The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-10-10

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placement OF tho soatheSn Niensns
from Political Life. rs ~ y z III, ~
In the Last issue afsa The Christian
lSion,l Henry Ward Bssdhsr's paper.
We find the following significant article,
cS.t.lhntea hMElihn R1rriE4: - s. 4 /.
The stealthy transformation Of our
republic intotsa ring.pnblfo5 may be
asoribed, in no small degree, TO the dis,
placement of an element in the body
politlo which was never appreciated 81
its true vnlue in the better days Of our
national virtue. It was then decried
Esd e!Gost hated by the Ney En- GLAND
and nearly the whole Northern mind.
The same mind now seems to think that
the suppression of that element has
been triumph for tho cause of free
dom. truth aud purity. Indeed, its en-
tire extinction is regarded as a consum-
nation devoutly to be- wished. This
sentiment has become SO prevalent that
it may subjeot one to the charge of dis
loyalty to regret an influence which
wrought 30 powerfully in shaping the
character of the republic in it's first aud
best years has been displaced BY an
other more popular. Down with the
aristooracyi' is the watchword Of the
social Democracy, both iu England and
America; and the sRms cry is passing
through other countries. This cry does
not mean down with men who have
made themselves richer than tho heredi-
tary aristocracy by sweating out vast
fortunes from the toll and industry Of a
single generation, but down with his
torical 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 au increased
vnlue. Down with men who have come
to large fortunes by this slow process of
sccretion, 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 a landed or he
reditary aristocracy, in popular cstima-
ton, is their esprit dc corps or that
pride of order which leads them to feel
it derogatory to their dignity to engage
personally III trade or in those business
enterprises which other men of wealth
pursue. Then this feeling becomes ad-
ditionally obnoxious by stimulating
what they call ''high seuse oil honor"
a kind of horror or contempt for smull
aud mem acts and ways of life and
thought, for trafIicking spirit and
habit Of mind, aud for the everlasting
talk ebout the irrepressible dollar. It is
these pretenslons, this carriage aud pose
of mind and life, more than their abso.
lutte wealth, that render an arlstocracy
OF this order 80 repugnant to the popu.
lar mind, especially in America. For
there is 10 country in tho world where
men compass sea. land aud fire with
more avidity for the aristocraoy of ab-
straot wealth than among us. Our rail-
road kings and merchant princes, stock
lobbers and other potentates in our
moneyed world, constitute an aristoo-
racy as rich in dollars ns the no " and
gentry OF England. And these enjoy u
public estimation and exert an influence
which fire thousands with the ambition
to attain the same position by the sane
or more questionable means. Thus An
aristocraoy of sheer wealth, however 40
quired, short Of absolute crime, is the
most popular order in American society.
Aud the more this aristocracy retains
and exhibits the spirit of whut tho
French cnll 6ourgeoisis the more popu-
lar and influential it becomes, b.,,a;,se
it remains in affinity, and on the SINE
leve! OF thought and purpose, WiLL the
great multitude of money seekers.
Now, to thoughtful, observant
mind. nothing can be more evident and
more disquieting than the fact TINT this
kind of aristooratic 6ouryeoisie has come
to tho front as ruling power in this
country. 1t is moneyed aristocracy
that thinks, plans and acts in the fullest
spirit OF 6our9eo.sie, without any pre-
tension to that high sense of honor or
punctilious esprit de corps which governs
the department 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 "bour-
gcoisie" regime only came into power at
The suppression of that Southern aris-
tocracy which we so energeticaliy de.
nounced when it existed in the full
strength OF its influence. Scarcely
anything was or could be more distaste-
ful or even hateful to us than the car
riage, sentiment and self-arrogated posi-
ton OF that proud and pretentious aris-
tocracy which adopted the spirit and
department of the English nobility and
gentry. But one who looks back over
the history OF the country from its birth
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