The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-03-02
What Makes a Gentleman +?

What Makes a Gentleman?
The conventional idea of gentility is
40 intimately connected with riches,
that we find it difficult to think of mere
virtue, honor, education and good
breeding, without wealth, as the proper
attributes of q gentleman.
1t is easier to say WHAT is not gentle
manly than to discover what is, and
we commonly find the vulgar accepta-
ton of the word gentleman admitted
by the world in preference to higher
standard of honesty and honor.
The idea that money makes gem
fleman is exemplified every day of our
lives, and in all manner of ways. Try
it by a cheap experiment. Give cent
to tie beggar who waylays you in the
street wlc,h professional drawl about
hunger and cold, and You are over
whelmed will, torrent ofthanks; re-
fuse it, and you go home with curse
on your head. Assis. an infrm old Ia
dy into street car" You are gen,
tleman SIR" she sage, IL grateful
whisper. Give up your seat in the
front box at a pantonline to couple OF
noisy Children" Sir, youare a gcntle-
man." says the gratified father. Re
fuse the customary exortation of the
obseqnious servant at a watering place,
and lie tells you by his look that you
aIe no gentleman.
Somebody has cleverly said that in
every block of marble is concealed an
unhewn statue; and SO we earnestly
believe that in every true and noble
nature lies the germ and spirit of no.
bilitv, no matter what the merely
worldly. condition of that nature be !;
but for one specimen of the true Cara
ra there are half-a-iOzen counterfeit
limitations in mere chalk and rnbble.
Your true gentleman is not thing of
purchase and sale, and can no more be
manufactured than a diamond. 1t is a
hard thing to say, bnt half your gen
tlemanly jewels-bright and polished.
and well set in gold and silver, though
they be-are paste, sir, mere paste !!
A king can max beited knight"
sang Burns, "a marquis, duke, and a.
that, "-what poor notion of manu-
featured nobility the unpensiOned ex-
ciseaan must have had when he wrote
that song. But there's no bitterness in
it, not a morsel; he merely felt, as all
trne natures feel, whether clothed in
velvet or fustian, that a mans man
for a. that"
No man reed despair, if he be in the
mind of being thought gentleman !;
for, if high standard of morality, an
nnffinching love and practice of truth,
honesty unimpeachable, and virtue and
Justice untainted, constitute, as be-
lieye they do, the true signs by which
agentleman may be known, then there
is hope for every one of us; and if
We possess not these attributes. we
must strive to gain them.
There is erected in society AN invisa-
Die standard of gentility; and, if we
possess it not ourselves, we have with
10 as secret talisman by which to try
the true from the false. Everybody
knowsa gentleman when he is cncoun-
tered, though black coat and kid
gloves go but short way in making
enc, and many :" Paris napn covers
a snob.
"What is it 2" asks Thackeray, gem
TEST OF critics, tenaerest of satirists,
sharpest OF cynics, hardest of moralists,
Just as the mood takes him. 90 What is
1t to be gentleman Is it is to have
lofty aims, to lead a pure life, to keep
your honor virgin, to have the esteem
OF your fellow citizens, and the love of
your fireside; to bear good fortune
meekly; to suffer evil with constancy.
and through evil or good to maint ain
truth always? Show me the happy man
whose life exhibits these Qualities. and
him we will salute as a gentleman.
whatever his rank may be; show me
the prince who posses them, and he
may be sure of our love and loyalty )"
But, iestany of our readers should
be In doubt as to the true gentlemanly
metal, it may be as well to say, that
though gentleman may possibly be a
little sfast," he is neither a liar, a cheat.
a scoffer at other mems religion, a loud
talker, Snowy dresser, boaster. a
trader on phylanthrophy, druukard. a
sWindler, hanger-on at taverns. nor .
arequenter ofgambling-houses. When
ever you are in doubt, ascertain if Won,
acquaintance be any of these: if he he
then you may conclude he is, not a oen
ftenaa.-[Exchange.