The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-12-25
A Lament for the Departed Dig
nifty Of American states
manship.
by EIIHU BuRRIrT.

The stca!thy transformation Of our
republic into n ringpuhllc may lie as
crihcd. in no snail decree, to the dis
placement Of al element in the body
polite which was never appreciated Ut
is true value in the better days OF our
national virtue 1t WAS then decrled
and almost hated hy the New England
and nearly the whole Northern mind,
The same mind now seems to think
that the suppression OF mat element
has been n triumph for the cause Of
freedom, truth and purity. Indeed, Its
entire extinction is regarded MS q con
summation devoutly to he wishe1.
The sentiment has become so p:eya.
lent that it may Subject one to the
charge OF dI-!.oyalty to regret that an
lnhurGcc Which wrought 50 powerfully
III Shaping the character OF the republic
in its first and hest years has been dis
placed by another more p'pu'ar'
Dawn with the aristocracv! J Is the
waidIword Of the social democracy,
both in England and America; and
the same cry is passing Through olher
countries. This cry does rot mean
down with men who have made them
selves richer than the hereditary arts
tocracy by sweating out vast fortunes
from The toll and industry OF a single
generation, but down with historical Oh
old families ~ the country, who nave
retained in their possession estates
purchased centuries agn at Il smiling
or two an acre, and to which cach cen
rury has added an increase OF value.
Down with men who have come to
LARGE fortunes by this slow PROGRESS Of
a~crr"ti"n, aud have not jumped into
great wealth hy speculation IN stocks,
or by trading or manufacturing eater
prise, like the great majority Of rich
people
Now, the worst sin Of a landed or
her ditary ariatOcracT, in popular esll-
nation, is their esprit de corps, ar that
pride OF order which leads them to
feel it dcro9ato!y to their dignity to
engage personally i'll trade, or in those
business enterprises which other men
Of wealth pursue. Then this feeling
becomes additionally obnoxious by
stimulating what they cal! a ''hig
s.us,. Of honor,' II kind Of horror or
cont .mnt TO-, 81 all and mean acts and
wa, 3 OF LIFE and tho&ght, ior a (raliIcN
ing spiiit aud habit Of mind. and for
the everlasting talk about the irrepres
sIblc dollar. 1t is these ~prctcns'ons,
this carriage and pose of mind and life,
more than their absolute wealth. that
render an aristocracy Of this order 81
rcpugnant to the popular mind, espec-
.IlalIy in America. For there is nc
country in the world where men com
pass sea, land and fire with more avid
ity for the aristocracy Of abstract
wealth than those among rs. Oar rail
road kings aud merchant princes
stock ,bbrrs and other ]yotcntales in
our moneyrd world, constitute IN ar
istocracy as rich in dollars as the no
hllity and gentry OF England. And
these enjoy Il public estimation and
exert an influence which fire thousands
with the ambition to attain the same
position by the same or more qucs.
tionahlG means. Thus IN aristocracy
of sheer wealth, however acquired
, ohvIL vr absolute rune, IS the mos
/ popular orier in American society
And the more this ~arlstOcracv retains
and exhibits the spirit Of what thu
French call b0urgeOiSie, the more popu
lar aud Influential 1t becomes, bccnus,
it remains in affinity, and vi the samt
leYil Of thought and purpose with the
great multitude o! rnoney-seekers.
Now, to- u thoughtful, obsrrvan
. mind, nothing can be more evident ant
more disquieting than the fact tina
ihis kind OF aristocratlc 6OurgeOiSie la.
> come to The front as Il ruling power il
. this country, 1t is a moneyed arts
tocracy that thinks, plans and acts il
the fullest spirit OF b~ourgeO,S'e, wilhou
any pretcnsion To- that hiah sense o
honor or punclillous esprit de corp'
: which governs the department of III
, hereditary or landed gentry. And i
Is a hard thing to say or believe, bu
/, an honest mind must believe it true
that this bonrgeoisie regime only cam
! into power at the suppression Of tina
. Southern aristocracy which we SO en-
! ergcticaIly denounced when it existed
in the Iull strength VI its influence
, Scarcely anything was or could b,
more diStatelul OF even hateful to II,
, tI1n the carriage, sentiment and self
arrosated position of that proud and
I prctcntlouS %ari,tocracy which adopted
the spirit and department of the Eng
IIsh nobility and gentry. Blu. one who
! looks buck over the history of the
county from its birth as a nation
must now see and own that the in
f%lucnce of the Southern a%ristocracy
was m element of immense value i IN
shaping the character Vt our public
men and political life. The existence
of many things is only realized By
their temporary absence. For nearly
ten years the South, as a political pow
er. has been Withdrawn from tho
Union. 1t has been ruled, reprcssed
and Stided in its old character end in.
lnence by The worst kind of carpet.
tagging 6O"rgeoisie During this de
morailzIng regime it has been shorn of
all the locks oi It's power On the nation
al government and public men of the
country. 1t has not sent to Washing
ton a single representative of its oll