Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-11-02
Prom IN. New yoal Commercial Oct IT.

Prom The New yot Commercial. Oct 81.
FRpAY, IL O'Clock, NJ.
Messp. Editors For information's sake would you le,
Us know Who l. entitled even by courtesy III any) 10 "Es-
quirc." to "Mr." to Professor" Sc. &c. Would not
"Citizcn" before u mans name be as honorable a. any oi
the tcmerf What say you, Doeussime Donine1
INQUIRER.
wh,tsa we1 Why. that there are a great many things
to be said IN reply To n note 50 brief as this. In the hrsi
plsee, Notwithstanding our boosted democracy, there is no
nation upon the broad earth. the people OF which are 50
ambitious OF titles ss are those Of these blessed United
States. Not n loafer ~ prccipitStcd from Tanmany Hall
into the Common Council Chamber, who Is not forever af.
forwards To he addressed as Alderman" Not n vsgrant
from New Orleans. OF any where else, is picked up in the
park, and sent O. the Legislature, not n bank-Swindler il
sent To Congress by our superinc democracy, who through
all time - not To be written down "honorablc." IL is thus
that we have such lots OF honorablcs. "rhc Hon." Ely
Moore; "thc Hon" Tom Carr ,-"the Hon" Fernando
Wood, 81 al 0mne genus. Our correspondent will Of
course perceive that the title OF "citzcn" will never answer
Tor democrats like these. In behalf OF all such, therefore,
we serve the proposition rs Mississippi docs her bcmd--
We ropudiate it. as beng altogether below the dignity OF
the patriots, no matter Tor the c"ior ct their noses. who wOr-
ship AT the shrine OF Tanmany He'll.
"EsYHUs"-OnyinalIy this was a title Of dignity in En-
gland, next below that ut n knight. In countries where ar
men, and their heirs male forever are authorised TO assume
Il. SO ct the sons OF knighS-ihcy are all esqulres.-
There are four esquires o: the kings body, and the officers
OF his household down 10 chirurgcon and cook are esquircs.
Sheriis OF counties are esquircs for life. Justices uf the
Peace so long only as they are in commission. The title by
courtesy, however, Il now extended in England 10 the gen
- ""N '" NeNNaNN hitu III E'utTu.
In the days OF chivalry the armed attendants of knirl =.
IN the wars and at tournaments, were called esguires.-
Thus itls written Of the battle OF Poicies. l357;-"Thc
Lord Audley and his four csquires distinguished themselves
IN the battle. The Prince rewarded him with 500 marks
per annum. which he instantly distributed to his csquiros!"
But this sort of osquireship conferred no civil title.
Fuller states that John GoloPe, in l4l3, was the 6rsi per-
con who assumed the title OF esquire. and that until the end
OF Henry the SiNth'S reign such distinctions were not used
eNccptin law proceedings. Yet says Andrews, Ordeicus-
Nitais, as early ss 1924. speaks OF the Earl of Mollent,
who, endesvoring TO escape from the troops OF Henry Beau.
elcrc, and being seized 10y Il counryman, bribed him to set
him Tree, and shave him I'm the Euiso OF an esquire" sin
star annige'i,' 10y which means he cludcd his pursucrs.
In our own dear, title hating, Democratic land, the title
o.; esquire, officially and by courtesy, has come to include
pretty much every body. OF course every body IN office is
an esquire, and all who hare Teen in office enjoy and glory
IN the mite. Aud what with n standing army or legislators,
an elective and ever changing magisiracy, and almost n
whole population OF militia officers, present and past, all
named n %esquiies IN their cumnIssiOns-our corrcspon-
dent will perceive that the title Is nearly universal. Chill
dren' however, as yet, we believe, form exceptions. "Mo-
ther"' said a pert li;te boy 70 his mamma, one day, after
Governor Morton had been masking 4 justice of the pcaue.
fare we all 'Sgures now" "No. YOU little goes. - was IN.
responsibility Your daddy and me-"
The next desire of our correspondent is 10 know who is
entitled TO the saiutaton ut Mister"-sbhrevl MIR"
We answer, at this day, every decent, respectable man in
the republic. IL is not derived from the French mesfier,
trade written by Spencer, in The Fairy Queen. mister,
NOW written neneT,) but is simply a contraction of master,
and s a salutanon OF common civiiiiy, or respect, snd used
by every well bred man.
Less than 200 years ago, however, among our ancestors,
a. well in this country Us in England, the salutauon of Mr..
~NN W AS N'lalAi'lulAls 70 buOEttN u
yeomen and artisans, and their wives, was then, Goodman
or Goodwiie. so-and-so. This fact appears even in the
pleadings OF the courts in those tmes. Good old DR.. Rug
giles, who wrote a history of Guuford. in Connection, about
the year 1865, for the late President Stiles, Crcveso over the
innovations OF the times Gs they then were, as follows:
The inst planters who came TO Guiiord were OF two
ranks, viz: such who IN England arc called gentlemen. and
commonaliy. None were poor men, and few or no ser.
wants. The gentlemen were all men OF wealth, and they
bare the aPpcilntion OF Mr., as Mr.. Desborow, &c. while
according 10 the plain customs OF those times the com.
mpnaity were named only Goodman or Ncighbor. such or
such an one. How greatly are times now changed Every
nan almostis called Mr;-every woman, Miss, Madam, or
lacy. Popularity destroys all civil distinction.
1t IL even so. Yet as TO the appcllation of Mr. VIC have
less use for 1t than people had n hundred years sgo, because
pretty much every body has a higher title. Even judges
aud colonies are as
Thick as the leaves are that fall in October"
Lastly, our "Inquiring friend would know who are entit.
ed 10 the salutsuon OF Professor. The answer is at hand
Every mountebank who can play dcxirously with cups and
balls. and every ilnernut lecturer who can mouth out hori.
bic rhetoric. Formerly 1t was Il title deneiing high station
nj the seats Of learning IN Europe nnd America, and sound
scholarship, or extraordinary scientific attainments. Not 50
n 'w-a.days. We have known 4 New Jersey FISHERMAN
dubbed 4 professor by the newspapers, after making a bal
loon ascension. and every dancing.g!rl who can throw her
bare legs over her shoulders Is called an AKrIsTE!