Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-20
Knoxville, Tenn, May 20, 1858.
nae neeIIne and FaII Of ChIValry.


There was an institution some hundreds
Of years ago, usually spoken Of as that OF
aChivalry." It's members were at first Sc
lected only FROM those Of noble blood, but
high military merit and renown became
afterwards sufficient qualification. 1t was
an institution in which kings and mobiles
took pride. The young man intended for
knighthood was from his earliest youth
educated for bis position. He was instruct
81 in all the literature of the age, and
trained 10 feats of bodily activity and deeds
Of arms Courage in the face of danger,
generosity to the fallen, truth, courtesy,
charity and loyalty, were especially deemed
virtues in which the knight must be trained
and which he must illustrate in his life
He was admitted TO the order with religious
ceremonies, after long fasting and vigils,
and solemnly sworn TO be loyal TO his king,
true to bis religion to protect the weak and
to rescue the oppressed 1t was especially
the duty Of the knight to be the champion
Of the weak and the oppressed and in the
days when the institution Of Chivalry eT-
isted and law was almost unknown, IFS In
hnenoe was powerful in resisting the OPP
pression5 Of the great, IN rendering sum
mary justice TO wrong-doers, and in amel-
iorRting the manners Of rude tins. Prob.
ably very few knightslived up 20 their ideal
OF their vows, but their idea was neverthe-
less a reality, and our often used and much
abused word chivalrous still implies the |
virtues Of courage, courtesy, faith and 10y |
atty, which the knight was supposed to pos
sesE
The institution passed away with the ne
cessities Of the age that produced it, but /
eight hundred years afterwards race arose
which developed q morbid love and admi-
ration for the dead pest, and chose to be-
lieve that the tenth century had returned
again. These sentimental philosophers
conceived the lunatic idea that they were
the Representatives Of the iron clad chivalry I
Of old, and frisl5ed and capered frantically |,
about the country in illustration of their e
belief TO the astonishment Of all cotempo- q
raryr civilization As is usual with imita- Q
tors, they selected the weak points of their :
model for imitation, and the result was such
fearful burlesquc Of the original as might G
make the mailed eAigies Of Chevalier Bay n
ard and Ceur de Leon start from their !,
.ombs in wrath. 81
The knights Of olden time fought in open
3ay and with blows Of steel in the front of
honorable battle. The chivalry of our day P
SIGHT with big words and loud-mouthed :
curses, with tar and feathers and hempen a
cords, and bludgeons and pistols, and fire d
and torch, welded in darkness and secrecy.
The old knights fought with steel-clad v
men, exchanging blow for blow and death
for death Our chivalry fight against un-
armed men, feeble school mistresses, and
oringing, prosecuted negroes, and apply the
torch not to the barbicans of moated cas-
ties, but to the doors Of negro school houses.
The old chivalry fought on horseback in
the open field heraded by trumpets and
clothed in steel Our chivalry fight at the
head Of city mobs, break at midnight into
the houses Of unarmed men and into tho
huts Of frightened negroes lay plans to
murder in secret concave assassinate their
enemies in darkness wear instead Of steel
armor, the assassin's mask, and herald their
war with anonymous letters and bombastic
Ku Klux proclamatons.
The true knight was sworn to protect the
weak, 10 succor the oppressed and especial
ly 10 be the chasSion Of the fatherless and
tho widow. The bogus chivalry of our day
scourged the weak, got their living by the
sweat Of the oppressed and grew rich by
selling the widow and the fatherless.
A lunatio apiLg king with his robe of
rags and crown Of straws, is pitiable;
monkey in uniform is absurd a dwarf
pompously striding in giants boots is ri
diculous; but for pitiable absurdity, and
absolute unrelieved righteousness, the lu-
nstio antics Of these knights Of bluster,
bravado, braggadooio and buncombe, beg
gar all comparison.
Had they possessed the virtue Of silence
they might have Rugged their delusions
uncriticsed Of the rest of the world, for
geese can pass the eagles nest in safety if
they win but carry stones in their mouths
but the ass who would wear the lions skin
unchallenged, must remember that he is not
70 bray.