The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-02-16

There is now living III the suburbs Of Lon
don, in "A splendid mansion not far from tn
| Crystal Palace, II mlu whose career is il
cal science as cxpounded in the Southern
States of this Union. Ethnology has beer
havorite study in that part Of the world
and has abundantly proved the natural ant
hopeless infcrioriy of the negro race.
Scripture and science have agreed in con
demning the modern representative of Ham
to Il life Of cheerful bondage His facial
angle cut him of from all hope of intcllec
| tual improvement so completely, that the
law restraining him from the use of the
| spelling book seemed ludicrously needless
His thick lips indicated moral nature so
incapable OF refinement, that the law which
put his wife and family in the keeping oil
another man stood blamclcss upon the
statuc-book. His curly hair indicated a
constitution precisely adapted to labor in
the cotton fled or the rice swamp and his
curvilincar Sims and his protrusive heels
served still further to distinguish him from
the human race. Yet, in defiance of the
laws of science and the teachings Of the
Southern pulpit, this 'aggravatins Niger
IA pure black, with thick lips, fiat nose, curly
hair, and all the condemnatory Characters,
ties Of race, not only owns the house in
which he lives, but five other villas of equal
prctensions; has actually been knighted,
and bears the title Of chevalier, for which
some cf our Southern friends would sacri-
fec every thing but their ''honor, and
that too on pinch has married Swedish
baroness too and, withal, is said to be as
refined and elegant a gentleman as walks in
Piccadilly or drives in Hyde Park.
The perpetrator of these hidcous impro.
prieties was raised in Maryland, if we
remember rightly, and went to England
about thirty years ago in the capacity Of a
body-servant to n play -actor,-the elder
Wallack. Adrdge, that is his namc,-
Ira Aldrdgc was at that time likely boy
OF twenty, and worth, probably, ten or twelve
hundred dollars, Of any mans money. 1t
is impossible to say what he mig bring now
in currency if he we're still resident Of his
native country, and if the meldlesome,
fighting aboitionists hadn't upset the patri.
archa institution altogether. The natural
promptings Of his nature, closely allied be
it remembered to the monkeys, made him
an imitator of his distinguished MASTER
Without instruction in the dramatic art, he
became, by the mere force Of observation
and association an actor himself, and came
out i'll Othello, in the Slave, and in several
other parts for which white players find
burnt cork an indispensaby preparation.-
Some glimmcring of reason or instinct in.
duccd him TO cut his native country alto
gethcr. and trust to luck under the decay
ing mouarchies' and etictc despotisms'' Of
Europe.
Fifteen or sixteen years he spent in Eng
land, in what would be called the study Of
his art, il it were allowable to suppose in
such II creature any capacity for intellectual
effort. Then, in 1852, he went upon the
continent. In Austria, Germany, France,
and, above all, in Russia, he achieved the
most wonderful triumphs. What makes his
Russian success doubly disgusting is the cir,
cumstances that the Caucasus, the abode OF
the very type Of the superior race, is EN-.
braced by the wide reaching arms Of that
gigantic Power. In Moscow and St. Peters
burg, the students have often Embarrassed
the horses from AldrIdgc's carriage, aud
drawn him themselves from the theatre to
shs lodgings. One fears that chnology is
at low ebb in the Russian universities. -
Bayard Taylor heard him in Russia, deliver,
ing his part in English quite unintelligiblc
to his audience, but nevertheless by look,
tone, gesture, attitude, and movement com
pletely enhancing and commanding their
sympathies. 1t reminds one Of the deaf
man 5 ecstasy at witnessing Prcntices ora,
tory: 81 can't hear blasted word he says
but, good gracious, don he do the motions
Splendid
Thisp phenomenon rose from poverty to
opulencc. The Chcvalicr Aldridgc wears
rings given him by kings and queens lie
could load his breast with the decorations
and medals Of the different orders he has
received. Tire elite Of the most cultivated
nations Of Europe have been charmed with
what they call his powers, meaning intel,
lcctual powers, and have showered their
favors upon him. This is too absurd. -
Nature designed this creature for a boot
black, il there Is any truth in clhnology,
and he has made himself IL gentleman. -
This lameutablc pcrvcrsion Of his natural
powers ought to serve us II warming to all
white Americans. 1t will not do to give this
race what the stupid Radicals persist in call
ing "a fair chance Unlimited reading,
and writing, choice OF employment and the
ballot, will, we gravcly fear, upset cthnolo-
sy altogether, and give to negroes the status
of human bcinss.-Nainc State Press.
-
TnAD AND ANDy.-At a cock fight in Ne
yada one Of the fowls was named Andy
Johnson and the other Thad Stevens, and
very heavy betting took place according to
the political partalitcs Of the SPECTATORS
Thad. killed Andya the first onset.