The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-12
AMERICAN SOCIETY.
lExchanse.l

between American FepuoheAniSm and America society. Politically VIC have abolished all cAs,es aud distractions of classe& Socially we conserve the dis. cTimlnaIions of quality and position ax critically as any people in the wo,ld There is no contradiction in this, and the explanat ation of 1t has many times been made. \ new attempt Is now offered by Gail Hamilton, and although the theme IS worn she contrivcs to make 1t spicy and readable, as she does most sSb)ects she touches. From her paper in the PhilA. delphia PrfSS we quote these passages
 Human nature is absolutely the same under both forms of govern ment. X re- public no more attempts or protesSes to make one man as good, as great, as rich. 1 as polite, as happy as another, than |, protesses to make him as tall, as blon ie. as strong. What 1t does undertake Is to see that every soul born in it's domain has freedom to grow in the direction which nature intended, Repression has been for so many ages the worlds fashion and habit that It Is not strange n this great freedom be sometimes mistaken tor growth itself To long cramped nature relief may seem development. whereas it IS only the opportunity tor development Nevertheless, Il ts a great opportunity.
 Because we have abolished an arbitrary distinction oi classes it- is sometimes as- sumed that we have no distinction oi classes. Bat while human nature re- mains and from all we arc told ot the nature of angcls-in this world and in the next, society will resolve itself into classes. Republic anlSm concerns political not social matters. The English and Ameii- can notions arc one stock almost within the memory of mau, one nation. They have their t,hs and taunts and fsticuffs. but they are one blood. Their institu | tions tend to liberty, their etiquette Is | identical, their tradition and much of ther literature are one, Suffrage Is hule mote restricted in England than in the United States, but both arc ruled by | a constitution. Pohneal equality IS more nearly attained in this country, out social and personal equality arc affected only indirectly, as political conditions in- fiuence individual character.
 There IS exactly as much difference be. tween scholar and dunCc in this country as in England. We think that A | repubuc permits fewer dunces we hope | that 1t will not ultimately produce fewer scholars. In England they call gentle. man the marquis of Rp pon ln ihiA country we call him Mir K Johnson. Bu the gentleman no less consorta with | gentlemen here, no more consorts with the coarse and vulgar here than in monarchy. In England the dukes son
 IS duke by virtue of being hls fathers son. He may be blackguArd, a blackleg, but he is still duke. h ihis country we have no institutions to hold up genlleman's son. II he ceases 10 be oI If ne never becomes a gentle. man, there IS nothing for him to fall back on. He sinks into undis,inguished dust and Is replaced by an atom more highly organized.
 But the gentleman here is, in Il es- sen,ials, the gentleman of all the rest oi Christendom. He loves cleanliness of body and soul. He IS gentle and gener- ous He may be intellectual he mus, be deferenual. His etiquette IS not always to be depended upon, but he respects the rights of others, does not signaline hiS own honesty, or culture, or blood, 0, baths, beyond the common ar. Hls grammar IS seldom more than modcratel, pad. His instinct of heIpiulness Is neve, at fault.
 Beyond even England the American gentleman has advanced in reverencink womanhood wi;hou; regard ;o the posi.
 lon of the woman. He loves quietness .nd to be unobsesved. He stands by his kIn and clan ~ithodt obruding the tact. He expects to be polIlely treated, and is not on the watch for indigniues, nor quick to take ofenSe.
 He dresses well or III, but seldom sus. pc cts that he is not dressed well enough he would not willingly wear frock coa, where other gentlemen are in evening dress, but he has no sword to draw in attack or defense ot any dress whatever, and for the externais of attire is vcry ap, to need the constant, sustaining, retaining and stimulating power Of the feminine element in his household. When the b'iei period of immaturity is passed he has but a btful, capncious and untrust- worthy devotion ,o monograms and or nameDial walking sticks. Even on hats and gloves his judgment is liable to be overthrown. In many points he is human and he errs. 3ut he m pure, plAcable, responsive, refined.
 In A republic the gentleman takes his place the moment he appears. He isnoi barred out; he is not even retarded, by any stars, garters. titles, monopolies. in a kingdom the gentleman is apt to barn. cade his order with securities which q takes revolution to destroy Here there IS no wall for him to scale, no gate for him to force. The field IS perfectly clear. He climbs the highes, hill who has the strongest feet and the soundes, lungs individual character is therefore the sale guard, and the only safeguard of the re- public. To the fofm ztion Of individual character should ali our patriotism tend. Upon individual character all our stAbil- ny rests. Because we have no insti,u- tons to hold us up we must de pend for lite upon personal worh. When the ,n- telligence and the integrity of her citizens cease to retain the republic, the republic fails. Under all civilized governments the common virtues of lite sp,ing and