The New York herald., 1864-10-14
Tbe new Americas Aristocracy-1he
Petroie rau0bs.


Tbs new Americas Aristocracy-1he
Petroie rauobs.
We publish in tlris MORNINGS HEsALD another
batch Of useful information from the oil region
of Pennsylvania, and other olesgiaous districts
In that and more southeriy sections OF the
country. From this report tho reader will
form some idea Of the extent Of the petroleum
trade the ramiications of society into which
penetrates, the arts and sciences, the com
mercial and shipping interests. and tho social
relations involved in its cultivation and pro.
ductions. From this data one can form some.
idea Of the strata underlying the new American
or petroleum aristocracy, and arrive at some
conclusion about its Gnal fate. Like oil other
American class society. it is liable to . sudden
rise, a brilliant career, grand spluwge. and
ultimate extinction, or falling back into the
original elements or strata. from which It made
its exodus into the fashionable world IL was so
with the Goldfish aristscracy of Massachusetts,,
which rose from the profits Of successful voy-
ages to the banks of Newfoundland to a
proud and pretentious class, which, with all its
perfume and cosmetics could not deprive itself
OF its ancient fsh-like aud vulgar odor. The
mackerel aristocracy Of Cape Cod was far less
pretending, and possessed more common sense
and decency
The Goldfish and mackerel aristoeracies had
their day. and gave place to the iron
and anthracite aristocracies Of Pennsylvania.
The former had solid existence for some
time, but gradually languished, and finally
pershed of disease called the tariff Of '42.
The anthracite aristocracy shot up brilliantly
for while, by the aid Of monopolizing ma
tioaal and State privileges; but faded like the
expiring embers o! o Lackawanna coal fire, and
nothing Is now left Of thsm but impudence
and ashes. The California aristocracy were
the rage for few fashionable seasons. be-
cause they had more bullion and brass than
either Of the preceding aristocracies. But
they were rough sort OF aristocracy--regu.
lar rough diamonds-and could not Withstand
tue test of genius and intellectually, the true
American arstocracy Next we had the shod-
dy aristocracy-al jewels and gew- -gaws fam
fare, ignorance and pretension. They have
had their day, but they will endeavor to retain
their position in the realm Of false fashion,
now that they believe they have further lease
| Of political power. And now, last but pr0ba-
| bly, not least, we have the petroleum aristcc-
| racy, who have entered the dominions of the
| leviathans Of the deep, and proclaimed liberty
| to the founders Of the whale oil arsSocracy of
| a former period, the dashng Prince Sperma
cet and all the other Princes of Whales, and
unbound the shackles Of old King Humpback,
| the rude monarch of tho Arctic depths. The
! petroleum arstocracy can therefore claim the
risht or pss;;cs the most sn!l.h.ened aristoc
raey Of Amera:sE ne mE BSs Qmd r;des;-wics was
once the legend on the panels Of the carriage
Of celebrated wealthy London tobacconist--
who knows what may be the end Of Petrolia,
| where the seekers after fortunes have only to
touch the bosom of mother earth and riches
gush forth as from fountain Of molten gold.
This is no laughing matter; and yet
| how soon may those who laugh at these
| oil princes cry out. like the five foolish
| virgins unto the wise-"Give us of your
! oil; for our lamps are gone out" But the
princes may answer, like the wise virgins,
saying-"Not so lest there be not enough for
| us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell,
| and buy for yourselves" Give the oil princes
and princesses at least one fashionable season,
uuu see Wu3l VIII DtCOut VI tucm
PARTISAN JoURNALIsM--Thc recent elections
have afforded one more illustration of the reck-
lessness OF statement aud utter worthlessness as
| newspapers of the partisan journals Of this
| city. Newspaper history has nothing in it so
disgraceful to the newspaper and at the same
| time so laughable, as the antics OF the World
| over the results Of the election. All the par
| tisan press-the Tribune, the Times and the
| U'orld--exhibited on Wednesday All indecent
haste in the conclusions they drew from the
| Pennsylvania returns. Those returns were not
sufficiently definite to justify positive con-
cusion either way, and newspaper should
have said 80 honestly; but these mere partsans.
regardless of their position as public chroni-
ccrs, all went to conclusions, and each to the
| conclusion that pleased him best. Conse.
| quently one announced most vociferously that
the republican party was beaten; ard two
hurrahed tssite as positively over republican
| victories. In the face of such spectacle ex.
hibited by two journals who claim all the re.
| spectab;lity of the American press, and third
that was organized to be pious, can we wonder
| that European writers snecr at tho unreliabilty
Of the statements of American newspapers
| As was very natural, the professionally pious
one Of these journals was the worst Of the
three. The World absolutely refused credence
to all unpleasant news; declared in three
places that returns adverse TO its hopes had
been "gerrymandered," and claimed that the
whole result was the "knel Of the republican
rar,y" IN ;rss dubious statements from Penn.
sylvsnia II found 70 magnificent democratic
victory" and "afty thousand majority for
Mcclellan" Can the force Of partisan mad