Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-12-24
The Ge,sel<n.a,,.

True gentlemen are to be found 10 every
grade Of society. The ploughman, with his
broad sun-burnt hand, his homely dress, and
his open honest countenance, 10 oftener found
TO be possessed Of the real attributes of gem
tleman, than the enervated man miliner, who
is much more careful Of his gloves than Of his
the driven snow and who, ii one curl Of his
glossy wool were displaced, would be thrown
into strong commissions. The blood which
flows in rich and generous stream throug the
heart of Russian serf, is as pure in tue eyes
Of God, as the life current which eddies round
the princely fountain Of the highest Of Eng
lands noblemen. 1t is false, illiberal idea,
that because a man cannot claim alliance with
the proud and wealthy, his name should be
stricken from the list of gentlemen. Which
class, from time immemorial, has shed honor
and glory on the earth-the proud arisfocrat or
the poor pcasant2 Whose names en- enrolled
in the dazzling pages Of history-the gentle
man of fashion or the geatlman Of nature!
Whose voices are most heard, and to most eff.
feet, throughout the world! Why, those men
born in poverty, but clothed by truth with the
jewelled robe Of honor. Does the mere fact
Of a mans being able TO make bow with
scrupulous exactness, constitute him gentle
man? Shall the children Of one mother be d.
vided, because one portion are gifted with the
gracefulness of action and coxcombry of de-
meanor; while the others will not stoop to
cringe at fattery's fawn, or waste the hours
given them by Heaven to improve. in the USE
less study ofthe puerile forms of fashion! Oh,
how glad it makes ones heart, to see the 'pain,-
ed lizards troddsn under foo. by the gentlemen
of nature to see them shrink away at the ap-
proach Of honest men, fearing that they may
be called upon to acknowledge their own infe-
riority!
Who is the gentleman? He who can boast
of name, upon which dishonot has never
thrown its leprous poison, He who can lie
down on his pillow at night, knowing that he
has done his neighbor no injury; whose heart
is never closed TO pity, and whose arms is al
ways nerved to redress the injuries Of the OPP
pressed. Who smiles not at misfortune, and
who mocks not the affection of his fellows.
He who looks upon all men as equals, and
who fears not to stand even in the presence Of
king. The man who is guided by moral
honor, and not obliged to have laws made for
his observance. He who has true democracy
in his soul-who desires and gives to every
man the enjoyment of his own opinions, pro-
vided those opinions do not infringe the de-
cress ofjusiice in its most rigid sense. Such
man, and only such one, should dare lay
claim to the proud appela,ion of gentleman
no matter whether he is worth thousands or
whether he is an everyday laborer. Thank
heaven, We are in a country where the field of
honor and renown is open to all. The loves.
freeman in the land is in part the governor Of
its proudest officer. He who tiIls the earth.
walks erect in the proud dignity Of natural
right, knowing that he cannot be oppressed
while he respects himself. There is no dis
tinction Of classes here by government-the
blacksmith and the senator-the shoemaker
and the Presidential hail each other as gen
tlemen.