Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-10-17
Lnokfnr for nn Ancfalor.

Our good old fathers ana mothers
used to think that in separating
from the mother country they not
only established liberty and inde-
pendence, but cut loose forever from
all rank, title, and monarchical in
sigma. During the first decade of
our Republican experiment, SIM
plicity Of life and hard earnestness
of character distinguished even
those who felt most disposed to
quarrel over the questions Of ma
tional policy. But with years came
wealth, and with wealth fashion,
and growing inclination seemed
to urge our people to exchange
simplicity for show, aud a modest
style of living for social aggrau-
disement. There have always been
class of people in the South and
East who have clung to the tattered
recollections Of day that is dead,
and held their heads a trihe higher
from the real or fancied possession
of an ancestry Sensible people
merely laughed at the Boston aris-
tocrat who cherished a teapot be-
longing to some poor but respectable
Lady Betty of Queen Anne's
time, and chuohled when the
Southern nabob pointed to a
couple of cracked Old copies Of
Sir Peter Lely, and introduced
them with a waive of the hand as
"my ancestors, sir" So long as
these people folded themselves up
in their pride and did not trouble
tho rest of the world with thei1
vanity, nobody seemed to mind
them. They were simply out Of
place, and reSemblcd pieces Of old
cracked china, very pretty to look
upOn, bpt exceedingly frail and
brittle to the touch. Within late
wears, however, this genealogical
business has assumed rather alarm,
ing proportions, Fashion has be
come tired Of oRtdoipg its neighbol
in gorgeous upholstery, dresses an(
dinners, and has begun to rum
mage through old chests and es
critoires to see if it could not CLAIM
kin with some fine old English gen
tlelaan or marquis of the old re
gime. If the American grandet
cannot start pesrage on his owl
account, the next best thing h
thinks he can do is to hang OH t
the coat-tails of some family whC
held up their heads in days gone b!
Yin one or other Of the counties il
England or the European CONT
nent. The pedigree mania has as
sumed the form. Of disease, and
; if not attended to in time, will GER
tainly become epidemic. Eyer,
/. day we hear Of some new discover,
in the noble ancestor line-a far
: away scion of nobility, a decayeC
> relic of antiquity digging potatoe
, on the confines Of some obsour
village. 1t is the correc
$ thing now to own a famil
B tree. The Adamses have one, tn
a a Pierreponts, the NandersnoOzers
2 and the Hoch Won Grubbers. |
. You have not an ancestor lying o.
d his back with an English oak grow
ing out of his stomach you are no
: body. The day was when man
! abilities, worth, good looks, none
: and what not counted for som(
thing. The day has passed; h
must now look to his graudfathel
is and grandlathers grandfather, Q
!. - sink into social oblivion as y nor
entity. A Haryard graduate ha
/. Just published q genealogical az
70 count Of the family cf Lowndeg
South Carolina, showing the paren
/, age and whereabouts Of ever
y Ilowndes Of that ilk from the tin
= of William the Conqueror up
date, and we believe that a thriyin
r, business is done in the pedigree lii
J by experts in the cities of BostG
and New York. 1t is true that f
a moderate sum of money we ca
!. obtain . coat-of-arms, but shou
the NeneeringS desire to go back
Elizabeth they must pay for it, al
y 60 come in with the Conqueror COS