The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-09-24 00:00:00

GENTLE BLOOD AND WHO HAS IT.

(From No. I. of The Leader, a weeirll_ journal of
Polities. libretti: 0, sad art: price 2d.)
Now that Mrs. Thereto Yelverton, dying with deepair
from the House of Lords and it. last court of ap; eat
of three old noblemen-jodges,one of whom had formerly
pronouneed a verdict against her, is on her way to
Ann dal ; and now that Mrs. Forbes Yolverton is—if
we believe an uneontradisted neempaper report—about
to aek disjunetion from her noble (1) km/omnd at the
bonds of the law; now that he himself is no doubt
enjoying the serenity of an undisturbed conscience with
other adjuncts in the south of Franco, it Clio be well to
comment on • famous dictum of bis some years ago,
when the weary came entbre instituted by a frantic
woman, first astonished an indignant public. Major
Yelferton to make true that Ciceroni:in Proverb which
ssysCfoiiiss OCClllal mochas, proforsed a pious horror at
a eufearlia• cc; attempted to blacken the character of the
woman he had wronged: and Resorted, that to marry •
governess, however aocomplished, would be • stain
upon his Gentle Blood. The public bald up its hands
in amassment, and asked with some surprise, "What
then is this Gentle Blood r

It may, at this time, be as well to look at the ques-
tion, particularly as under the new Perliament we are
assured that "the rights of a territorial sristocraay,
prouder of its ancient birth than of its modern
achievements-- the tenons of a State church in which
many of the scions of CHB aristocracy are safely de-
posited and comfortably provided for—and even the use,
function, end philosophy of an hereditary sovereign—
may possibly be debated." So the &Birds, Ream
tells no, and so we profoundly believe. First of all,
however, high birth, gentle blood, and it. isomionsitent
advantages or disadvantages will certainly be scrutinized ;
and WS may an well do this calmly now, before any
anger on either aide hu grown up between the classes.
For Thomas Carlyle is not the only one who believes in
the British noblemen; end he, u we know, has crowned
him with his grim approval, as the best possiblo man,
eutsinly the politest man, and his wife the most gentle
lady yet produced. So, thinks Thomas—man taken as
a whole is not a pleasant follow ; he wants drilling,
suereinr, and genet ain't& of polishing. He arises from
a very degenerate stock, and believe* in sham captains
and phantasm.; has no clear conception how to help
himself; joins a palaver club and listens to windbag
orators; even at the best of him, is inconceivably
stupid; and were it not for attain new guides, would
Sounder for ever lon Serbonlas bog of dullness. As for
his ancestors, they were poor ereatares. The nevus
ate, to be sum, an old ries ; but they are oely brother.
"of a sort," and that sort be belikes not. What, then,
is Gentle Blood, by the right of which the True
Nobleman—in capital letters—rules. Is it • feet
or • feeling Truly, to as it is a feeling, deep
seated in the mind, and strong enough too. It is with
many people a feeling which is not to be put by. It
I. wide of birth ; pride of the flesh, if you like to put
it so; pride of the eye, of place, and of station. It
is that agaisuit which all democratise have strouled ;
it it that which sets the cold look of the Roman Quirites
zalinst the Pkbs, the cominon fellow; which m
adethe
ptian shudder whim he law as Israelite, a Spartan
100 down upon the Belot; which makes • modern
Roman noble, tender nursling of the church, despise •
Neapolitan; • Spanish hidalgo, with blue blood, disdain
• Portuguese; and bat a few years ago. for now they
are sunk to a common level enough—alas for them
—a gentleman of Virginia, of the first families, a mean
white. Lastly, it is that whieh inspires • British noble-
man to look down with British kaurnsr, front his
travelling carriage on the deck of a Ittyne ste•mer, on
one of his own countrymen who can only travel on font
—and perhaps deem him • bagman who, with a poet's
eye—that eye which God only gives • post—sees more
Is a mile than his lordship does in a thousand
leagues, and while he travels, he is not only • scholar
sad a historian, but the interpreter and minister of
Nature.

There is not • feeling in the British breast whieh
has done more harm then this too conscious notion of
having Gentle Blood. In every country In Europe it
has mode our name unpleaaant It ia Pharisaic without
its excuse, for the Pharisee was not ealy of • class
Indubitably high, but was highly educated and
deepl) learned, and was. moreover, an enamel!,
excellent man. He paid his tythe of mint and cumenin,
and had some reason- if Pride had ever reason - to pest
himself up above that poor publican yonder.
But as we hope to show, in spite of, and by the aid
of, a very big, red, wicked book—" The Per reige"—our
"gentle blood" is hypo means gentle. We will waive the
question as tofamily and "breed" in men. We will allow
that family has the same effete on man that it has upon
anima. ; that all the "blood, bone, marrow, passion,
feeling," can be transmitted. Voe srill allow that
transcendent abilities may sometimes be entailed, like
landed estates, from father to son. We will allow that
the Almighty has sot made all men of one flesh and
one image, but that he favours certain femilies and
certain noes, and gives them a finer, Intact, • superfine,
net of feelinp ;in short, makes them the higher clause.
We will allow. too, that since this difference is never
exhibited in the mind, and widens in the body—that
is, counting the difference of short food and labour in
one class, and nothing to do, fine air, and the best of
food in another—there exists in the sentiment, the feel-
inq, the intannble something, which no one can describe,
but which "no gentleman should be without." We
will allow them these deductions, although we do not
believe one single particle about it, and should be
astonished to find any one able logically to prove the
fact. Indeed, it Deena to us that the assertion is an
accusation against the justice of Providence, and gess
far to negative the truths which underlie Christianity.
But let us allow that "breed" and "family" do have
an extraordinary effect on mar, and we can ourselves
claim—we may say it to guard against misinterpretation
—very high descent; and let us take the matter from
another stand-point, and try to show that the very
old families in the aristocracy are newly extinct,
and those who are not so us effete. Gentle
means, we suppose, very ancient blood, for our own
heralds and the Germans used at one time, to require
at least aixteen quartering. on each aide before people
mold marry decently. That is, sixteen generations of
people, or inflowings from them, who bad never done
, 'teething save lead others to battle, and who had sat
lin council or in state. When the thirty-two quartering'
I met there was high glee, end the product of the two
who had the benefit of the thirty-third coat. Now
having allowed that this "gentle blood," when obtain•
able, really does endow the owners with • great share of
virtue*. so much so that they have more toles, tbu ordi-
nary mortals, let so see whether, under usual cirerum•
'tutees, it wend be obtainable... Biz teen generations repre-
sent at least, five hundred years Now, how many of our
families date back to the year 1367? Hardly • dozen
of those ennobled, even is the !intern/ pages of Sir
Bernard Burke. The truth is "gentle Wood" does not
Bow in the veins of the major part of our nobles. Now
In those of the Yelverton family, whose great grand-
father, it is said,—only three removes from the honour-
able gentleman who made the usertioe,—was a butcher,
and whose pondfatber married his cook. That • man
should be • butcher, and • woman • gook, conveys to ,
es no possible blame. Butchers and woks are eminently'
useful individuals, but they are at least of very unveils I
blood. Unluckily for the believers in family or race,
most of our great people owns of some such ungende
sources. Luckily, also, for us, it Is that the aristocracy
of England is constantly recruited from the lower
classes. The fact is, such are the vicissitudes of time I
and °Mention changes that it is difficult to find a very
old family enduring in its prominent place. Firstly,
all old families do not constantly present us with heirs
male. Secondly, the heirs male were, and are often,
nipped it. the bud when we have them' before they
attain maturity and bay* children born to them.
Taking the titled families as our West expeeenta,
we find that miner the Tudor dynasty the House of
Lords held but few of the families who were formetly
powerful. In the wars of the Houses of York and
Lancaster es much gentle (or ungentle) blood had been
spilt on the field or meaffold, and so many of the Woos
of the old houses had been banished or anointed, that
only twenty-eight lord, were summoned to the first
Parliament of Henry VII. ac d only thirty-six to that
of Henry VIII. Poverty ;ad lust:lnoue living thinned
even this number so snub that the lords spiritual
—the bishops--were more numerous than the temporal
lords!

On the death of Queen Elisabeth (1603)—• long
diatanas after the time required for the dilate genera,
tions—tifty-six peers, meet of them new, were serving.
But King James, the sovnign who commenced • new
dynasity, recruited the "gentle blood" in much force.
He raised the number of the peen to one hundred and
five I Charles 1, and his very virtuous son added
greatly to that number. The peerage created by those
two monarchs exceeded one hundred and sixty, but,
although this was little more than two
hundred yBll7l ago not more than twenty of these
peerages remain I We see, therefore, that Ws kind
of privileged people do die out and are not long in the
land, although the peerages were, many of them,
conferred on the mistresses and children of the King,
some descents of whom yet show the Royal arms and
the bar sinister as • proof not only of gentle but of
Royal Blood.

William and Anne were moderate in their additions
to the Peers. In 1720 the Duke of Somerset, himself of
the Royal House, oomplained of the numbers ennobled,
and proposed restricting the increase to six more—he
wanting no more Lord,, si, indeed, the Duke of
Wellington wanted no more when they proposed making
General Gough Into Lord Gough. George I. consented
to this. The peers at this time appear to have been
about one hundred and ninety-four strong. But in the
long reign of George 111. we had the greatest influx of
"blood" ever known ; that monarch crested no lees than
five hundred and eighteen peers, or two hundred and
fifty British and two hundred end sixty-eight Irish
peers. This lavish spouting from the fountain of honour
was caused partly through the wars and partly to lain
parliamentary and ministerial majorities for the Prime
Minister—many a peer being created • noble because
he had sold his vote and made himasU thoroughly
ignoble. There is no doubt of that. George IV. and
William IV. strengthened or weakened the p..rege by
a coolly number ; and lastly, Her present Majesty has
added sonaewhat about 'sixty-seven peers to the vast
hit which fill. the Ware d'aro—the golden book, the
Englishman's second Bible—the Peerage.
There can be but little doobt but that John Bull
loves a bid. He loves rank and title, and hopes some
day to attain it. If be loved virtue and wisdom more
he would be more wise, but he is coarse and injudicious
It his testes. Ho must have a marked man. Now we
are not breathing a word against the aria —what
we do nay is this, that they are not the "patio- °a*
people that they claim to be, end that none know that
fact better than themselves. The error of no Hereditary
Peerage in this, that the Possessors are almost debarred
from rendering themselves good and great, and that tt
public is misled by the glitter of. name.
It may be that when the- '
that name

able fr, •
anew really and truly what
molly old families ar• not remark-
,,odueing either saints or geniuses; that actually
.on dement Is in ennobled families vary rare. ape that
the great majority of our present eristoisracy aze mire. 7,,
Sari tontines who have stepped into tbo titles all Swine'
son holds tba titles and 111111M1111the maw al Pore 7
that the Public will begin to Tondos whether as Upper
House cannot be formed of P• 0411, Dainittst=
Ii will think that a Duke of Haestiasdh 0e?
scion°. because hiss duke, sad only slake,ii
anomaly; and that it will believe in, and Ut I,enen
the teaohlop of the Aristocracy of attains. Tow". ne•
Hard Work; dually, indeed, that

" Lind hearts are owes than oneatwn*, „
And aka* blth than Norman Wend

RESCUE OF FENIAN PRISONERS AT
MANCHESTER.
A POLICIMiII EILLID.

Two meo, who gave the names of Wright and
Wit ams, were apprehended in the neighbosebood of
Bmlth6eld Merket, Manchester, • few dip Mo, on sus-
picion of attempting to break into • a clothes shop,
and they turned out to be notorious Faunas One of
them is Colonel Kelly, the right-band than 01 Bend-
centre James Stephens, the planner and euenthe of the
mysterious neap' of that Individual from Mountj.z
Prison, Dublin, and the hero of hundred hair breed
neaps' in Ireland—a met dangerous man' not only no
mount of the boldness and deterorinationof his sharers-
ter, but also because of his acknowledged military
Abair,' and experience.. The other man proved to be
the only lees formidable Fenian chief, Captain Des
Both men were brought before the Matediester m
rates on Wednesday (the court being crowded
exalted Irish people), and remanded for a week on the
application of Mr. Inspector Williams. About three
o'clock the Fenian premiere Were about to be placed in
the police van, to be conveyed to the eity gaol at
Hellenic., • distance of • mile, whmi the polies ootieed
two men hanging about whom they suspected to be
Parana. A policeman made • ruah at one of them to
arrest him, in which he succeeded, but not tat the pg.
'hod drawn a dagger and attempted to slab him. The
blow was avoided. The Wass seeped.," penes,
made hie escape. In °pamperer of this Kelly and
Dowry were put in irons before being taken to the van.
When the yap left the city it had to premed over
Ardwick-green and along Hyde road, a line, open street,
leading to the gaol, and nearly • mile in length; it was
drawn by two borne, and was guarded by "even pollee-
men. The van bad proceeded about half amass up this
road when, on • under the video* which carries
the London en No .Weetern Railway earn.., with sia
open field On the right, a volley of shots was fired at it.
A bond of between 30 and 40 Fenian', armed with re-
volver* immediately surrounded the van end tom-
roeneel a determined &reek upon it and in custodians.
One of the hone, was shot down, the driver keothed
his box by a well-directed stone, the pollee overpowered,
and by means of • revolver fired into the docersteek,
with the aid of haterbete, hammers, and enormoes
stones—one of which it wail afterward' apsertained
weighed nearly 100 lb—the van was smashed up and all
the prisoners liberated. P.S. Brett, on peed beide the
can, was shot dead, another °Meer bad hie eye shot out
and is in a dangerous state, and others received wounds
more or lees nerious. The two Amiss pilesen, and
four female prisoners, Whe were also In She Von. I°l
deer away, and the Peden snob, having attained its
object, ends a rapid retreat The lam that was sees of
Kelly and Deasey was near Claytoa-bridge. They were
seen by some brickenthers to go into a cottage, they
then being in handcuffs. When they ease out their
hands were free. At 7.20 a porter at Heaton Norris
aatr two men run urns the line into the open country.
lie oballenged them, but they did not atop. The pri-
soners captured are William O'llears Allen. said to
have fired the (stet shot, tharged with wilful merrier ;
Michael Larkin, riot and murder • John Beller, ,fr 4 •
Petrie Cloney, 69; Radek 35; Maul
Maguire, 32; Patrick Daley, 36; Wm. Lather, 19;
James Wood, 22; darters, 33 Willie,. Gould,
30; Luria Moore, 66; Patrick Hogan, 96; John Correll,
23; Charles Woorhouse, 22; Jobs 011woon, 42' Patrick
Burson, 49; Henry Wilson, Hi; Melted Joseph
Boyland, 37; William Wells, 29; Michael Corcoran,
22 ; and Rderord Shore, 26. The Suretery of State has
authorised • reward of three hundred pounds for the
re-capture of Kelly and Deasey ; and the Manchester
corporation two hundred for the apprebeasion of the
men eamerned in the rescue. Allen is said to have
acted as captain of the rescuing perty, and had been
waiting with a numbered followen for four houn before
the van arrived. He shot at the driver and policensaa
on the box, as well am at the horses, shooting one
through the nook. He also fired at Brett, who was
inside the van, and tumbled out when the door was
forced open. On Thursday morning the prisoners,
twenty-eight in neither, were arrayed in line at the
polies station. ender • guard of infantry with fixed
bayonete, for the inspection of the witnesses of identifies-
tiers. This door, they were placed in the vans for eon-
versus to the City Polioe-emut. Some of the con-
stables, when it male to O'Meara Allen's turn, gave an
spun's* irrepreasible groan, which brought down
a sharp rebuke from Mr. Superintendent Maybery.
The appearenee of Bridge-strut at the time the
prisoners were being removed was of the mod exciting
description. From the Court-bone to Dearman woo
one dense mass of spectators, a great number of whom
were Irish. No person moving among these people
weld fail to be struck with the number who were
openly expressing their sympathy with the prisoners.
The prourelon to the city gaol ...ma a very imposing one.
A small body of hussars formed on advanced gaud !
and about forty troopers followed them, with sabres
drawn and carbines loaded. Next came in omnibus
Stied with infantry, who were in readiness to sot at a
moment's notice. Then came a polies yen containing •
number of prisoners, and about a dozen police officers on
the roof. Hussars with drawn eaten rode by !
sides of the van, and a body of 20 followed.
Another police van ruecoeded. another omnibus loaded
with infante°, and about SO humors brought up the
rear. The mayor and other magistrates were to
attendance in carriage., to give the neeeseary orders to
the troops if they had unfortunately been required.
The whole distance was densely crowded with spectators,
many of whom kept up with the processioe although
It marched at a smart trot, At various points on the
route the trooper was received with thee-s. A strong
detachment of infantry ens left to guard the city gaol.
A little after one o'clock the examination at the city
Police Court was opened by the stipendiary magistrate
(Mr. Robinson Foster), the Mayor of Manchester, and a
full bench of magtdretaa. The body of the *our was
densely crowded, one portion of it being met apart for
women, moot of whom, judged by the expression of their
fun, which showed almost an agony of suspense,
appeared to feel the deepest personal interest in the
pruners. When O'Meara Allen—mempionons by his
pale face and rather fiery expression, as also by a
plastered wound on his cheek and a large patch on the
top of his head—first made his appearance, a kind of
shudder seemed to pa= through the court. All the
men, O'Meara Allen mu particular, showed • remarkable
self-poriensioo. Old and young, some of them heavy
shouldered fellows, and others slimly-built youths,
they bore • striking resemblance to each other is
an air of resolution and what, for men of their station
and in their present position, might almost be
called consummate address. Most of them were
shabbily dressed, and •0030 were in fustlair.--Superinten.
dent On said the whole of the prisoners were charged
with beirg concerned in the riot and murder that
occurred on the previous evening, many of them had
been identified. bulbs wished for a remand for a week,
to get the evidence completo—The Chairman said,
before proceeding with the cane I wish to say one word
au to the great loss sustained by all connected with this
our in the death of Sergeant Brett For many years,
as cane of that dock, he had performed most difficult
duties with admirable temper, firmness, and credit to
himself; and be earries with him to his lan resting-plates
the universal respect of all with whom he has been
associated. Some formal evidence was then taken, ad the
prisoners were remolded, many of them protesting their
innocence. As they were being taken each to the gaol
the greatest excntmenl prevailed along the route, and at
certain plams marks of disapprobation were manifested,
in the shape o sting, by the lower else..; but on the
other hand cheer' rotted the cortege by the middle
class as it Pared borough the *Hy. Strange to my
several of the prisoners who were liberated from the
van during the attack have voluntarily sun-ended them-
selves at the gaol. The inquest on Sergeant Brett
was opened at Manchester on Friday, and adjourned
for three weeks,
.pending he result of the magisterial
inquiry. It is said that Kelly and Dewey was seen at
Bradford. They have not u yet been oeptiusd.