Smyrna times., 1874-08-26
Family Pride and Individual Worth.

nat tnere SnOulu De as much family pride
In this as In any other country is naturnal
enough because pride is natural to the human
heart, and it is specially ridiculous in America
because Of its apparent inconsistency with our
republican pretenslons and because it is his
tOrlcally true that very few of the "bloated
arlstocrats' OF the old world ever emigrated to
the new. In the nature of things it was not
reasonable that they should. People who are
comfortable at home generally stay there.
w hile there may have been exceptional mem
bers OF the European aristocracy who, for the
sake OF novelty and adventure, would go to a
new continent mostly Inhabited by Indians and
wild beasts, it is not at all likely that many of
that order would give up their ease and pros
poets in Europe to enter upon such an expert
ment. The historical truth is in entire accord
ance with this probability. 1t is undoubtedly
the TACT, and 1t our countrymen were animated
by genuine pride they would exult in it, that,
with few exceptions, this country was chihy
settled by the plebians and middle classes of
Europe, having no other connection with the
arlstocracy than that of being the common sons
OF Adam. This it cannot be denied is a valid
ground OF universal boast in ancestry. Any
one may be convinced of this who will consult
Blackstone S tables Of cOnsanguinity, or make
the calculation for himself, allowing for every
man, what cannot reasonably be denied, that
he has not only a father and mother, but two
grandtathers and two grandmOtherS, and fol-
low up the genealogical sources, which at every
step multiply themselves at such a rate as to
render it well nigh impossible for any one to
tell what multitudes have contributed to the
blood in his veins. Still the old sentiment of
family pride manifests itself in spite of COM
mon sense and Of ali the riJiCuc that satrists
have poured upon it. 1t is no use to say, in
the words Of one wit, that man who boasts
of ll, iI,, n win
the best part under ground or, in those of
another, that such people retreat up their
family tree like monkeys and are shying cocoa
nuts down at people who haven't got a tree to
climb. The ambition to be regarded as higher
than others, irrespective Of personal merit, as
serts itself as much in republic as a mon
archy, and perhaps may be more general here
than elsewhere, because we have no legal re
cOgnlttlOn Of ranks OF society, and no Burke s
Pecrage or " Landed Gentry" to give cor
rect genealogical history of our aspiring families.
These remarks arc suggested by the efforts
lately made by people in New York to secure
themselves record proof of ancestry. In the
rooms of the Society Library Building, New
| \ Ork, Is pOnderOus volume which proposes t.
| give the family tree of several hundred tami
lies, the same being arranged on the genera
plans of Burke before mentioned, the mair
point of difference, as stated 10y "A Northern
journal, being that while Burke hunts up the
people whose names arc to be found in his vol
umes, 1t Is necessary tor persons deslr0us o
figuring in the American book to apply TO
registration and to pay for the same at the rate
OF ten cents per name recorded. Despite the
excessive outlay which figures such as thes
necrsstate for man with large family, quit
a number of peope-aS we are assured on tn
authority of the New York lVOriI-havG hand
ed themselves down to pOStcrlty at the valuation
OF one-tenth of a dollar per head. In the lis
as it at present stands are to he found the name
of "a President of the United States, scvera
Governors of States, several mayors OF NeN
\ YOrk, prominent editors and lawyers, vel
known milliOnalres, and a number of wits ant
beauX, and men about town; In truth prod
r giOusly fine assembage. Nor is any iOnlln
allowed in making entries in this volume. OF
pay your money, but you do not take you
choice, for instead Of putting in a string of fine
sounding named ancestors the persOnS record
ing must stick to the cxlct truth, he being in
deed compelled to make affidavit to the col
rectness of the data whish he furnishes col
!. ; cerning his family before it is allowed to
entered on the register.
AS violation Of truth in such aiIilavits cal
not be visited in this world with the pains an
;, penalties of perjury, we are lett at liberty
! attach what importance we choose to the
~ StdCcuchlo' n contemporary H,IuiicHi i"
: ironical way, if books of this kind are going
! be permitted, what will become Of the peOp
: who want, but cannot honestly have, gran'
= father2 This is a great cOnundrum, and "
y y cannot undertake to solve it except upon Il
, conjecture, modestly hazardea, that every ma
!, must rely upon his own merits, or, in the wore
. . of the coarse old saw, that every tub mu
! stand on its own bottom 1t might be dcfe
|" :, entially suggested to our cOuntrymen tina
y y under all the circumstances, it would be mo
u dignifed in itself, and likely to command mo
e respect abroad, if people whose chiet di
:, :, tnction as a people is that they are scf-mad
y y and have accomplished by their own energy {
:, g that they have which is worth having, shou
y not manifest anxiety to bolster themselves l
= !. socially by making doubtful claims to tn
~ ~ which, if certain, could not add to their re
!. u merit.-BaitimOre Sun.