The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-10-19
Bottom Rail On Ton.
\ VOICE FROM TEE. "LEARN.D BLACK.
SMITH.n.T

A VOICE FROM TEE HLEARss1D BLACK.
liz ,e .piI sAITH.",1 = tNsi,ra
,af The following remarkable article. from
the PEN Of :Eiihu Burritt, /" the Learned
Blacksmith :" 10 going the rosnd OF the
Northern Press :SfFST sa5s 20. ]51as
WANT OF THE DISPLACED ELEMENT I'M OLE
1T 4aaa - RINa-PUsLIC.
The stealthy transformation Of our re-.
public into ring. public may be ascribed.
In NO small degree, to the displacement Of
an element in the body polite which was
ss IL lrs , gsae the
then decrfed and 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 o triumph for the cause Of freedom,
truth and purity. Indeed, It's entire ex-
voutly to be wished. The sentiment has
become 30 prevalent that may subject
one to tho charge Of disloyaity to regret
that an influence which wrought 90 power
fully IN shaping the character of the repub-
;iicin It's first and best years has been dis
placed by another more popular. "Down
Of the social democracy, both in 1 EnrIand
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 heredi.
tary aristOcrscy by sweating ont vast for
tunes from the toll and Industry of q
single generation, but down with histsri-
cal OF old families Of the country, who
have retained in their possession estates
purchased centuries ago ct q shilling or
two an acre, and to which each century
has added sn increased value Down
with men who have come to large for
tunes BY this slow process of accreton,
aud have not jumped into great wealth BY
manufacturing enterprise like the great
majority of rich people. - lo1. q y q
Now, the worst sin Of q landed or heredi-
tary aristocracy, in popular estimation,
is their esprit do corps, or that pride Of
order which leads them to feel il deroga-
tory to their dignity to engage person
allyin trade or in those business enter
prises which other men of wealth pursue.
Then this feeling becomes additionally
obnoxious by stimulating what they call Q
"high sense of honor" kind Of horror
OF contempt for small and mean acts and
ways Of life and thought, for trafRckipg
spirit aud habit of mind, and for the ev-
It In these pretensions, this carriage and
pose of mind, and life, more than their
absolute wealth, that render an aristocra-
cy of gthis order 30 repugnant Co 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 ab.
stract wealth than among rs. Our rsil-
road kings and merchant princes, stock
iobbers and other potentates in our money.
ed world, constitute an aristocraey as rich
In dollars as the nobility and gentry Of
England. All these enjoy o public esti-
nation and exert an influence which fires
thousands with the ambition to attain the
tionable means. Thus an arissoeraey 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 boilrgeoisie,
the more popular and influential it becomes,
same level Of thought and purpose, with
the great multitude Of money.seekers.
h Now, to o thoughtful, observant mind,
nothing can be more evident and more
disquieting than the fact that this kind OF
aristocratio bourgeoisie has come to the
front as a. ruling power in this country.
It 10 q money aristocracy that thinks,
plans and scts in the fullest spiris of. bour.
geOisie, without any pretension to that
high sense of honor or punetiiious esprit
do corps which governs the department Of
an hereditary or landed gentry. And It
10 q hard thing to say or believe, but An
honest mind must believe IL true, that
this "bourgeois' regime only came into
power at the suppression Of that Southern
aristocracy which We SO energetically de-
nounced when it existed Ia the full
strength Of its influence. Scarcely
any thing was or could be more distaste-
ful or even hateful to ne than the car
riage, sentiment and seif-afrogated po-
sit,on of that proud and pfetentiousr arts
tocracy which adopted she spirit aud de.
portmsnt Of she English nobility and gen
try. But one who looks back over the
histt ry of the country from it's birth. rs d
nation must now see and own thasa<l9 IN!
fuence Of this Southern aristocracy' was
an element of immense value in shaping
the character of our pubic. men aadi po-
litical life. The existence of many things
10 only realized by their temporary ab.
sence. For nearly ten years the South, az
Q political power, has been withdrawn
from the Union. It has been ruled, re-
pressed and stifled in it's old character and
influence by the worst kind Of carpet bag
giug 6owrgeoisie. Daring this demoralizing
regime it has been sGorn of all tho locks Of
its power on the National Government