many later
governments which have sprung up, contin-
ued while, and then perishcd by the same
natural causes. But these are, it seems, of
no use to us: and in spite Of them, we are
in fair way of becoming ourselves another
useless example to future ages.


{ Simplicity Of manners may be more easily
preserved in republic than a monarchy;
,,skaesif' 'sesss ssAvVspeysI1 lllu
in a monatchy, the example ofa court being.
of great efficacy, either to reform or to cor
rupt people that alone were sufficient to
discountenance the wearing of gold or silver,
either in clothes or equipage, and if the
same were prohibited by law, the saving so
much bullion would be the smallest benefit
of such an institution there being nothing
more apt to debase the virtue and good
sense of our gentry of both sexes than the
triaing vanity of apparel, which we have
learned from France, and which has had
such visible i'll consequences on the genius
of that people. Wiser nations have made
it their care to shut out this folly by severe
laws and penalties, and its spreading among
us can forbode no good, if there be any
truth in the observation Of one of the an
clients, that the direct way to ruin man is
to dress him up in fine clothes.


But we are doomed to be undone.-
Neither the plain reason of the thing, nor
the experience ofpast ages, nor the exam
pies We have before our eyes, can restrain
US from initiating, not to say surprising,
the most corrupt and ruined people in those
very points of luxury that ruined them
Our gaming, our operas, our masquerades,
are, in spite of our debts and poverty, be-
come, the wonder of our neighbors. If
there be any man SO void of all thought and
common sense, as not to see where this
must end, let thiafbnt compare what Venice
was at the league of Cambray, with what
it is at present. and he will be convinced |
how truly those fashionable pastimcs are
calculated to dopress and ruin nasiuf's,ss sss'


1t is not to be believed, what influence
public diversions have on the spirit and
manners of people. The Greeks wisely |
saw this, and made very serious affair of
their public sports. For the same reason,
it will, perhaps, seem worthy the care Of our
legislature to regulate the public diversions,
by an absolute prohibition of those which |
have direct tendency to corrupt our NOR
ais, as well as by a reformation of the dra-
ma; which, when rightly managed, is such
a noble entertainment, and gave those fine
lessons of morality and good sense to the
Athenians of old, and to our British gentry
above century ago; but for these last
ninety years, hath entertained us, for the
most part, with such wretchcd things as
spoil, instead of improving the taste and
manners Of the audience. Those who are
attentive to such propositions only as may
fill their pockets, will probably slight these
things as trifes below the care of the legis-
lature. But am sure all honest, thinking
men must lament to see their country run |
headlong into all those luxurious follies
which, it is evident, have been fatal to other
nations, and will undoubtedly prove fatal to |
. us Also if timely stop be not put to them.
-Berkeley's Essays


Missouri ARoUsED.-The popular
branch of the Missouri Legislature passed,
Monday, the 9th Of March, the following
resolution, by vote of 65 to Al: