The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-10-17
An Aristooracy.


We gave, not long ago, some extracts 'ion'
a very original lecture by DR.. Q. A. nfoMn,
son. setting forth arguments in behaii Q, ule
uses of an aristocracy The lecturer no"
ever. with all his predictions for an up
per ten" felt himself compelled 20 $eAno".
iease that the attempt at an aristocraey III
go. commercial cities OF America Is
a miserable failure. 1t Is Mr, oFo"hsoh 9
theory that an aristocrscy should guide ana
fashion public opinion snd morals, whereas
.,o .r;s,ocraey of our large cities is notori-
o,,s,v destitute of the intellectual and moral
Qualifications for guiding itself aright,-much
,ass ether people. II is a elf,constituted no.
h;,;tv. many of whose principal personages
hava NOT mastered the rudiments of an or
binary education, and are as coarse and I'M
refined in their tastes and sentiments as the
most miserable and depraved of the eanaiue,
unon whom they look down with such mag
nifcent contempt.
tweuld puzzle greater philosopher than
Mr.. Brownson 70 fabricate an sristoeracy
which would be respected out of any mate
rails which at present exist in American So
ciety. Even Republicans can make some
allowances for an upper ten which has Inc
merit of age, whose founders were dlssln-
guished by their talents and virtues, ana
whose living representatives preserve WIN
IS much fidelity the noble traits as the NOME
name of their ancestry. But bran new
aristocracy, just coined IN our own minus
and out of common metal, naturally eA-
cites the universal disgust Of all who do not
mass through the same elevating process
Every American is of opinion that he IS
mite as good man as any other American,
and with all the love Of political equality, we
question whether social equality is not dear
er to the human nature Of the most out and
out Republican, and whether he would not
much sooner forgive a denial of his political
rights than his equality Of rank IN the social
scale. Consequently the sovereigns OF this
western world look with an evil eye upon
the slightest development of aristocratic
tendencies in this great Democracy. They
may respect the ancient, moss covered oak
which has wrestled with the storms of cen
tSpcSAditf nhSh II upOA p" Iva
eign soil, but for the mushroom of their own
woods which seeks to initiate the king of the
forest they have the most profound and bit
ter scorn.
But, after all, we will have an aristocracy,
an spite of the American Constitution and
our Democratic principles. The pride and
vanity of human nature cannot be eradica-
ted by republican form of government
We are sorry to say that the signs of the
times do not indicate that intelligence, re-
finement and moral worth are to constitute
the foundations upon which our nobility will
rest its claims. On the contrary, its essential
element will be money, its chief virtue the
cut of the coat, and the greatest crime in
its code of morality will be poverty.
This is beautiful prospect! But howssis
it to be helped? Republicans say, with the
inspired poet of Scotland, 'the mans the
gow'd," but, in the new order of things which
is to grow up in this country, the man will
not be the current gold of American society.
He may play well his part; he may have
sterling mental and moral qualities which
will put to shame all the dross of fashionable
folly; he may bear on every lineament of soul
and body the Creators stamp of nobility,
but he will be nailed to the counter as base
coin by the aristocracy of Mammon.