The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-03-25
An American Marquis.


An American Marquis.
II seems that an American citizen now re-
siding In England has lately been created
Marquis by tho Pope. Tho new Marquis is
Mr.. JAMES CANDY BIDoLPH CoPK, and the
patent OF nobility was granted TO him because
he had givon the PontifY a largo sum Of
money for the Catholic schools Of Rome.
The success Of Mr.. COPE In effeoting an en-
trance into the ranks Of the nobility. and In
obtaining title which Is second to that Of
Duke only. may encourage other Americans
to bid for like distinctions; and II they are
successful In their efforts wo shall then have
a basis for tho American aristocracy Of
which some people think we stand in need.
An attempt was not long ago made at Bal
timore to set up an aristocracy, but the ma
toral selected was hardly fit for the purpose
In oil respects. Gentle blood was defined as
that which came from our old colonial Gov
ernors. Revolutionary field officers, certain
Judges OF the early DAYS. and a few other
moro or less conspicuous people at time
when this country contained only a small
number OF inhabitants. comparatively, and
those almost universally In very humble cir
cumstances Oftentimcs, however, the de-
scendants OF those men are now poor, and Of
little social account as fashion goes. Some
of them, in truth, are very seedy individuals.
and people would laugh at them II they put
on aristocratic airs.
A really lively aristocracy needs money to
support Its pretensions ard to gild its dis
tinctive symbols. A nobility, therefore,
which was able to buy its titles at great cost,
1,o 81 - tho TIM
portant aristocratic requisites. 1t would be
rich, and the richer the Individual the higher
the title he might buy, II orders OF nobility
were generally put up for sale like other
trinkets, which, In truth, Is about the best
use they could be put to in these times.
In the ordinary course of things probably
mere arlstocratic titles will become OF no legal
account anywhere In Europe They will be
only fanciful decorations. Pending the utter
destruction Of feudalism with all It's furni-
ture, 1t might be worth while for the Euro
pean nobility to consider whether 1t Is not
for their practical interest to obtain per-
mission to put up their titles at auction. as
the Duke OF HAMILTON did his art treasures,
to be sold to the highest bidder. They
would be just as much Dukes Marquises,
Earls and Barons after they had sold their
patents as they were before, for once lord
always lord and their children would be
just as much distinguished from the common
herd as they are now, for they would still be
the children Of peers. They wouldn't sell
anything which was really OF value to them,
provided peerages were deprived OF peculiar
rights and privileges; and yet they would
vastly increase their pecuniary possessions,
for Of certainty the auctions would be
crowded and the bidding brisk.
Bidders from this republic could be on
hand without fear OF being disturbed by our
laws. An American citizen has q right to
call himself Duke. Marquis, Earl, or by
any other title Of nobility that he pleases,
provided that he is not in tho employ
of the Government. In which case no
must get the consent Of Congress That
was tho impregnable position taken by that
brilliant nobleman. the late GEORGE, the
Count JOANNEs. Tho Constitution says that
mo title Of nobility shall be granted by the
United States; and no person holding any
Office of profit or trust under them shall,
without the consent OF Congress, accept OF
any present, cmolument, office, or title OF
any kind whatever, from any King, Prince,
or foreign State" 1t also forbids any State
OF the Union to grant any title OF nobility"
The Revised Statutes further provide that
"in case the alien applying to be admitted TO
citizenship has borne any hereditary title,
or been OF any Of tho orders OF nobility In
the kingdom or State from which he came,
he shall make an express remuneration Of his
title or order OF nobility
But all that does not forbid the buying OF
titles by the private citizen. So far rs we
see, either Mr.. VANDERBILT or Mr.. JAY
GOULD has rs much right to buy patent OF
nobility and call himself Duke as to buy a
picture by MEIssoNIER or SCHREYER, or to
build big house or big yacht. And we
doubt not that there are shabby Dukes about
Europe who would make the bargain II they
could do It, For, as We have suggested a
title without money to support 1t, Is an az.
gravation, and tho seller would part with
nothing. The buyer would call himself q
Duke, and yet the other fellow would remain
a Duke just the same. The arlstocratic
aroma would cling to him still. His blood
would be just as blue as ever.
Instead, therefore, Of lot OF theatrical
lords. made by the costumers. we might
have Vanderbilt Easter ball, with O
crowd Of American Dukes, Marquiscs, Earls
Barons and what not, with genuine patents
OF nobility in their pockets, and genuine
coronets or other distinctive decorations Oh
their heads.
The cast-off gewgaws OF European nobility
probably would fetch great price here
Many people In this republic now work hard
to pass themselves off as noblemen, and to
appear like men OF fashion and breeding
despite the most discouraging natural limita
tions. Meantime the rest Of people could &c
on winning the consideration they deserve
and which comes to them only because they
deserve 1t. 1t would thus be even easier
than 1t Is now to separate the fools from the
sensible folk, the snobs from the men and
women Of true breeding
Time and Death.
In a graceful article on the tributes OF re-