Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-22
The Social Rank of the Great FL
nanciers as High as that of the
Princes and Dukes of the
Empire-They are a
Power Within
Themselves.

Said one OF the family to me one day-a man
who was In the most intimate and constant
relations with him-"He has lived for seven
teen years by sheer force of will" 1t used
to be alleged that the baron had had para
lytic stroke. He never had anything of the
kind, save at the last, perhaps, for the papers
describe the shock which carried him off as
internal paralysis, which l doubt. But for
seventeen years he has been a cripple from
disease In the nature of rheumatic govt, af-
fecting the joints of the lower limbs. During
all that time he has seldom walked. At first
he was able to move about, but the least ex-
erclse caused him so much pain that he grad
ually gave it up altogether. But he never
gave up business, nor relaxed the iron control
which belongs by tradition to the head Of the
great house OF money-changers. He was
usually carried or supported from one
room to another by two attendants. On
mis- best days he would sometimes struggle
along for few steps on his own legs, but
these occasions of late years were rare; and
the pain he suffered was distressing. He had
to bear violent headaches also. He came
down to breakfast sometimes saying he had
not sleot, aud that as his head was worse
than usual, he thought he would go into the
city little earlier than usual and would be
lifted into his carriage as soon as breakfast
was done. That was his idea of relaxation,
or his notion of remedy for his ills. Ex-
cepting on Saturday and Sunday, the Jewish
and christian Sabbaths, when all the business
of the house stopped, or on such other hei-
days as closed the exchange, he was never
once absent from business during all these
years of illness and misery. He saw much
company, but latterly it was the two elder
sons, Sir Nathaniel and Alfred, with whom
the outer world came most often IN con-
tact. Whether it was paralysis which
killed him may, as | said, be doubted. 1t
is more likely to have been the khedive
of Egypt. The coupons due June 1st on the
Doisa loan were passed. A public Motif
cation was given that they would be passed.
Everybody knew that the failure of payment
was due to the bad faith and shameless ras-
cality Of the Turkish Pasba who plundered
Egypt with one hand and the European cred
itors of Egypt with the other. But such an
incident was new in the history of the house,
and it bore heavily on the old man s mind.
He was in such a state that few cared to ap-
proach him, and nothing Is more likely than
that the evaporation aud VERY and anger,
acting on a system long since shattered,
proved too much for what strength remained
to him. The sceptre passes to his son, Sir
Nathaniel de Rothschild. In accordance with
the rule of family governed by rules, he
becomes chief, not only of the English fam
lily, but of all the Rothschilds of the CONT
nent. Until his fathers death he was not
even partner in the business. The partner
ship question was raised at the time
OF the Suez canal shares transac-
ton, when the Rothschilds acted as
brokers for Lord Beaconsfeld's government,
at a price which put one million two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars into their pockets
as direct commission, and perhaps twice as
much indirectly by means OF that dealing in
shares which their early knowledge Of the
business enabled them to carry on without
risk of loss. Sir Nathaniel being then as
now a member of parliament, it was urged
that he had forfeited his seat under a law
which forbids the awarding OF any govern
ment contract to any partner in arm hold.
ing a seat In tbs house. 1t was found noces-
s1ry to explain to the public one of the family
regulations usually kept secret, and It ap-
peared that Sir Nathaniel de Eothschild was
only his fathers clerk. He had, neverthe-
less, an intimate knowledge Of the business,
and may easily enough assume the control of
it, and accept the responsl billty OF those Gi-
gantic financial transactions which, Ia one
form or another, the house is always engaged
in. With the Rothschilds, as with other
great governments, the smooth and
sure performance OF mulufarious duties
depends largely on their trained
subordinates. The permanent secretaries
and heads of departments in England
answer accurately enough to the cashiers and
other functionarIes of the houses of Roths-
child here and elsewhere In Europe. There
is . well-knoWn story which may serve as an
illustration: A Swedish fnancier presents
himself to the baron with a project for the
working of some fresh mines III his country.
The baron touches a bell, summons to his
presence certain subordinate, and says to
him: Tell this gentleman what l think
about Swedish IRON" A story less known
think never printed-shows the other side,
the personal familiarity with the financial
and political condition of Europe necessarily
| in possession of the chief. Many years ago,
when Lord Beaconsfeld was still Mr.. Disraeli,
ne approached the late Sir Anthony de
Rothschild with preliminary proposal for
| loan to a European state. The circumstances
were such, said Mr.. Disrael, that he could
not communicate, even confdentially, the
name of the power for which he
was acting, but he desired to
know whether the idea of loan. on ex-
ceptioually advantageous terms, would be
entertained. Sir Anthony replied: 81 viii
| tell you if you will answer three questions,
viz the amount of the present Indebtedness
of the power you represent, the form in
which it is held, and the rate of interest"
The three answers were given, whereupon
Sir Anthony at once said: The loan you
want is for the Two Siclhes; we can have
| nothing to do with it. Ia less than three
months Garibaldi had entered Naples. No
one man, be his position what 1t may, can
| hold the keys to so many secrets as the
Rothschilds hold, and it is part of their sue
cess that they are so closely united and 50
perfectly disciplined. No individual sets up
his will against the will Of the family. No
one house takes a line against the joint
opinion of all the houses. They are, to all
intents and purposes, clan, ruled by chief
and council, and are the standing excep-
ton to the maxim that councils of war
do not fight. Inside the London family
the discipline is said to have been, If any
thing, more strict than abroad. The baron
exacted from his sons absolute, unquestion-
ing, almost servile submiSsion-not merely In
relation to business matters, but in every re.
| lation of life. A marriage of one of the sons
against his will would have been impossible.
Anybody familiar with the gossip of society
can give you striking instance OF this filial
| dOcihty. And society Is already beginning
to wonder whether the baron'o death will
make any difference in this case-whether the
son in question still wishes, and II he still
wishes, will be permitted to marry the lady
whom his father denied to him. It Is sup
| posed that the prohibition holds even after
death, and that the will of the dead man is
stronger than the passion of the living.
Family control extended even to the turf.
Mr.. Leopold Rothschild, as you have no
doubt heard, is the ''Mr Acton"
who won the Derby last week with
Sir Bevys, a despised outsider, and whose
gains on that event are put down at the
| comfortable figure of two hundred and fifty
| thousand dollars. Everybody who knew any
| thing about racing matters knew who it was
who hid himself under this pseudonym, and
| if there had been any secret about If, the
| sight of the Rothschild colors worn by his
| Jockeys would have disclosed the owners
| identity. Racing, moreover, has long been a
family habit, and Mr. Leopold Rothschild Is
not a man who need set up any mystery in
such a matter. However, it suited his father
| that the son IS name should not appear III the
papers or in the official lists as owning and
running horses. 1t suited him, none the less,
to continue racing as a commercial specula-
| ton, and it is understood that the expenses
of Mr. Leopold Rothschid's stud appear as
an item in the family ledger, whence it fol-
lows that his winnings also would have to be
divided with his kin. Leopold is the young
est son. 1t is one of the odd customs of this
family that the youngest son, who in
| other families usually has to work
hardest, should be relieved of most of
| the cares and tolls of business. The
elders have shaved in New Court ever
J since they grew up, which has not prevented
Sir Nathaniel from going into politics, nor
Alfred from becoming an ornament OF socie-
ty and friend of the Prince of Wales. The
social position of the Rothschids is a very
high one; higher among the Gentiles than
among the people OF their own faith. We
are in the habit of thinking that wealth
counts before everything with the Jews.
| But it does not. They have social HER
archy of their eWn, aad the Rothschilds are
/ L L H..