The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-05-09

=
which finally drowned out her heart and
dried up the freshness Of her life. twas
nothing new. The history of the times
gives frequent record oflike events. This
friendless girl forms but one in a vast and
mournful army marching to an uncared
for burial, martyrs to the inhumanity of
this philanthropic age. The truest hero
ism and the saddest martyrdom, is uncom-
plainingly to struggle through life fruit
full only in woes, and in the freshness of
youth, or tho maturity of middle age, to
push aside 'the curtains that surround the
| world and enter the Great Unknown
Such is the fate of thousands. The world
gives look of pity aud moves on, ma
king no memorial of their greatness
sThey 90 down into the sea of oblivion,
forever, with no requiem save the min
strelsy of the ocean which heeds not
whereof it sings
False ideas of what constitute true
greatness and entitle men to honorable
distinction, are the most fruitful sources
of arrogant and intolerant aristocracles.
The arts ocrat gains his honors, and keeps
his position only at the bidding and to
the detrirnent of all beneath him. In the
social. as in the political world, the aris-
tocracy give slight attention to the wants
and feeling of those in less exalted posi-
tons, and by virtue of their assumed SUI
periority, trample upon the rights their
followers fail to assert. The direct and
inevitable tendencies of caste anywhere,
and everywhere, based upon any. other.
foundation than superior wisdom control
led and exercised by superior virtue, are
perncious, and subversivo of the nobIcr
instincts and better natures of our com
mon humanity. The social aristocrat is
moro inhumau'in' his practice and hurtfui
in his influence than the political one, in
asmuch as he disrogards the finer feel
ings and dearest inte ests Of men. As
man has greater attachment for and IN
terest in his social than his political friend,
SO he has greater attachment for bis So
cial than his political rights.
Social Arstocracy, like almost every
other evil, is most felt in the thickly set
tied states, excepting. slave territory
Hence the reason crime, ignorance and
want, with their gaunt and ghostIy forms,
are forever holding rerel in our cities.-
A Fifth Avenue and FNe Points will
always go together. The latter is the le-
gitimats offspring of the former.
But the influences and evils of aristoc
racy are fot in almost every country VII
lage. Nearly every community Las It's
quorum of self-constitutod Judges who
llnpudently assume it rs their especial
prerogative to give final verdict upon the
social and moral worth OF their ae.gabors,
particularly the young. These indiVidu-
ais, with more tyranny than mercy, and
with moro egotism than virtue, constitute
the august head of Neighborhooi AIRS
tocracy; and from their councils the de-
cree is read, and from their syaagogues
the laws given which are to govern the
social elements. Charity occupies small
portion of their creed, and they are sad
ly forgetful of the maxim, physician
heal thyself.' ''f ="
Now, no matter how much such per-
sons affect superiority or desire to elevate
and refine the social circles over which
they aspire to dictate. yet their influence
is most pernicious in its tendency. They
show too little sympathy with those be-
meath them, and whom they wish to di-
rect They stand apart in proud. polite
isolation, while the world with its great
interests and its vast concerns, is strug-
Cling around them. They take no hold
Of the world with earnest minds, strong
wills, and warm sympathetic hearts,
Their virtues are crtisted over with sell
complacency; and their good intentions
are destroyed by their own hanls.
| If the aristocracy in social life, who
boast superior virtue, and affect great love
for the welfare ofthose they think beneath
them in social and moral worth, wculd
more justly observe the interests and IN
stincts Of our common humanity, their IN
fluence would be salutary in its effects
Would they only probe down into the
buried lieart-life of many less pretentiou:
than themselves, they would find yearn
ing thoughts, noble aspirations, generous
impulses, before whose crimson coloring
their own proud lives would show cold
and grey. ~, 40 4...f H.
The world would be far better if mel
would crush out from among them al