The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-08-11

| American Love of Titles
| y<.h.ra Is a weakness in American ch"fae-
| -h,nh may well excite the wonder anu
1 s.uis,,r of even those strangers VINO desire 10
I'LL, ,-o,, NJ ms and our Institutions IL Is inc
| ;,ora;nata fondness for titles when exists
/ . nation whose pride ii ought to be ina,
| :, ,;a M, descend from titled CLASS, mat II
~. ,,rohihi,ed by law orders and titles OF no.
| h;,;tx and that it has made It's own greatness
II can do MS no harm to look sometimes Ut our
t.,,,s and foibles. as we'll as our innumerable
.rd cumulative virtues, and he is no friend
| who fails to make known to friend his er-
[ rors or to prevent him from making himself
ridiculous.
We hold that no one has more just reason
for pride than the man who, originally poor.
humble. and unaided by powerful friends or
influence. has made himself one of the pillars
If the Stnte. one of the chief members OF tho
learned professions, or leader in any Promi-
| nent department of human enterprise. Great
| Rritain. France, and even the despotic coun-
| tries of the Continent, can show such men,
| and thew are reyerenced there amid kings and
| courtiers; they are often "the power Dehlho
| tho throne that is greater than the throne -
| sometimes they control cabinets. lead armies,
| and decide the destiniss OF empires In this
| country, such cases are more numerous, Ior
here there is fair field for each and ALL ana .
| list of the names who have risen IN the UNI
ted States, from the humblest origin 10 the
bigh places of the land would fill volume
Orr country itself was settled mainly by the
middle classes. and agricultural ana me-
chanical laborers of Great Britain. They
were men who valued pith muscle ana man.
hood-oualities which are more highly appre-
ciated in a new country than gentle blood and
ancestral renown. BY the exercise OF these
Qualities, the Republic has become, in the life
time of a man, one of the great powers OF the
earth, and it would have moral grandeur
equal to its physical, but for a universal
laundering after the fleshpots of aristocracy
which consoles the most enYious and sardonic
of its enemies.
If in this title-forbidding nation, this peo-
pie which processes to despise the ancient no.
blity of Europe, there could be published
book containing all the titles applied to, or
appropriated by, American citizens, stranger
would come to the conclusion that the whole
population is composed of Generals, Colonies,
Majors, Captains, Honorables, Commodores,
Doctors, Professors, and Esquiresa, The plain
title of "Mtster'' has become a mark of dis
tinction. Who is willing to be only " Mister p"
Who will consent to serve As a private in this
Republican army When these titles, SO va
rious and innumerable, are not mere orna-
mental handles to ordinary names, when they
indicate superior knowledge or merit it is
right aud proper that they should be bestowed.
But, as general thing, the very reverse is the
case, and handles of silver and gold are suck
on to earthen jugs with the evident convic-
!, INV h hi ind of 81
will become of the same precious metal as
the handle. Military titles, belonging to
profession of which less is known in this
country than any other, are more common
than all the rest combined. Every member of
Congress-. S1cKLEs included, is Honorable, and
every private citizen an Esquire. Hitherto,
the NAVY. being a vocation of the sea, has been
able to keep its titles from the land sharks,
Int we see that even the hard-earned honors
of our gallant naval defenders, who get little
el.e but honor and hard knocks in the way of
compensation, are no longer sacred. The
Yacht club of New York, we perceive, has
converted its vessels into squadron, and in
vested one Of their Captains with the title OF
"Commodore." They intend to do things
quite man of war fashion, and very likely will
altogether eclipse the regular service in sea-
manship and fighting qualities in q very short
time In other departments, we find even
more ridiculous examples of affec tation and
imposture. Nothing is more common than
to see the honored named of Professor" q
name which has technical Specification, and
belongs exclusively to public teacher of the
sciences in University or College, assumed
nv every mountebank and humbug, by bal
loonis,s, phrenologists, rope dancers, and we
have even heard of Professor Of Corns."
The colleges and universities of the country
have some reason to complain of such an up.
preparation and application of their peculiar
property; but we think it can be shown tina,
il is, after all, only retributive justice, and
that they, who have conferred honors with So
little Discrimination, ought not to murmur
when they are despoiled of their own badges
Of distinction. How few are the colleges in
America in which degree confers any evi.
dence of merit. In the bestowment of honors
upon outsiders, especially the title of u. D.,
| the colleges Of the country have done more to
multiply unnecessary titles, and have com
| mitted greater injustice, than all the impos.
| tors and swindlers in the land. In former
| times, the title Of Doc tor in Divinity meant
something, and 1t was rarely and discriminate
| ingly bestowed. How is 1t now2 Let every
man look around him, and decide if this title
| is always an evidence Of extraordinary thso.
| logical learning; nay, if it is not often given
| to the merest sciolists and smatterers in the.
ology, while (and here is the crying injustice
| of this reckless distribution of clerical hon.
ors,) men really deserving are passed by, and
| thus lowered in the estimation Of the commu.
| nifty, who naturally regard them as inferior
men in their profession, because the tribunal
| which dspenses the rewards Of merit has
| not conferred upon them that badge of supe.
| rior desert which it Is its province to be.
stow, and of which it is supposed to b.
the best judge. Itwould be better to dispense
with the title altogether than to lavish il &c
indiscrlminately, and with as little iudg.
mont and Justice as 1t is now often applied.
| The Next Census.
| In view OF the fact, that in the ensuing yea,
the eighth census of the United States win be
taken, and Of the difficulties Of obtaining in
formation that may arise from tho absence O,
the head OF the family when the deputy Mar.
shall calls, 1t is suggested by the Nashville
Daily Nsrs that each farmer this fall. as he
gathers his trops, shall keep something likean
accurate account of the quantity and value of
the same and II he win take the trouble 10
| make out q statement Of the names and ages of