INTRODUCTION. 29 



practisings of polkas with fast girls, or in nocturnal battles 

 against the Tiger with fast men. 



And as to the latter, one need no more than look at 

 the bleared eyes, sallow half-valanced faces, dwindled 

 limbs, undeveloped frames, and rickety gait of the rising 

 generation of those, who, by virtue of their natural ad- 

 vantages of wealth and position, ought to be the flower of 

 the land, to see that they are utterly degenerate both in 

 vigor of mind and stamina of body, and to prognosticate 

 them, if they wed as doubtless they will wed like to 

 like, with the fast, precocious, weedy beauties of the 

 polka-nursery, as 



)x daturos 

 Progenien vitiosiorem* 



Of late, I have observed with pleasure, that many of 

 the best and clearest intellects in America have perceived 

 the necessity of calling public attention strongly to this 

 peculiar feature of the American character and consti- 

 tution. One of the most eloquent, perhaps, the most 

 finished of American orators, has dwelt impressively on 

 the fact, that the headlong race and struggle, the earnest, 

 life-enduring and life-consuming contest, for advancement, 

 for wealth, for preeminence, for power ; beginning before 

 the gristle of youth is hardened into the bone of manhood 

 and ending only in the grave, is, in far too many instances, 

 never relaxed for a moment, to enable the competitor to 

 seek those changes and diversions from unremitting care 

 and travail, which are as necessary to restore the tone of 



* Soon about to produce a progeny yet more defective. Hor. 



