New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-05-19
TOUENAAs ENTS AND SOUTHERN
EIIIYAIRH

National pcculiariues are strikingly illus.
trated in the choice of national amuscments.
The Fest, elLivened with enc music and
characterized by healthy gymnastic faats
the Germans carry with them wherever they
emigrate. The French, gallant and
spirited people yet possessed of great per
sonal vanity, take special pride in tstes
cbdmpstres, exhibitions, aud popular de-
nOnstrations. The Derby and Epson races,
and the famous footing days of Oxford and
Cambridge are known wherever the English
language is spoken. Trotting matches, base
ball, yachting, and shooting are as peculiar
to the Northern States. All Of these afford
amusement contribute to physical educa-
ton, and harmonic with the democratic
tendency of the times.
In singular contrass with these is the at
tempt in the Southern States to revive
tournaments, species Of sport as
peculiar to the middle ages as the
bull fight is to Spain, or the brutal
gladiatorial combat was 70 Rome In the
time of the empire. Tournaments are asso-
ciated with the institutions of chivalry, and
in France, where the feudal system and is
offspring, chiyalry, attained the greatest
perfection, the last ioust was held in the
year 1850. The attempt to revive tourna-
ments in the South comes, doubtless, from
vapory idea floating in the limbo Of Con
federate traditions tqat something resem-
bling chivalry did actually exist in the
South prior to the war. The milder features
of negro slavery in the Southern States did,
no doubt, bear some resemblance TO the
feudal system, but there was nothing bad
enough in the leudal system to compare
with the worst features of slavery. The
good that grew out Of chiyalry, if, indeed,
there were any, resulted from causes already
st work, under other names, in ameliorating
the condition of society; the good attributed
to slavery existed only by the grace OF God,
and In spite of a system that contested and
dwarfed civilization, and tended to lead the
world back to barbarism.
Nothing connected with the middle ages
has been so exaggerated and overrated as
the benefits to society, and especially to
manners, popularity attributed to chivalry,
and certainly nothing has been so con
stantly and studiously kept from sight as
the aagrant evils inflicted upon the world
in the name of that institution. Chivalry
claims to have been to manners what the
feudal system was to politics; what the
Romish church was to religion. It was es-
sentially an faristocratic institution. Unit
ing the ecclesiastical doctrine of celbacy
with aristocratic doctrine of noble descent
Out of this union of the celibaey Of the
priest and the hereditary rank Of the noble,
an Incarnation Of the evils inflicted upon
the world BY 4 bigoted priesthood and an
ignorant and fyrannieai nobility, sprang
the various orders of knighthooi 1, as the
Knights OF st. John, St. James, and ST. |
Michael. who. combining the superstition /
OF monks with the brutal ferociiy Of SOIL
diers perpetrated deeds that would have |
disgraced siavetraders and pirates.
In the early ages Of the world the strong /
ruled by the right divine. Kings traced |
their lineage TO the gods, and pretended to |
derive their credentials from the skies. |
But when mankind became able to see |
through this fiimsy pretense, the doctrine |
of divine right had to be abandoned for |
that of divine favor, or the = grace Of God,D |
as 1t was called. Society was divided into |
two great classes--fhe l0rds, the mobiles on |
one Side, wh0ruled In virtue Of their aupe-
riority in strength and moral qualities |
9flains on the other, the very narpe of a |
ncoqndrel and knaye being thus deliberately
deed the vast majority Of every community. |
Chivairy had 10 do only with the nobler /
GLASS. No one but a noble could become
knight II had RosympathB--inf fact nothing |
but contempt for the loWly the humble
ware hcPelessly sut % from al parncipa-
aud rebeIliQuss the diiIer1he orders II
khighthoad always combiped - 9ppress the
pgyvile clesses. Che epqre1nicn 4 5ke p<o-
pie uos virtually fkeIP bond 4 En76n.
Dhivalry not only Inflicted great and post
In state Of papilsEc, and retarded its pro-
greqa It clainied V - mersiy nrotacEve Il