National Republican., 1880-06-25
Things ms They Were aud Things as They
Are-Jamcs \. Garfield.

Things us They Were ana Things as They
Are-James a. Garfield.
Unquestionably in the earlier days of the
republic, in tho matter of selecting rulers
deep-scated aristocrncy pervaded the public
mind to an extent that ignored the pretensious
to high places of men not high born, and espe.
cally of such as had entered upon the labOrs
OF a mechanical trade SO us to soil tn cir fin
gers. To suggest the name of practical me-
clanic as president of the United States was
enough to excite the snecrs of the community,
| even in the baclSwoods For in the days |
speak of, in the social relations of life, wealth
aud high breeding impaled the mechanic; and
the mechanics SONS and daughters, If they
moved at all in society, moved under the
clouds OF plebeianisn. Aud this is not surprs-
ing; fresh fropl the precincts Of royalty, im
bued with its purple tnls, their brows inn
printed with the fluctuations of savish obedi
| encc, by age.worn adherence, to the dominion
| Of high-born privileges, the colonists natur-
ally aped the titled lords of the other climes
| And although our revolution established ma
tiOnal independence and political equality,
nevertheless the social lines and the conven-
tionalisms Of society, us to caste and quality,
survived.
Let us illustrate: The first president of the
| United States was a high-born Virginia gentle.
man. of intense aristocratic feeling and Of nm
bounded family pride, claiming an ilusrous
| If not noble ancestry.
| The second president wss n high-born New
| England gentleman of even lordicr prcten-
| siOns being little nearer the borders of old
England; aud with these lorllier pretcntions
was mingled the classic pride of foreign col
| legate culture.
The third president also was high born, aud
adorned with the glitterng crest of hereditary
genlility-an aristocrat undisguised, but of
the softest demeanor; a plausible propagan-
| dist OF creeds, religious and political IL dema-
gogue of amazing fertility, quick in the in
vention Of expedients for the greatest emer-
| gencics and withal u philosopher who had
the sagacity to recOgnizs prophetically the
prospective advance Of pebeianisn to power in
| this government.
OF the fourth and fifth presidents it may
equally be said that they, too, moved toward
power under the auspices of high birth and
the still overweening prelentious of family.
But in their days-and especially in the days
of Mr.. Monroe-thcre was a perceptible relax
ing Of the aristocratic grip, under the unmis-
taxable determination of the plebs to assert
equality. American politics began to assume
a new phase, as the generous blood of republi-
canism thrilled the pulses of the American
millions.
In the meantime, in the sixth president Of
the United States we have an American
prince, if such thing can be, In the son of II
former president Aristocracy here lifts itself
higher and grows audaciOus. Here is the
barest inkling of the assertion of hereditary
J right Royalty timidly mods its purple plume
1 over the naughty brow of John Quincy Ad.
ams-popular Jealousy is startled. The gran.
deur of the situation is heightened by the
magnitude of the surroundings, aud the re-
8 public seems reeling toward monarchy. But
these timid apprehensioms Of constitutional
frailty subside in the convictions of govern
mental stability, as we pass to the seventh
l president OF the United States-Andrcw Jack
son. In him we find no lordly pretention'
grown up out Of family pride; no coat tof-arms
no crest decorative Of ancient power or of the
} fabed gories achieved by gigantic foreiather,
4 in other days and in foreign climes. Andrew
jackson WAS the first barefoot that left the
4 print of plcboiau toes on the carpets
, of the White House. Aud although he made
0 up in native imperlousness what ha lacked o.
+ uborn aristocUcy, nevertheless he was the
@ gonune representative Of the common people
Q aud while he dsdaiued to pause to trace an
ancestry or to shelter himself in eeneaog
, cal bower, he vndicatcd tho grandeur Of hu
Q manity in a manner commensurate with the
d magnitude Of his own marvellous endowments
and taught the world the truth-now will
[ ingly recognzed-that q great man may b,
, born in log cabin and gather his might to
= gether in wilderness.
From the triumphant advent of Andrew
S jackson may be dated the clumorous assertion
- of the capacities and rights Of the American
common people. 1t was then that th,
farmers boy sprang to his feet and looked
+, wistlully into the mazes ahead, and seeinl
i there something underlined, yet givini
I glimpses of great promises he resolutey ii
his pine.kuOt torch aud began to study for th
c presidency. The pride of birth had received
0 II blight, and the genius to plan and the labo
/, TO execute combined to claim aud to occup,
:, conspicuous places on the platform of prefer
u ment
t Thus great changes gradually came over th
r. people While the rich mans son was gOin
-. TO decay-restng in iuglorious idleness, 0
u swept along by liotous and prohlgate living
the poor mans sou, pressed by necessity ant
animated by hope, was asserting himself il
the schools and colleges, and knocking auda
ciously at the portals Of congress; not onl.
y knocking, but entering, aud there braYel!
u proclaimng that the hOuOrs and Offices Of thi
free land Of ours belong TO those who maxi
10 themselves most worthy.
" A birth Of poverty is no longer badge 0
81 dishonor; stalwart will may work its nj
'r into one Of glory and under it may move tri
umpbautly, despite the prevalence Of encum
. beriug aud inauspicious circumstances.
" These observations naturally lead 10 a mo
% ment's contemplation Of u great character
1t star long lowering above tho political horizon
Just lifting toward tho zenith -conspicuou
u now and happily to become illustrious here
,, after. The readers prophetic mind will sug
ii gest who this character is In him are com
II bined the essential elements of successful
IN | lpader The DoVerty Of his ghildhood counIo,