Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-05-25
Society Amoricn,

4 great triangular battle has been going
during the last century, between Money, Birth
and Brains. Birth went into the field with the
prestige of many preceding victories. 1t claimed
all the thrones, manned all the constructed forts,
| and had things its own way at the start. Money
enriy worsted it at certain points, however, but
Brains latterly has been putting both to rout
Over very considerable part Of American tel
ritory Brains rules. In the Slave States, Birth
has power enough to make bondSmen of three
or four million people, and Money is compelled
to support them, in return for their lazy service
and Scanty tribute But elsewhere i'll our Re
public, except in some priggish villages and in
| a city or two where they worship the dollar
Brains rules it labor, guides the pen di-
reefs enterprise and diSpenSes the charities
While its sway is still disputed in this MetropO-
lis it has power to recast Society. What was
formerly the middle class is now the first, and
the old first is nowhere The big Drained men
go ahead in all things. They lead in art, sci
ence, literature and government. If they have
the faculty to convert some of their surplus
brains into money, they are kings and priests
But if unskilled in that most precious modern
alchemy, they still have world springing with
all riches at their feet, canopy of azure or of
ebony always overhead, and an air of freedom
perpetually around them. All that other men
cannot fence in with clap.boards, brick or sand
stone, is theirs. The verdure of all trees, the
perfume of all extra conservatory flowers, are
their property. II they own a city lot, their
titlc.dccd embraces every inch of it from the
surface to the central fires, or if they own not
an inch, it is all the Samc-down through the
vegetable mold, through the fossil bearing strata
and the primary rocks, whatever spot OF earth
they tread on is theirs; by the right of brains
they are at liberty to extract pleasure from
every inch of it. Moreover, for brains enough
is as good feast, so living is cheap.
The monyed men constitute the middle class.
If they rightly their advantage, they can
make life quite comfortable, aud indeed enjoy
many of the prerogatiyes of their superiors.-
By mingling with men of taste, literature, and
science, they really acquire some taste them
selves, and may pass, If modest, for literary and
scientific people. The caprice of the ballot-6ox
has often awarded their aspirations with power.
If they take counsel of Brains, and keep their
mouths shut, they make good Senators; if they
mind their cue, they go down to posterity as
respectable rulers. Like the middle class in
other countries, their position is really very
desirable one if they know how to enjoy it
Some grevous burdens they have to bear, how
ever, which acknowledgement to tern its eye
to. They are rather hard up about homes. Sume
of them congregate into hotels, where the more
prudent Of them find ample employment in be-
ing polite to other mems wives and watching
lest their own come to harm. Some vigorously
set out TO keep their own houses, but il they do
they have to take noisy set Of colOIed or Irish
boarders, who Overrun every part Of the eSIah
lishment and If once rehuked leave in high
dudgeOn, supplying their vacant places with
others still more i,npudent and clownish They
are shackled by customs of the most ridiculous
nature, aud are slaves to the absurdest fashions
The women have feet too small for them, and
some unexplained necessity requires them to
go hoped into society. The diereputable con-
dition Of the hands compcls them always to
wear rat!skin covers They may not 60 to bed
at night nor rise in the morning. Except on u
few streets they are not at liberty to walk; in
deed, their reputation furnishes so easily in the
air that they are expected 10 surround it with
leather and black varnish, and only risk it out
of doors in the keeping of two men in livery
They are not at liberty to live in any one city
more than nine months in the year, and are of
ten compelled to he Mt charges for two or three
separate household establishments to keep up
appearances Of a single family.
But the lower order is still worse Off This
is made up Of the utterly destitute. They live
in cellars, breathe air always ripe for pesti-
lence, and are at the mercy Of City Inspectors,
who refuse to secure them the most obvious
sanitary necessities. Their children, by New
York State law, Migrants if found in the
street, but il they stay indoors they die of foul
air. For this class brains and money ought to |
unite their powers and provide houses above |
ground, york for their hands, baths for their !
cleanliness, schools for their intellectual deve. |
opment, and a free Gospel for their physical
and spiritual salvation. In this way the bene. |
factors would find their own ranks recruited, |
and the third class good as annhiIated, for |
il is an imported class which has no right to |
flourish on Yankee soil.