The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-08
Tltular HOnOrs.

TItular HOnOrs.
From tie Tribune.
Charles Lamb once astonisbed the good,
erudite, and supplemented George Dyer by
telling him that sit was rumored that he was TO
be made o baronet" "Oh Mr.. Lamb" said
George that would never do at ali; l could not
think of its "But they will not ask your con-
sent" responded Lamb; "theY win make you one
whether you will or not" Great was Mr.. Dyer's
distress and apprehension at this probable mis-
fortune; and in view of similar peril, we can
fully sympathize with Mr.. Cyrus W. Field. As
a citizen of this most democratic republic, he
cannot legally become Sir Cyrus; but what II
the Queen, in spite of his protestations should
command HIM 10 be dubbed before he can
manage to escape out of her realmg Suppose
he should be abducted, and carried IN the dead
of night to some chapel, and put through (as
we say in America) with all the remorseless
secresy with which other men have been tor
tured by nquisitions and star-chambers, or as
unwilling heather have been baptized by over
Jealous Missionaries The baronetcy once in
the Field family, how could they possibly get
rid of it? The eldest sons of the eldest sons
would be baronets to the end of time, and by
that very misfortune prevented from running
for Congress with the slightest hope of success.
Nc party could possibly take them up for fear
Of the satlrlcal raking which they would get IN
the opposition newspapers. PLAIN Mr.. Field is
fairly entitled to everybody's good wishes: and
as Mr. George Peabody has thus far escaped the
same elevation, we trust that the hero of the
ocean telegraph may be equally lucky.
We suppose that no Enelishman (unless he
has lived here) can appreciate the utterIndifer-
enCe to titular distinctions which is a part
of the nature of every intelligent American.
How cheaply we hold them is proved by the
lavish facility with which, in our own way, We
bestoW them-by our innumerable "Honora-
blesn ana "Esquires.n The first of these handles
is submitted TO partly for the sake of conve-
nience. 1t indicates that at some time in his
life the bearer has been in Office, and it serves
to distinguish him from other persons of the
same name who have always kept private
station. Esquire means, with us, no more
than "Mr." aud Except in college catalogues,
where II stands for "Master of Arts"), "Mr.'
means nothing at all, save that the name to-
which it is pre6xed is that of man, and not of
woman or boy Titular distinction is not
necessarily a folly, under certain forms of
ing OF Providence, do not happen to be
our own. Our great men are known by
the honest names which their fathers
and godtathers gave them, and will continue to
be so known by coming generations. There is
classical simplicity and severity in this which
commended itself TO the good sense of Washing
ton, who was never pleased 10 be saluted as
Your EXCellency." 1t was not until the
Roman Empire was at its last gasp that
Counts" and "Dukes" began to multiply.
Real merit can safely afford to dispense with
tuese ul5ClnCtlOns as we see IN the case OF cee-
0rated Bishops. How many people know the
episcopal title of Fenelon of Hurd, of Warbur-
ton, of Jeremy Taylor? How hard it is even |
now now Tor us to speak Of Lord Macaulay'-how |
long would it be before ''Sir Alfred Tennysonn |
would come glbly from our mouths? The |
names by which fame was won are those by
which with us 1t is perpetuated. American
West the painter, is, we believe the
only President of the Roval Academy who
is not a ''Sir:" he remained too much
OF a Quaker to submit TO knighthood;
and all untitled he continues celebrated,
as one who thought he was painting good and
great pictures when he was merely spelling
acres OF canvass. A baronetcy would no more
have helped him to fame than il did Sir Martin
Archer Shee, r. A. In America we have re-
Vived the historical strength of simple patrony-
mics; the sense Of personal instead of family |
distinction, the simplicity of ancestral pride,
monwealth. We can trust the PLAIN names of |
Washington, OF Adams of Franklin, of Jeffer- |
son, to the Muse of History; and they will be |
all the better remembered for lacking the |
bOtheration OF an alias. Burns was right. 1t is |
the man who is the man. How many of Napo. |
Icons generals are remembered by the fimsy |
and temporary titles which he conferred upon |
them?
We Americans have not altogether outgrown
certain pride OF ancestry, and, perhaps, it is
not desirable that we should, We may well be
proud OF the virtues of our foreathers; but
most OF us came of what is called plebeian
stock-fr0m folk not entitled to coat-armor.
NINE OF our families out OF ten cannot count
back for more than five generations, and some
oil US cannot accomplish even that heraldIc
feat. We can afford to be content with plain
Mr. and leave the devices upon our buggy
panels to the good taste of our coach-builders.