New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-28

open, leaving a document stating that. having
been insuted by you. honor demanded that he
Shouid commit hari-kari. and calling upon his
nearest relatives to avenge him by killing you.
In connection with questions pertaining to
honor. 1t is peculiar fact that even in republi-
car countries where. theoretically at any rate
all men are supposed to be equal it is a quality
that is considered to he monopolized by those
or gentle birth and breeding This would seem
TO imply that people of humber origin are in
capable of honor or of approaching its various
phases; and consi ierable color is lent to this
hypothesis by the fact that in wartime it is
merely officers who are admitted to parole the
rank and file being held incapable Of either
pl!ghting their word Of honor or of keeping any
such pledge when given. The query will there
upon naturally arise to what constitutes a
gentleman. since gentlemen alone are considered
able TO appreciate the true sense OF the word
honor" That again however. Is subject
which calls for far longer explanation than
can be given here. since in every country differ
ent notions prevail 10 what constitutes gentle
men and what does not Indeed nearly every
one Seems 10 have different ideas upon The sub
ject. and the diversity of opinion is extremely
great. Thackeray for instance. declined to rec
oSnize the title of King George " to the
appellatior. and found in George Washington
and Admiral COllingwOod the true models OF
gentlemen-an opinion which will doubtless meet
with the Endorsement of all high-mnded people
Charles Mitchell. the pugis;. on the other
hand. describes the late Squire Abingdon Baird
as the finest gentleman in the world" an opin-
n.
There are many things which it appears a
gentleman may do nowadays in Europe without
mourning the loss of his right to that designa-
ton by society, or FORGETTING what the latter
regards his honor" Thus he NAV avoid
paying his creditors. provided they are trades
people or friends who. instead Of being content
with his pliGhted word have accepted the adj
ditional security Of a promissory note Indeed.
the passing of any paper between creditor and
debtor is held to remove the obligation from the
list Of debts of honor and places II among the
so-caled "tradcsmcn's debts" the non-payment
of which involves no loss Of "gcntilhommerie"
or honor. Debts Of honor. that is 10 say.
loans based merely on verbal Obligations and
bets, must be paid nj all cost. according To the
ethics governing the code of honor" even if
the debtor has TO obtain the money by means
OF methods which verge not only upon the dis
honorable. hut even the criminal. II Is for
this reason that sometimes hear OF Young
men going TO the length Of stealing their
mothers Jewels or OF forging the name OF their
nearest and dearest relatives as did the eldest
son of an English peer the other day) for the
sake of paying their debts Of honor. falling
which they can no longer hope To retain the
social status of gentleman one has heard
Of men committing suicide. like young Count
Alloys Hardegg few weeks since at Vienna.
and the last Marquis of Hastings. years ago
in London. because they unable 10 pay
their debts Of honor; but one has never heard
Of gentleman taking his life because
he could not pay his tailor Connection with
n divorce suit. far from detracting from the
STATUS Of a gentleman" Is. on the contrary
rather feather in his cap, excepting in cases
truth and acknowledge his guilt rather than
perjure himself in the witness box like a gentle
man The most mortal Of all sins in the eyes
of society. the one that entails above everything
else the forfeiture of the title Of gentleman and
of all honor is unfair play N cards and II Is
no secret that the majority OF the great families
in Europe would infinitely prefer TO have
murderer among their relatives than n man
convicted Of the offence which resulted in the
social ostracsm Of Sir William Gordon cum
ming. Of the Duke of Roxeburghe's son-in-law
George Russell and Of Major. tho Hon. Walter
Harbord. brother Of Lord Sufiicd
These perhaps are the principal things which
gentleman" and man of honor may and
may not do according to the tenets Of old
World society. The latter may be summed No
in brief the payment Of debts 81 honor
reticence with regard to all affairs de occur"
and playing fairly at cards. Provided n man
does not break these three commandments he
may commit every other sin with impunity.
and II only he be Of gentle birth. his short
comings Will be regarded merely in the Hight
Of venial eccentricities. EX-ATTACIIE