Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-03-03
sARISTOCRACY.n

How this world is given to a~peing-to pat.
after the views, opinions, Thims, cap
riees, follies, and even crimes, of those who
have a high standing in society,"" how de-
testable and how much to be deprecated is
such a servile baseness-how u~nbecoming the
dignity of a MAN, who should feel there Is mo-
distinctions in this e land of the free" but such
as are found in merit and excellence of charac-
ter. Reel tcorth, whether found in the humble
cottage or the gilded mansion, should be the
only dividing line in society. Thank heaven,
our government recognizes no aristocratical
distinctions-no titled nobiity-but we have
\ pseudo aristocracy-a Observation-Disclosures
sheer at the industrious mechanic, the hardy
nlonobman. and the man who earns his daily
bread by his own exertions, no matter what his
occupation, nor how exalted his character for
worth and excellence-thess, they exclude, and
pronounce unworthy to " move in the first cir
cles of society," because, f~orsooth, their hands
are harder than their hearts, and because they
have Maid more attention to the inside than the
outside of their heads. He's a trddeSHdnIi
how contemptibly these brainless tops speak
these words. Who was Franklin, "whose
epitaph can never grow dim while the lightning
bIazes athwart the heavens q Did he not
wend his way from the occupation ofa jour
newman printer, to " that sublime height from
whence, as the eagle bathing his plumage in
the eternal sunshine, he looked down on other
) menr Who were Fulton, Morse, Rittennouse,
and a host of other worthless, whose name s are
! as deathless as their immortal spirits-wero
: not thew Observation-Disclosures? Ave, veri.
\ ly: and their fame and history will be handed
! down to posterity, while the names of these
pseudo-aristocrats will have passed away as
their shadows do by the cloud-obscured sun,
whose ray alone reflected their existence on
the earth.
We would not, however, be misunderstood
upon this subject. We have no ~prejudices
against the wealthy and infuential-no wish
to array one class of society against tho other
: We scorn the base demagogue spirit that would
cater for the favor of The poor by abusing the
rich that would elevate, the indolent and worth.
e less by spelling enterprise fits Legitimate &c
ward. It is the foolish apeing of trsiqn
T
: manners; the assumption on the part ofaiW
- of exclusive g%entiIity, that is to be depreeta,
and which should be met with scorn andid5e.
nation by every true friend of his county,
Away with such deteriorating mock-fastidiOus.
ness, that would ~paralyLe and hamper The
growth of rising young Anerica-but LET US al
~ sing:
en- We love the banging. hammer,
Dr. The whirring of the plane,
The crashing of the b1sy saw,
ga The creaking Of the crane;
In The ringing Of the anvil,
the The grating of the drill.
al The Gathering of the turning-lathe,
The whirring of the mill;
Gus The buzzing of the spindle,
ne The rafting of the loom,
olls The putting OF the engine,
- And the fans continual boom;
the The clipping of the tailor's shears,
,raI The driving ofthe awI
for The sound ofbusy labor
We love, we love them all.