The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-11-06
A Lament for the Departed Dignity of Amer
-. lean Statesmanship.

lean SCdGSSMaNoulps
Mr.. EEhu Burritt, who is known all over the
country as "the learned blacksmith" has re-
Gently contributed remarkable paper to the
Christian Union, which has attracted universal
attention for its significant illusions to the
conservative influences of the South upon Ghe
government of the country in the past, and
showing what the nation has lost by the dis
placement of the Southern element i'll political
life. We copy the article entire, trusting that
none of our readers will be deferred by its
length from perusal:
The stealthy transformation of our republic
into ringpublic may be ascribed, in no small
degree, to the displacement Of an element IN
the b. ~iy polite which was never appreciated
at its true value in the better days OF our ma
tional virtue. 1t was then decried- land almost
hated by the New England and nearly the
whole Northern mind. The same mind now
seems to think that the suppression OF that
element has been triumph tor the cause OF
freedom, truth and purity. Indeed, Its entire
extinction is regarded as consummatlon de-
voutly to be wished. The sentiment has be-
come so prevalent that it may subject one to
the charge of disloyalty to regret that an intiu-
ence which wrought so powerfully in shaping
the character of the republic in its first and
best years has been displaced by another more
popular. "Down with the aristocracyl' p is the
watchword of the social Democracy, both in
England and America and the same cry IS
passing through other countries. This cry
does not mean down with men who have made
themselves richer than the hereditary aristoc-
racy by sweating out vast fortunes from the
toll and industry of a single generation but
down with historical or old families of the
country, who have retained in their possession
estates purchased centuries ago at shilling or
two an acre, and to which each century has
added an increase of value. Down with men
who have come TO large fortunes by this slow
process of accretion, and have not jumped into
great wealth by speculation in stocks, or by
trading or manufacturing enterprise, like the
great majority of rich people,
: Now, the worst sin of landed or hereditary
aristocracy, in popular estimation, is their
esprit de corps, or that pride of order which
leads them to feel it derogatory to their dignity
to engage personally in trade or in those busi-
ness enterprises which other men of wealth
pursue. Then this feeling becomes additionally
obnoxious by stimulating what they call a
''high sense Qfaaonor," kind of horror or
for small and mean acts and ways of
life and thought, for traficking spirit and
habit of mind, and for the everlasting talk
about the irrepressible dollar. 1t is these pre-
tensions, this carriage and pose of mind and
life more than their absolute wealth, that rem;
der an aristocracy of this order so repugnant
to the popular mind, especially in America.
For there is no country in the world where
men compass sea, land and fire with more
avidity for the aristocracy of abstract wealth
than among u.s.. Our railroad kings and mer-
chant princes, stock jobbers, and other poten-
tates in our moneyed world, constitute an arls-
tocracy as rich in dollars, as the nobility and
gentry of England And these enjoy public
Estimation and exert and influence which fire
with the ambition to attain the same
position. by the same or more questionable
means. Thus an aristocracy of sheer wealth,
however acquired, short of absolute crime, IS
the most popular order in American society.
And the more this aristocracy retains and
exhibits the spirit of what the French call
bourqeoise, the more popular and Influential it
becomes, because it remains in affinity, and
on the same level of thought and purpose, with
the great multitude of money-seekers.
Now, to thoughtful, obserrant mind, moth
ing can be more evident and more disquieting
than the fact that this kind of aristocratic
bou7qeoise has come to the front as ruling
power in this country. 1t is q moneyed aris-
tocracy that thinks, plans, and acts in Che
fullest spirit of bourgeoise, without any pre-
tension to that high sense Of honor or punc-
tilious esprit de- corps which governs the de-
pertinent of an hereditary or landed gentry.
And it is hard thing to say or believe, but an
honest mind must believe it true, that this
"bourqcoise" regime only came into power at
the suppression of that Southern aristocracy
which we so energetically denounced when it
existed in the full strength of its influence
Scarcely anything was or could be more dis
tasteful or even hateful to us than the carriage,
sentiment, and self-arrogated position of that
proud and pretentious aristocracy which adop-
ted the spirit and department of the English
nobility and gentry. Butone who looks back
over the history of the country from its birth
as nation must now see and own that the
influence of the Southern aristocracy was an
element of immense value in shaping the
character of our public men and political life.
The existence of many things is only realized
by their temporary absence. For nearly ten
Years e the South. as a political power has been
Withdrawn from the Union. It has been
ruled, repressed, and stiaed in its old character
and influence by the worst kind of carpet
bapging bourgeoise. During this demoralizing
regime, it has been shorn of all the locks of its
power on the national government and public
men of the country. 1t has not sent to Wash
ington a single representative of its old his
torical families-no Calhoun, nor Clay, nor
Benton. nor Berrien. None of its old names
have answered to the roll-call in either house
at at the capitol. None of its old ohivalry, its
high sense of honor, has beea represented by
the newly imported men who have presumed to
answer for the South. The spirit which she
boasted, and which we denounced, has ceased
to act on the political morality of the nation
Perhaps the whole Northern mind rejoices at
this emancipation We are now showing the
world, and proving to ourselves, what we are
doing and can do without the influence of a
Southern aristocracy, as we called it.
Yes, we have shown to the world and to our
selves what we can do as nation without the
old influence of the Southern mind; without
che pretentious "chivalry" and "high sense of
hnnnrN and cnntempt of small and crooked