New-York tribune., 1885-08-14
ARISTOCRACY IN AMERICA.

ARISTOCRACY IN AMERICA.
ChcagO's grievances are not confined tn the
alien metropolis and its dscourteous baseball
team. Not only is New-York "a plague-spot
on the body polite" the "most un-American
and unnatonal of Cities" with its so-cal]ed best
society composed of funkies and toadies and
the mass of Its population "a sediment from
the dumping ground of Europe" but the
Nation itself is un-American and undemocratic
and tainted with Sthe ineradicable jealousy of
aristocracy. prerogative and caste" While
New York is pilloried for Its sins and hypocrisy
by an influential Western journal, the naked
ness Of the Nation is laid bare in the sight of
Europe. Mr.. Matthew NJ. Trumbull, writing
for The Nineteenth Century from that centre OF
true American feeling. CHICAGO, discloses the
startling fact that this great republic. instead OF
being the most democratic country on the
planet. is in reality one of the strongholds Of
aristOcracy. So strange paradox would
doubtless have been dismissed in England as
Yankee hallucination il the writer's signature
had alone been appended to the article. But
little word, that means great deal not only on
the prairies but elsewhere in the universe, is
attached to the signature. That word is
aChicago." Matthew NJ. Trumbull, having
Chicago behind him, becomes at once nothing
less than a revolutionary force brought to bear
with tremendous effect upon the civilization OF
the Continent and the destiny of Europe.
The date line not only serves to emphasize
this protest against an un-American and un-
democratic form of Government by making it
the deliberate Judgment of Chicago, but it also
explains how it has been possible for one mortal
-: IF fha nd
secrets of American public life. Mr.. Matthew
N. Trumbull, unaided by the superior environ
ment of Chicago enlightenment, could not have
succeeded in confuting the common belief
that Americans have no aristocracy, since they
have neither titled nobility, nor any hereditary
privileged orders. Being at the focus Of
Western intelligence, he has discerned with un-
erring eye what no other observer has per-
ceived, namely, that aristocracy Is not only
legal in the United States. but also that it has
been deliberately established in the 'Constitu-
ton. He does not refer to a social aristocracy
of wealth which may be developed wherever
property Is unequally distributed. No; the
aristocracy which he considers anomalous In this
free Republic rests on political foundations. "The
akingly powers of the President" he remarks,
" the equal representation of unequal States
ain the American Senate, the small number of
sScnators, the select persons who appoint them.
u the mode OF their election, their long tenure OF
aofIice and the greatness of their prerogatiyes,
snake n broad and strong foundation for an
American aristocracy." He then demonstrates
that during the last century, while the British
Government has become in practice repre-
sentative democracy, the Government OF the
United States, although preserving its repub-
lican FORM has become in practice constitu-
tional monarchy. Nor is he altogether without
hope that what has been done in En gland may
not be done In America. although the real con-
fict between nntagonistic forces has not yet
begun. at will burst into a Storm" he ex-
claims. when the President and the Senate.
banded together in defence of prerogative,
/" shall resist resolute House of Representatives
" fresh from the people and bearing from the
"people me Usage of reform"
The founders OF the Republic have generally
been held in hign esteem as sagacious constitu-
tion-makers. Mr. Matthew NJ. Trumbull dis
pes the illusion by pointing out with superior
critical acumen that the trainers Of the Amer-
can Constitution were only Eastern lawyers,
who knew nothing practically of any law except
the English law, and accordingly proposed for
the new Nation tho English trinity of gov
ernment-king. lords and commons" This ex-
plains how it happened that arstocracy got into
the Constitution. the laws, and the Senate. If
there had only been smart Western lawyer
retained for the business, the political founda-
tions for arstocracy would have been left out.
Unfortunately for the fate of the Republic, at
the close of the Revolution there was no Western
school Of practice. The Eastern lawyers were
toadics aud hunkios, who could only model the
new Consultation after the pattern OF English
law. There was no Western school of political
philosophy there was no Chicago; there was
no Matthew NJ Trumbull. So aristocracy got
IN. and before the American people can hope to
get rid of it, there is likely to be an awful time