The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-11-17
For the National Era.
THE ARIsTOCRACY OF ENGLAND.-NO. /.

OF all the privileged orders of modern Eu-
rope, the aristocracy of England have best pre-.
served the compactness and unity of their cor
porative organization. They have survived con-
WILSON'S which have trampled crowns and cor
onets in the dust Traditions, which have more
force with the ignorant than logic, have shed
lustre over their ancient titles, though, with
very few exceptions, the present possessors OF
those titles are of totally different race and
lineage from those on whom they were origin.
ally conferred The Peerage of England is no
exclusive body, as were the mobiles of Venice
inscribed in the Golden Book. In its ranks are
soldiers and sailors, lawyers and merchants.
The constant infusion of new blood is always
importing to it fresh vitality, though it labOrs
under the defect of including men who are only
illustrious by their contributions to art and
science These never reach a higher grade
than a baronetcy However, the cooperative
aristocrocy of Great Britain is an institution
venerable by its age, and in its annals frequent
ly distinguished by its patriotism. Its charac-
ter has been frequently changed or modified in
its organic structure it has been both loyal
and revolutionary at times disnterested, then
venal, sternly defending national interests, or
selfshly pursuing personal gains. 1t has been
dignfed and mean, stubborn and yielding
parasites at court patriots IN the country nov
defying the crown on great principles, now bar
tering honor for the disposal of q blue ribbon
1t has been strongly distinguished from the
continental aristocracy by its rural habits and
predictions deriving its wealth and influence
from the soil, it has always identified itself with
the plough, and many of its members have beer
eminently distinguished by improving agricul
r. talxa AZ
in their country seats, and in the sports OF thu
field As body, they are accessible, and free
from hauteur. They mix with the people and
preside at popular meetings. Many OF them
are highly educated, and are accomplished ora
tors
The Peerage is an order Of about four hun
dred eldest sons, but they were commoners du-
ring the lives of their fathers, and having then
for the most part Eat in the Lower House of
Parliament They thence imbibed, if not dem
ocratic ideas at least democratic manners, pur-
ged themselves of prejudces incidental to a
privileged class, and learned to pay homage to
the principle of progress. In these particulars
they essentially differ from the continental no.
bility The old nobesse of France only enjoy
ed life in the atmosphere of Versailles, and the
severest punishment was Punishment to their
country seats Neither they, nor their com
peers of Austria, Prussia, Russia, or Italy, had
any legislative functions to discharge for they
were no more, in q political sense, than the
decorated lacqueys of a despot. In Spain and
Portugal the cortes were soon suppressed; and
if they are now revived, it is only to manifest a
spssmodc or palsied legislation. The contrast
is eminently favorable to the English aristoc-
racy, and it arises from the difference in ma
tional institutions Great Britain is governed
by popular organ cations, however imperfectly
developed; the continent is ruled by bureau
cracy.
To study the historical life of q nation in the
aggregate, and unroll at once 80 comprehensive
and varied panorama, is one Of the highest
exercises of human intellect, and it falls to the
lot of few to accomplish no magnificent an
achievement. But humber minds may trace
the historical life Of class or at least portray
its most salient features; and we propose to
make this attempt in rapid review of the rise
and progress of the English aristocracy, not in
its minute details, but in it's broad outlines.
The conquest of England by the Duke of
Normandy was followed by the parcclling out
of the whole land of the country in conditional
proprietorship among his victorious followers
IL is a disputed point, whether feudalsm was
known in England before that event, or wheth-
er it existed concurrently with allodial tenure
but it s quite certain that it was fully cstab
lisbed after the battle Of Hastings William,
however was not an absolute king but rather
the accepted chief of military confederacy /;
he was the chief baron of baronial organiza-
ton both his prerogative and their rights were
limited, but rudely defined Hence arose be-
tween the crown and nobility those struggles
which were only terminated by the revolution
Of 1888 and all of which were more OF less
connected with questions Of fscality and taxa.
ton for this reason, we must first survey the
nature of the platform on which the old terri
tOrial constitution was erected.
The fiscal system established at the conquest
in England was based on direct taxation, ari-
sing from two sources--the crown lands and the
feuda dues. The Apglo-Saxons distinguished
the soil belonging TO the community at large
and to individual owners, by the titles Of folc-
land" and "bocand;" the former was the
land Of the folks" Of the great body of the
people, being unappropriated to individual own
ership, and what remains Of it is now called
commons; :" but when portion Of this terri
tory was carved out and bestowed on some emf
nent man, as tn, reward Of his services, such
portion was registered in book, or conveyed
by a written instrument, whence its name of
"boclandD William the Conqueror became
the feudal proprietor of the whole realm, and
thus he acquired all the iolcland which was
mixed up with the crown lands, under the gen.
eral title Of TERRA REGIS, or land of the king;
bat in these he held only life interest as
trustee. DomEsDAY Book, the great STATIsTi-
CAL RECORD Of those days, records that the
Conqueror retained for himself as royal ap-
pendags u the crown, and as a source Of rev.
enue, l,422 nsnors, s. royal forests, 10 chases
and 7sl parks, in various counties This prop.
erty Sir Henry SpcIman calls SACRED PAR
RIaosY, the inseparable inheritance Of the
throne" and Sir Robert Cotton observes that