Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-10-29
WHO ARE GENTLEMEN.

HesilulIou SdNc VeFulct vi UOt SutLty
WHO ARE GENTLEMEN.
In our intercourse With society, Me are
ol.en surprised to Office what despIcable
aud contracted sentin enls are yet afloal
> in tie world. in respecl to The characters
TIC marks 0i true gentlemen. There are
, thousands of individuals who aspire To the
. reputation Of a gentleman, or who per-
ilaps fancy themselves 10 be really such,
+ YET whose highest aud most comprehensive
u0lions OF the character are confined 10
mere external accomplishments. There
are macy females, too, who seem MOI once
10 have d distant idea of such person,
unconnected with coxcombry of dcmeauOr
aud that polished, courIly exteI ior which
Is so oilen assumed by heaIlless, abandoned
libertiues, 10 hide The foul rollenness Of
lh.ir characters, and the baseness of their
designs. Why else Go we So frequently
see individuals Of The other sex who clalm
ro possess The most spnlIess character, to
be the cOnservators of fashion, and to give
tone to society, receiving into their par
lies and caressing, nay. nol hesiIatins 10
promenade in public, arm in arm, with
depraved and prohiSate wrelches. as their
| honored associates-dehauchee ars
known TO he dissululc, yes, odlously lIcen-
lious in their habits-and this wlhOn, a
blush !! Why do ladies Of qualify, instead
of scorning even The approach Of such
wrelchcs, and repeIins heir presence as
all insult an allront to their sex, even
evince preference for their society over
men of exemplary charac,ers-apparenlly
delighting in their attentions, il they hap
pen 0 be talented, rich. and fashionable,
even they may have been guilty OF The
deepest baseness To other women Wig.
too, do the young Of the gentle sex sooIlen
manifest such an caseruess todraw around
them the butterflies oIours, beings Of mere
Iinsel and foppery, to the exclusion Of the
merItorious and deserving, who seek COM
panuns for life. and not the eliltering
playthings Of an hour? Why is i, that
men may practice with impunily vices
which, in the other sex. will NOT be ioera.
led for Il moment; or that abandoned lih
ertines, addicted to The viIest species Of
pro(ligacy, and, worse than all do not pre-
Tend TO disguise their evil habns, YET hold
up their heads in society al gcullem"n.
while the female who is even suspected OF
the slightest deviation from The rules of
chastity, is consigned 10 everlasting nfa-
my and disgrace :? The uudenable fact
is, that The just old maxim Of Pope. That
worth makes the man." has sunk into
oblivion; new standards of character have
been set up; aud the fundamental qual!-
Ties which enter into the modern iashion-
aole ideu of gentleman, have less rela.
llon 10 innate honesty and worth, than TO
the length of ones purse, the texture of his
cloth. aud The scrupulous cxac'ness OF his
grImaces aud bows.
We believe that true gentleman are
confined To no walk or rank in life. The
sturdy blacksmith, with his diugy gar
menls, his 0peu hunest cOnlenance be.
grinImed with smut, and his rough, hard
hard, scurrcd with service more Ilunorabe
than hal of war, has AN immeasurabiy
higher claim 10 hat honorable name than
The shallow paled lop who skips through
college will kid gloves and rattan, cul
llvates the graces before the glass aud lhe
ladies, and takes his diploma with all ns
blushlug nunnrs thick IN his vacant head.
Ii Is false and conlemptihle notion, inai
unless man can boas' ii high desceut, ar
rolls majesticaly along IN coacn -m-
blazOued wiIli arms, Ills uamc should be
stricken from The list of gentlemen. Which
class has from time Iinneinorlal cOulerre
the brightest nnnOrs on the human race
the naughty aristocrat, who shrinks with
: strong cuuvulslous from the touch OF the
honest ponr man, and moves with step
that seems dainty of the soil it lreads on.
Or the humble peasant who claims no me
ri but nobility of soul I? Whence come
, the grca, lights OF the intellectual frma
menl-the slaIs that lorm the brilliant, "a.
luxy whose beams dazzle The eye of eve
, ry behoider! lu ilc vast majorily of in
stances, they have emerged 10 emlnence
from The chilling depth of obscuriy, des-
llution, and want. Whose voces are
oilenes, in successful vndicalion of human
E rights, aud fuat over mountain and plain,
over ocean and land, ill they vibrale on
the ear of The remolesl dweller of Chris
, lendom Who are they hat.
: "Pluck bright honor from the pale.hced moon
} Or dive into the bottom of the deep.
| Where fathom line could never touch The
. ground,
: And drag, up drowned honor by the locksp
4 The scIons Of noble blood? The wor
v shppers-of Bacchus and Venus, no lrit
e ter awav the hours grantedby Heaven fol