Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-12-09
--sFo tread alone
Their banquet halls deserted


Every one familiar with the phraseolo-
gy of ton, knows what is meant by a mix
ture;' but in defiance of the arbitrary code.
these sabhorred mixtures take place in ev.
cry company that is gathered together,
from the social party to the public ball. A
large assemblage cannot be collected with
out admitting many whom the most fastidi-
GUS consider as unlawful intruders; but our
'lady patrenesses' are obliged to make
virtue Of necessity, and to overlook the
taint Of the trades provided the industri-
GUS occupation has been abandoned for the
idleness Of acquired wealth. They pro-
fess to hold themselves far above the sons
and daughters Of the man who still plies
the tools of honest toll, while they strive to
forget that the fortunes bequeathed to them,
were wrought by the same implements in
the hands of their own ancestors. How
inconsistent and how ludicrous, are all at
tempts at such exclusiveness! And yet
they talk of aristocracy, assume superci-
iousness towards their supposed interiors,
and utter swelling words ofvanity' respect
ng their first clrcles,' and their 'distinc-
tons in society," Away with such foole-
ry! Away with these paltry card-built
limitations Of the time-worn, crumbling edi.
fees of Europe! 1t is these follies, and
this baseless pretension, that renders us the
laughing stock Of tourists, and mark for
the finger of scorn and ridicule, when we
are travellers in England, or on the conti-
nent. The name Of American has indeed
been basely dshonored, if we credit the &C.
counts given of some of our countrymen
and countrywomen abroad. These rivals
Of cockney tourists, these rambling idlers,
whose empty heads and full purses have
caused them to play such fantastic tricks in
the cities of Europe, what shall we say of
them? The ostentatious folly and petty
vanity Of some, have caused us to blush to
own them as Americans; but of those who
are ashamed to own the land Of their birth,
and who depreciate our country and its glo-
rious institutions, we would say, Out upon
the ingrates! They are no longer of us!
We divorce them from our hearths and our
homes, and hope they may live and die the
subjects of despot; for they are unworthy
to inhale again the free air of our hills, or
to touch their feet upon this soil, whose lib
erty was the blood-bought heritage Of our
| fathers!' % .'f7 ~
| Let us then cast all these follies from us;
let us carry our national motto into Amer
lean society, and proudly acknowledge it
as our own, in the midst of the proudest
court of Europe, and it will bring us. the
respect, ay, even the reverence, ofthe most
cringing slaveat the feet Of royalty. There
is a lofty independence, a fearless freedom,
in the bearing and character of a true re-
publican, which force men to honor him.
He looks on men as men, and not through
the medium Of their titles. To him,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp.
The mans the gold for a. that 2
He maintains the dignity of freeman,
without violating the customs Of any socie-
ty into which he is thrown. He is always
an American citizen; at court presenta-
ton, nobleman's entertainment, or at
merchants table. We trust that our coun-
try may have many such representatives
in foreign climes. SO as 10 redeem us from
the opprobrium which is said to rest upon
US % r-ust s8 gsys. es IA .s..
Let it be our boast that the regulations
ofour social life are based upon the same
broad and noble foundation as our political
! institutions; that our highest places are o
pen to all who are worthy ofthem, whether
they be the descendants of home-born pa
i rents, Or foreign mobiles.
Let us pride ourselves in making charac
ter and intellect the only standardof grada
tion. for gradations there will ever be Whill