The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-11-29
OUR ARISTOCRACY DEFINED AT
LAST.

OC4e AItAC4OOhhO1 UEflNEU A
LAST.
From New York Sun.
Certain people have, for long time.
ieiI 1n'-Ni Il was absolutely necessary for
y! US 70 nave An aristocracy in this repub-
nc. But the dirhcSltv has always been
to determine its metea and bounds in a
satisfactory way. 1t is iuSoossible 10
have an aristocracy until yod have set.
tied that matter. Unless Won dec;Ss
exactly what credentials a man INST pre
sent to entitle him 10 belong to the aris.
Iocracy, anybody may creep in, especial.
ly after he has got rich.
A recent convention az Baltimore,
however, grappled with the difiulties
OF the situation, and boldly solved the
whole question. The solution, too, is
simple, and any one can find out his
genealogy will be able at once to deter
mine whether he is an American aris-
tocrat or not.
The arlstocracy are to be banded to-
gether under the name of the Aryan
Order of America, of which Gen. A p.
Stewart, president of the University of
Mississippi, was elected p-ovost-general.
Possibly in time the limits may be ex-
tended, but at present no one can claim
"really gentle lineage" and be entitled
to join the order, unless he belongs to
one of the following classes.
"a. Male descendants from the col
onial governors, generals and chief
justices.
so. Male descendants from the sign
ers Of the Declaration of Independence.
80. Male descendants of the nights
of the Order of the Cincinnati (Revo-
lutionary field oficers).
"a. Resident European nobility"
1t will be seen that the aristocratic
line was very rigidly drawn at Balti-
more. But it must be remembered you
cannot have an aristocracy based on
birth which is not limited in some such
way. 1t must be very exclusive at the
beginning, certainly, and the smaller it
is the prouder those will be who belong
to it.
Yet if the Baltimore aristocracy think
their decision will be accepted without
violent protests, they are greatly mis-
aiken. Here in New York, for in
stance, we have a society" Exactly
what is the composition of that $50
eiety" has never been authoratatively
but we infer that only small
part of its members would be recog-
nized as aristocrats under the Baltimore
rules. So far from being of noble blood,
the ancestors of most of them prob
ably emigated from Europe as steerage
in order to get to republic
where their hnmble birth would not tell
against them, as it did at home. Some
we're Dutchmen, and cultivated market
gardens on this island, very much as is
1ustrious Germans are now doing, along
The railway lines in the northern part
If the city, with the advantage, however,
If owning their land instead of hiring
t or squatting ON it, as is now the Gus
ON. Some, we reget to say, were
,onvicts sent to America as to penal
colony. Some were small tradesmen,
md the shops in which they conducted
heir humble business are now standing
n many cases. Others were sons of
lew England formers, who came hither
o make their fortunes, beginning by
weeping out shops and warehouses |
Iot one in hundred started otherwise |
han as a poor man who had his fortune
o make. There was very great equal
ty among them in that respect. Very
ew of them had received many advan-
ages in the way of education, and still
ever had been softened by luxury.
Indeed large part of society" de-
cends from people who were poor and
ncultivated, from people who had
epublican ideas Of the dignity of
lbor. They worked and enjoyed
heir leisure among their neighbors,
bout whose birth they did not care,
Mess it was not of honest people like
themselves. But they were shrewd
nd thrifty, and gathered fortunes.
That was generally good stock to
Dme from, but it was not one of whose
ristocracy, according to European
Ieas, anybody who is not foolish would
cast. Only a few of those men
'ok part in the Revolutionary war,
ther as officers or privates. The ma
rity of them came here after the strug-
e, and their distinction was that they
ere successful traders; not patriots
ho had risked their lives for the repub-
:. They did not come from colonial
,vernors or generals or chiefjustlces.
either they nor their ancestors signed
e Declaration Of independence, and
eir names cannot be found in the
cords of the Order of the Cincinnati.
hey were not resident European no.
es, for scarcely any of the nobility
me over in the early days to stay,
st as very few come now. The steer =
e was all the great mass of our ances-
rs could afford to pay for. .
An aristocracy from which "society"
excluded can of course never be
lied with satisfaction. For it is pre- e
,ely society" which wants an aris- q
cracy. We therefore predict failure t
r the Baltimore experiment. Yet ?
w an aristocracy could be built up l
lich would include society" it is not ,
sy to see. No law which would be t
enough to take in all of v
ociety" could be framed without de- t
'oying its every pretext to be called P
And, on the other hand, "
prudent man would be prepared to C
nit to his house or his acquaintance C
erybody who could show a title to r
long to the aristocracy set up at Bal "
nore. He might find the arristocrat V
underbred fellow, utterly ignorant tt
the ways of polite society, and the "
liority of the aristocracy might not be Je
If as presentable as the descendants .
people who held no sort of official II
sition in the old colonies or in the 81
the descendants of some W
the early convicts, even. e.
The truth is, there is embarrassment u
around when we attempt to set up
aristocracy after the fashion of Eu A
oe. Do the best we may, it will have
,inchbeck quality very despicable in
J eyes Of the decaying foreign aris- N
.racies