The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-19

gracefully bowed, took his arm. and the
countess and prince vanished. Was this
oil dream! mystification! New
York madness. which I, who mixed with
fashionable society at pleasure, and
thought knew all the world, knew
really nothing at all about? My curl
osity was excited. listened to the
right and to the left. I renewed old &C.
quaintanceships which I had not lately
thought of. l heard not a syllable
more which could afford any
explanation or clue; no
one again called any Of my acquaintance
''prlnce." or ''count." or ''marquis," and
just as far was of hearing anywhere a
lady addressed by title of nobility. But
my cars could not have been deceived.
And the key to the mystery was to be
furnished sooner than had for the last
two hours been led to hope. I was just
about to leave this festive scene when my
friend Jimmy McBridal came out of a
side room, and seeing me, exclaimed {:
''Henry, see here, have looked the whole
evening in vain for you. Now it is too
late to make new beginning, but will
at least take you home in my carriage"
was quite ready to 60. So soon as
seated, went straight to the subject that
so perplexed me: "What new nonsense
is out that you allow yourself to be
called @viscount,' that they speak of
Pritchard as count and Of Hiram But
Ter as 'mar9uis,'' and call johnson a
'prince'?'
''No nonsense at all, my friend. You
should this evening have been initiated,
and have commission to invite you to
a meeting of the 0. A. E. tomorrow
evening. Will you come 2
One word brought on another, and
learned precisely that the wealthy citi-
zens of New York, Philadelphia and Bos-
capitalists, manufacturers, import.
ers and jobbers, in connection with a
great number Of the large landed proprie-
tors of the south and west, had founded
an order for no less an object than to
perfect plan to the minutest details, to
substitute for the Republican constitution
of these United States an imperial con.
sitution, with an elected emperor at the
head of the government, supported by
municipalities, dukcdoms and celebrates
of the various states, upon the basis" of a
newly.founded hereditary nobility. And
l had on Sylvester night, by the mcrest
accident. become acquainted with few
of the inferior MEMBERS.
Under the seal Of secrecy now learned
the objects and designs of the "Order of
the American Empire" and the progress
it had already made. Upon the person
Of the first emperor, who is to be elected
for life from the electors, kings and
dukes, the order is not yet agreed. The
rich ladies insist that the first emperor
must be married man in order that
there may be an empress; and also that
her court state can and shall be now Sc
lected from among the first women of the
land. The pretender, who has up to this
time the prefe, ence in the counsels, is
single man, although they hope to find
before the advent of the centennial dav
next July, married magnate Of great
New England family, who can wear the
imperial crown with becoming dignity.
On the other hand, it has already been
decided that New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Missouri, aud California should be
kingdoms, that both Virginias, Louisiana,
and Arkansas should become TEMPORAL
celebrates, and that the spiritual cleo.
torates of Baltimore, Natchez, end Santa
Fc should be established. 1t is impossi.
bic for me to remember all the principal.
tiles and dukedoms of the various States.
so far as settled in the plan. Illinois, if I
remember Alright, my friend. the new Wis
count McBridal, told me was grand
dukedom in the imperial scheme. A lot
of large landed estates-to make up-at
least three whole sections of land--are
devoted to entail and knightlv manors.
and all public lands vet un.
settled are set apart as the hered.
itary domain of the great imperial crown.
Hunting, fishing, the tobacco and play
ing'card trades will be elevated to the
royal prerogatives, which, together with
the taxes, the post, the military estab.
ishments, and the diplomatic service
shall depend exclusively upon the impe-
rial government. More than l,5OO prin-
ces, counts, viscounts, chevaliers. mar.
| quises, dukes, barons and baroncts are
created; the right of the irst.born for
the new nobility is established, and sub.
sequent sons are provided with officers
rank from general down to captain: and
and this as vel! as the whole diplomatic
service is already arranged. They intend
through the multiplicity ofnewly: founded
noble families to fit and commit society
to the new form Of government, and by
the Transformation Of our whole domestic
life, and all the fashions, the provision of
numberless monarchical emblems and
patents of nobility, orders, escutcheons,
and the like, to give the indnctr;oc a,5