American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-04-14
WASHINGTON .
PRIDE OF BIRTH.

world to the present time, there has existed
merit to certain families, and belief that it
does not die with its first possessor but descends
to his posterity, In ancient times, men who
distinguished themselves in battle or in council
received titles of nobility. Some, who had
power to do SO, assumed them without consult
ing others and after their death, their tami-
lies inherited their honors. In this manner,
noble families first arose; lapse of time con-
tirmed their rights, and they were ever after
considered superior to those of their fellow NOR
tails who had been less fortunate in their ances-
try. The institution of titles of nobility was
fostered by monarchical governments which,
indeed, derive from it all their strength-and
thus, from their mutual dependence, the evil
has been perpetuated
In order to see more clearly the folly of such
distinctions among men, we need only consider
the capricious laws by which the descent of
titles is governed. The father has not the pri-
vilege of choosing which of his children shall
represent him after his death; but the law, dis
regarding all differences of character and intel
lect, regulates the descent according to the
whims of the law-givers. However ridiculous
hereditary nobility may be, it is clearly neces-
sary to the existence of monarchy. We can
not therefore, expect it to be abolished in such
government; and when the people of the old
despotisms of Europe shall make up their minds
to destroy the one, the other must die in its
company. The great changes which have taken
place in France prove this But if pride of an
cestry is absurd even in a monarchy, how
supremely ridiculous is it in republic like
ours. Our form of government does not require
nobility to sustain it. No such class is recog
Missed by our Constitution. We have no priv
legged order to stand between the Executive and
the people, to act as a check upon the despotism
of the one, and to resist the bold encroachments
of the other. Here we uphold the doctrine
which Nature teaches, that g all men are equal"
Should not the law of descent work both ways?
Should we not as justly assume that a man
inherits all his fathers bad qualities as that he
inherits all his good ones? And do we find, in
our observations of men, that such is the case?
Assuredly not. If, then, the rule fail in the one
case, it must in the other. And, as we know
that the son Of bad man is not, necessarily,
bad, so we find that the son of man distin-
guished for pure morality, or powerful mind,
is not, of necessity, moral or intellectual. 1t
has even been remarked that great mems chill
dren are commonly below the ordinary level.
And what is the reason of this? Not that they
are naturally more deficient in intellect than
others but because of this ruinous pride Of
birth, which does more to retard the advance
ment of many of our youth than almost any
other cause They seem to think that the glory
of their parents is enough for the whole family
that it is "a possession to eternity" and, led
away by this idea, they make no exertion for
personal Improvement and sink into insignif-
canoe.
1t was well said by distinguished English
man, who was an ilFustrious proof of the truth
of our observations, that eff a man depend
upon the glory of his ancestors, the best part Of
him is an the Craze" 1t is, indeed, true that,
when we make no efforts for our own advance
ment, we die premature deaths, and are buried
in the tombs of our fathers. We do not mean
by this that man should have no honest pride
in the worth Of relatives and friends; but let
him not have such pride as will cause him to
stand idle, and allow his whole existence to be
swallowed up in theirs. And, on the other
hand, if a mans ancestors have not done him
honor, or have even disgraced HMM the
opinion of the world-let him not be discour-
aged thereby; but let him press on, and coin
for himself a name, the more glorious that it is
all his own.
Napoleon, whose clear mind saw the folly of
family pride, and who was justly prouder of
himself than of his race, when silly friend at
tempted to prove him of royal descent, wrote to
him to stop his researches, and told him he was
"the first of his family" Not depending upon
his ancestors for fame, he gained for himself
higher name than all Of titled Europe could
boast.
YESTERDAY-T0-DAY