New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-19
SOUTHERN ARIsToCRATs.n

| Soon after the fall of the Confederacy, we
sometimes heard Ignorant and envious men say
that the war had done at least one good-it had
broken down and destroyed the aristocracy" oil
the South. Such expressions were quite common
| among low fellows who lodged conscrpiion-more
common than among the people Of the North.
Using the wordin its more odious sense, the "ars-
tocracy'' Of the South has been badly broken down
bythe destruction of property. If the word "arsto
crats understood as meaning merely those raised
above the necessity of labor or care by wealth,
then it cannot be denied that when their property
was DESTROYED such aristocrats became little or
less, than their working neighbors. We know well
enough that there were in all parts of our States
very many persons who had little to pride them
selves upon aside from their property, who lacked
education, refinement and all the adjuncts of high
civilization, yet who boosted Of their wealth and
exacted the Difference of the less favored. Many
of them were of the loud-mouthed school of citi-
zens, who did and said much to bring about the
hostile feeling which eventually caused war, and
who did very little towards carrying on the war
which they had aided in inauguratng. But
these men and their families were not the
Southern g aristocracy in any just sense Of the
term. They were not of the " best and highest"
Of our Southern citizens. If it is thought proper
to class as aristocracy those who were recog-
nized as best and noblest, the leaders in society,
the guides in public affairs the patrons of taste, the
heirs of ancestral responsibility, the supporters OF
noble charities the founders of schools the builders
of churches, the exemplars of female excellence and
the upholders of honor-T such were our arlsto-
Gratis, then we deny that the war has destroyed our
aristocraey. Their numbers are thinned, for many
scions Of stock, made noble by virtue and excel
lence, have been cut off. The wealth which was |
to them means of benefcence, it is true, has
been destroyed. War has swept over their homes. |
The happy dwellings where hospitality was dis |
pensed are, many OF them, in ruins. Plantations |
are covered with weeds ga tangled, rank under
growth has usurped garden walks and invaded |
flower beds ; cold ashes of burnt houses cover
many cold hearthstones, and idle weeds are creep
ing over the gray ash-heaps. The g fire storm Of
ruin Y has been everywhere, and very much of
what man had done to beautfy and enrich our |
Southern land, has, by the hand of man been I'M
lone. But the storm that swept away the wealth
# our good and worthy people has left unsecured
md unstained that better and higher wealth which
dorned prosperity and now clothes adversely with
onor. We some times think that the war, which
eveloped so often the latent seeds of unknown
ualities, has produced q higher and healthier
ride Of character, higher estimate ofmoral worth
nd mental excellence, higher worship of honor, a
eeper regard for female worth, more reverent
lial love, o more earnest affection among sur
wing kindred, and a heartier love among the
riends who are left.
Before the war, as now, the pride and boast of
he South were her true women and her trusty men.
Ter greatest wealth now lies in the noble charac-
er of her best citizens These make up an aris-
ocracy such as was never based on wealth. and
UGH as misfortune and loss can never destroy.