The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-10-05
A TRUE GENTLEMAN.
Address Of Mr.. Samuel R. Harris
Delivered Before the Young
Mems Christian Association
Sunday Afternoon, September


Sunday Afternoon, September
oath.
We take pleasure in publishing this
week the address of our esteemed
townsman Mr.. Samuel r. Harris.
delivered before the Young Mems
Christian Association Sunday after
noon. September Oath. No apology is
needed and none is offered for devoting
so much Of our space to subject of
this kind. 1t is an admirable paper
and will repay careful reading and
thoughtful study. The subject matter
is such as made it eminently suited to
the time and the occasion. and Mr..
Harris's :. talk called forth many
warm and tiattering words from those
who heard it. One who is capable Of
speaking to such good advantage as
Mr.. Harris ought to be heard from
Oftcner There is too much excellent
material in our friend for the COM
mittcc Of the Y. NJ. c. y. not to call
upon him to give the younger people
the benefit OF his wholesome advice
again in the near future. Some Of his
sentences, epigrammatic in nature, are
particularly strong and contain food
for thought. Mr.. Harris said:
intend no theory or definition of
the dictionaries and look to England
foi none Of her ideas as to this word,
but to our own America where every
man is born free and equal. No man
is born a gentleman. Every gentleman
is first God-made, and then self-made.
\ gentleman in one sense is mild
hammered man, a polite man and it
is very polite that eyey man should be
a gentleman in this sense: but this by
no means fills the bill. A man who
fullills the requirements Of his circle
Of associates may in sense. be a gen.
tleman. but with the higher sense it
has nothing to do. In the true gen.
t'eman there must be some distinguish
ing characteristic to point him out
from the rabble. \ hog may strut in
broadcloth, but his grunt will betrav
him. An ass in lions skin may
lprOduce great CONSERVATION for awhile
Iamong his brothers. but the inevita bic
bray must come. \ wolf in sleeps
clothing may look ever so lamb like,
| but there is no less force in his fangs.
Everybody in this country at once
recognizes the fact that we must yield
to age and give ladies the preference;
but this. while perfectly true. is very
poor criterion Of a gentleman, for the
conditions Of society require that; and
he who refused that demand would be
ostraclzed. Suppose society was such
that its rules did not demand these at
tentions: You readily see from this
that a gentleman is not such. because
he meets the requirements Of his fell
lows. His is unique character. He
is peculiar man and acting with a
peculiar motive. He must be an I'M
selfish man. His highest motive must
be to do others good. We mention a
hog with disgust; not because he is
not true to his nature, but because he
is. Some men say that gentlemen
can not control their passions-we say
the same of dog. We often hear in
polite circles the old adage every
man for himself and the devil take the
hindmost. The same spirit controls
the brute, except the curse on the
''hindmost.' \ member of a church
boasts of his goodness when he dis
penses charity in his own denomina-
ton. | have seen an old SOW protect
her own pigs from other hogs that
were equally as well bred as her own
brood and registered with Just as good
a pedigree. The one moving motive
was as good in one as the other. Ifselfsh-
ness can be any part of a gentleman,
then any man can keep his seat in a
car and let weak woman stand. But
if unselfishness is the standard, how
can Il gentleman sit and see weak
boy stand up; or how can a strong man
impose on a weaker one, or an educated
man sling at an ignorant one. or
we'll dressed man insinuate about his
comrades seedy appearance: A man
becomes {, gentleman in the true sense.
when by renewing his nature, he re-
solves to elevate himself above his
selfish nature and help the rest of the
world up to him and to their highest
good. When, though he be a Jew he
resolves to be Gentle brother: when.
though he be a Gentle, his brother a
Jew becomes 'geatiliS,' of the same
family or brotherhood. 1t is aremark-
able fact that the Hebrews should have
applied with disgust that word to the
rest Of the world and excluded them
selves from that same brotherhood.
and claimed that eve have Abraham
to our father.' a gentle man means
a gentle mana man for all races for
all times; brother to all mankind.
This is the ideal-what is the practical?
Every man ought to be popular with
his fellows and when he is not there
is fault either in him or in his fell
lows. Our Savior was gentleman
and Jew and yet. because he did not
satisfy the selfish pride Of the Jewish
ion, he was put to death. While
he was a Jew he proclaimed to the
world that whatsoever shall do the
will of my Father which is in heaven
the same is MY brother and sister and
mother" At another time one Of the
disciples complained that he had seen
man casting out devils in his name
1" and tolloweth not us and he for
babe him, but Christ said ''fordid him
not = For he that is not against us is
on our part. AEe>uaY see clearly
: {: !;