The North-Carolina standard., 1845-10-08
WHO ARE GENTLEMEN9


In our intercourse with society. we are often
surprised TO notice what despIcabie and contracted
sentiments are yet afoat in the world in respect
to the characteristic marks of a true gentleman
1here are thousands of individuals who aspire
10 the Eeputa tion of gentleman or who nerhans
fancy themselves TO be really such vet whose hioh
est and most comprehensive notions of the charac-
ter are 7conhned TO mere external accomplish
ments. There are many females, too, who seem
not once to have distant idea of such person
unconnected with coxcombry of demand and
that polished, cOnEtly exterior which is so often
assumed by heartless, abandoned libertiues, TO
hide the foul rottenuess Of their characters, and
the oaseneSs OF their designs. Why else do we
SO frequently see individuals of the other sex who
claim to profess the most spotless character to
be the conserVators Of fashion, and to give tone
10 society, receiving into their parties and caress-
ing, nay, not hestalIns to promenade in public,
arm In arm, with depraved and prohigaIe wretch
es, as their honored Observation-Disclosures who
are known tobe dssolute, yes, odiouslY licentious
in their habils-and this without blu.h Why
do ladies' OF quality instead Of scorning even the
approach OF such wretches, and repeng their pres
ence an insult and affront TO their SEX even
eVlnce a preference for their society over men of
exemplary characters-ap apparently dehghtng in
their attentions, if they happen to be talented rich
and fashionable, even though they may have been
guilty OF the deepest baseness TO other women
Why, too, do the young of the gentler so often
manifest such an eagerness 10 draw around them
the butterflies of ours, beings of mere tinsel and
upperY to the exclusion of the merItorious and de-
serVlng who seek companions for life and not the
glittering playtbngs Of an hour? Why is it that
men may practice with impunIty wees which, in
the other sex, will not be tolerated for a moment;
or that abandoned libertines, addicted the vlest
species of prohigacy, and, worse than ali. who do
not pretend 70 disguise their evil habits yet hold
up their heads IN society as gentlemen while the
female who is even suspected of the slightest dev
alton from the rules ofchastity is consigned TO
lasting infamy and disgrace 2 The .undeniable
fact matt fhcI,
makes the man." has sunk into oblivion new stan
dards OF character have been set up; and the fun
damentai qualities which enter into the modern
fashionable idea of gentleman, have less relation
to innate honesty and worth, than to the length of
ones purse, the texture of his CLOTH and the scru-
pulous exactness of mis- grimaces and bows.
We believe that true gentlemen are confined to
no walk or rank in lIfe The sturdy blacksmith,
with his dlngy garments, his open honest counten-
ance begrimmed with smut, and his rough, hard
hand, Scared with service more honorable than
that of war, has an immeasurably higher claim to
that honorable name than the shallow-pafed fop
who skips through college with kid gloves and a
atan culvates the graces before the glass and the
ladies, and takes his diploma with all his bushIng
honors thick on his vacant head. II is false and
contemplate notion that unless man can boast a
high descent, rolls majestcally along in a coach
emblazoned with arms his name should be stricken
from the list OF gentlemen. Which class has, from
time mmemorial, conferred the brightest honors on
the human race-the naughty arstocrat who
shrinks with strong convulsions from the touch of
the honest poor man, and moves with a step that
seems dainty OF the soil it reads on or the humble
peasant who cai:Is merit but nobility of soul ?
Whence come the greats lights Of the intellectual
frmament-the stars that form the brilliant galaxy
whose beams dazzle the eye Of every beholder 2 In
the vast majority ofinstances they have emerged
eminence from the chilling depth of obscurity des-
ttution and want Whose voices are oftenest
raised in successful vindicaton of human rights,
and float over mountain and plain, over ocean and
land till they vibrate on the ear of the remotest
dweler in Chrislendom7 Who are they that
" Pluck bright honor from the pale-faced moon,
Or dive into the bottom of the deep,
Where fathom line could never touch the ground,
And drag up drowned honor by the locks ,"
The scions of Ao6le blood? The worshippers of
Bacchus and Venus, who frller away the hours
granted by Heaven for selfimprovement in the stu
dy of the contemplate and puere forms Of FASH
Ion2 No! They are men oflow parentage-men
who have buffeted the pillows of fate without de-
pendence, save upon the mercy of god and their
own energes-the gentlemen of nature, who have
trodden under foot the painted lizards" of society
and worked out their own distinction with an ar
dor that could not be quenched, and perseverance
that considered nothing done while any thing yet
remained to be done. 80. Yankee Blade.