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 
mox 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 preéminence, 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. 
