The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-16

contrary, means in most cases moth.
ing except that the holder Is enc
OF many descendants OF a common ancestor
who perhaps once possessed land and
power. The email percentage OF tho German
aristocrncy that lives In the country. even II
rich. loads . life Of economy. solitude. and In.
telieotual staanation. 1t wields neither social
nor political influence. Again. the modern
royal custom OF intermarrying only with
equals. custom originally designed for politi-
cal purposes. has found slavish followers
among the German mobiles, although In their
case 1t IL without any excuse or pretenco OF
policy. The consequences have teen disas-
ttous In more senses than one. They hive re-
suited In the erection OF barrier which In
Germany and Austria divides tho aristocracy
Of birth from the aristocraoy OF wealth and In
tsilsct more completely than such classes IRE
divided In any other European country. In
word, the German arlstooracy 10 an uniuly dis
tended and yot tightly closed oliRArchy. pos
eessinR but weak action OF the heart and
defective circulation. In England tho
aristoorscy is necessarily strengthened
by the admission OF new blood. Not
only that but the under branches OF
great house pass untitled and unnoticod back
into the commonalty and carry with them
into tho middle classes their sympathios for
their powerful relations. The German system
has had the opposite effect Every scion OF a
noble family inherits tho tito, tho social
status. and the obligation to marry according
10 his station. In England the wel-connected
member OF tho middle classes may we'll look
upon a peer as ony his superior BY the chance
OF primogenlture. He 10 Of the same stock OF
the same flesh and blood. On the other hand.
the German untitled citizen Is cut OIL from the
aristooraoy without even an imaginary con.
neo Ing link. In Snxony. indeed. so distinct Is
hA Inc ar fan thu ortafncrnrv from
the people. that tho former arc vlsibly OF II dif-
fersnt race. The Saxon mobiles are tail. fair
halt cd men. with the true Germnnic cnst OF
features. whereas the mass OF the population
Ia rather short and thick set, with features
bearing distinct traces OF Slavonc blood.
Another source OF The popularity Of the Eng
lish aristocracy Ia to be sought In the extra.
ordinary number OF strong and useful In
divldua's which 1t has had tho good fortune to
produce. English mobiles have dazzled the
popular Imagination by their liberal ideas.
their generosity. their personal superiority to
class seltlshness. Rightly or wrongly. English
popular feeling looks upon the arlstocracy as
curb on the pretensiors II royalty. The
German people. on the contrary, look upon
their aristocracy rs the toadies Of royalty. Eng
lish nobles n rule. have served the peop!e.
whereas German noblos. as class. have felt
and feel 1t their vocation to serve the crown.
They are lpyalsts rather than PATRIOTS.
Rarely has the German arstocracy brought
forth the men who have led great movements
and stood In the front rank lighting for now
ideas. ralyine around them multitude
OF followers while casting q lustre on
the class from which they spranG. At
the first glnuce the cases OF Stein
and Bismarck may seem to contradict
this assertion; but on close inspection 1t will
be found that the popularity OF these great
mon was aud Is purely personal, and as it did
not snring FROM certainly does not transmit
Il self to- the class to which they belong. The
German mind can only grasp q popular noble
In the light Of ono who Is opposed to his class.
II the German people sympothlzed with Dis
msrck In his quarrel with Count Won Arnim.
1t was because they supposed him to be fight
ing an aristocratc court intrigue. Nobody in
Germany thinks OF asking IL noble to preside
at public dinner. Neither would any one en-
pect n nob!o German landowner to head q
subscription list for any scient or charitable
purpose. The German Philistine is willing
enough to toady to high. place Official. but to
cringe to an empty tito would revolt him.
Nearly the same thing may be said OF tho highly
cultivated professional and mercantile classes.
A feeling OF reverence for the arlstocracy
docs not oxist In the form known to Engiish-
men. As for the working masses. 80 intense
thar the German Conservative patty is often
forced to put forward untitled Parliamentary
candidates. fearing that 1t would be iurossi-
bio 10 elect ono O! their own order. Tho Ger
man aristocrucy. in fine. has no longer any
power to WELD Tor good or bHd out
side OF its own limits. 1t has moth.
Ing to give and no iavors to confer. II
Mr.. Whitman considers it a disadvantage to
the untitled classes t. be cut Off from unre-
strained intercourse with the mobiles. it Is be-
cause the latter are still tho repository OF
social tact and good manners. BY a dwelling
OF the barriers, however. the aristocracy would
have much more to gain than tho untitled
classes. Their vIsws would DO brondenod they
woull be brought into contact with he ntellec-
tua! power aud vigorous vitality Characters
tic OF the German people: and. above all. they
would lie made to feel the necessity OF work.
Count Alfred Adelmann personal friend OF
the present EMPEROR. has long been warning
his fellow mobiles hat they must either 20 to
work Ike the rest OF tho community or 20 10
tho wall
From the German arstocrncy II Is a natural
transition to German society in o wider sense.
In few countries is the aristocracy OF birth cut
of SO utterly In social lie from the best INTEL
lect OF tho land German society docs not bow
10 talent alone as tho French and. to some ex-
tent. tho English does. In Germany q grea ar
tist distinguished man OF letters an eminent
mRn OF science, may be loaded with stars or ap-
pointed TO high Office; he Will be readily re-
ceived either In his personal or his official char
acter. but tho aristocrscy will not visit him.
much loss will they Visit his wife. His wife has
no social status. She |. OF hoGdhi0. not Qual-
fed In otbor words to be received Mt court