The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-06-15
ORLIGE.-

= eAAS NAAoNA
a landscape whose eminences, all glinted in
golden sunshine, are thrown into still stronger
relief by contrast with the impenetrable dark
ness brooding over the far reaching breadtbs
of intervening valleys, has descended to US a
society byword-Noblesse ~obHge-whlch still
holds its place in our language. Under our
republican institutions the occasions for this
motto's opportune application are exceedingly
rare compared with the times Of the old arts
tocracy whose form of thought it expressed in
the conciseness of q two-word proverb. In
those days it was frequently quotedto remind
those so fortunate as to come by birth into
possession of rank and wealth that with those
advantages were enta,led duties which could
not honorably be neglected-that the man
born into the nobility--the nobtesse-was
also, and through that very advantage, born
into an Inheritance of manifold duties towards
his king and country as well towards his more
humble fellow subjects or even his dependents,
which every consideration of cavalierly honor
required him faithfully to fulfill. In a repub-
lie it is of course seldom that a citizen outside
the requirements of office can be said to owe
a duty OF any kind to his fellow citizens still
there are instances of this kind. There are
men so unquestlonably born into the great
inheritance of character and ability that by
right of birth they are enrolled in natures
nobility, from whose members less fortunate
mortals demand as a matter of right, leader
ship, guidance and counsel.
A notable instance of this nature now
claims our attention. In the quiet of an ele-
CANT home close to a busy commercial city of
the great Empire State, is to day living a man
who was so fortunate as to inherit, together
with his honored name, those traits OF char
acter which never fail to ensure their posses
or on his way through life not only his own
respect, but also the respect, admiration and
affection of all with whom he is brought in
contact. To this followed the minor advan-
tages of wealth; of a youth spent among inf1u-
ences exerted by culture and refinement; of
an education in which the instruction of the
highest institutions of learning was supple
mentei by intercourse on friendly terms with
the leading men, the master minds, Of the
day,-and finally of a long public career
which it was his EXCEPTIONAL" fortunate priv
ilege to enter OH the plane of craftsmanship,
without being compelled to stoop to the arts
of the politician. While acting in a public
capacity as representative, as Governor of his
native State, or as Presidential nominee of
his party, this mans course made it evident
that his guiding principle was a lofty reverence
for truth, for honorable, straightforward
dealing, and a preference for the broad COM
prehensive views of craftsmanship, instead OF
the narrowly bisoted s%ectionalism of the
party politician. With sue a record it IS
not surprising that he has always possessed
the respect of even his most ardent political
opponents, or that the feeling entertained
towards him by his party followers is that of
a reverential affection. Nor is it surprising
that to-day, in the hour of their distress, the
members of his party should turn to him for
delive.snce; that they should lift up their
voices and stretch out their hams towards
hand they see the institutions of their country
inlperilled by a sway of radicalism having
neither regard nor respect for the constitu-
tional safeguards provided by the founders of
those institutions. On the other they see
their party divided by the Vaccinations of
the Grammercy Park wire-puller; threatened
with defeat from internal discussions brought
about by that embodiment of cunning; so
turning to the one man whom they know to
be capable OF quoting those discussions, Of
uniting the now discordant elements of Their
party and leadin. it TO victory they raise Their
voice in the earliest appeal, "Hclp us or We
perish"
Will he heed this grand laillng signal of
distress FROM his party,-wi'l IIogdtio Sey-
riour recognize the fui! applicability % him
self Of our motto, noJlesse 0blige, and in def
erence to its command take upon himself the
duties it lays to his charge? Or will he per-
sist in his expressed determination Of enjoy
ing rest during his evening Of life, and at an
age less than that at which Won Moltke beat
into the dust the greatest military power of
Europe, declare himself too old to administer
the government Of a country enjoying pro-
found peace? The country is %anXiously
awaiting his decision, and while all will adj
init that his record OF public service would
confer upon the average public man full title
to well deserved rest for the remainder of his
days, few will be willing to concede such i'm
munity to Seymour when the duty he owe