St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-26
NOBLESsE OBLIGE.
Judge Willis Lectures on the FH-
NOUS French Motto.

Judge John w. Willis lectured at the
Irish-American club last night, choos-
ing for his subject the famous French
motto, "Noblesse Oblige." The judge
prefaced his discourse with the re-
mark that the penitential season OF
Lent was considered the most appro-
pirate for his lecture, which would
doubtless infiict severe penance upon
his hearers. Contrary to this predic-
ton, however, it proved very interest
ing.
Judge Willis defined the expression
"NobleSse Oblige'' to mean that nobil-
ity carried with it certain obligations or
duties. Then he told Of the origin OF
this sentiment and traced it's growth
from ancient to medieval and modern
times. The ancient Romans idea of
the attribute of nobility was force
alone The qualities of beauty and
gentleneSS were not deemed essential
until civilization had advanced. 1t was
in the middle ages that these virtues
were recognized. and then the true
nobleman was the perfect knight of
chivalry. After briefly describing the
| institution of nobility in European
| countries, and their belief that the
| quality itself was hereditary, which re-
suited in the establishment of an ariS
/ tocracy. Judge Willis pointed to the
| existing aristocracy of England as an
example of the fallacy of this belief
when carried to an extreme. He in
| stanced the spectacle of the Prince of
| Wales testifying in a law suit in which
the vital issue was who cheated at
game Of baccarat;" not to mention the
! filthy divorce cases in which represen-
tatives of British nobility have been
/ involved.
Judge Willis then came across the
water to the land of the free, and pro-
ceeded to demonstrate that the motto
applied here. There was no such thing
as a distinct aristocracy in this coun-
try. Every man had it within him to
be a noble in the highest sense of the
word. And as the noble he was under
obligations to his fellow man and to So
| ciety. While he commended the Amer
lean people for their democracy and
public spirited qualities, the judge de-
precated the prevalence of money grab
bing propensities that often resulted
in dishonest dealings. The motto of
Iago, Put Money IN Thy Purse" was
altogether too popular. Judge Willis
cited instances of fraud practiced by
American dealers upon their European
customers, which tended to give the
former a reputation for dishonesty.
This was notably the case with ship
pers of diseased cattle to foreign coun-
| tries.
Judge Willis dwelt upon, another viz
tue that Americans lacked, and that
was reverence for high and noble traits
Of character. The disposition to ridi-
cule was too pronounced. In this con-
pection the lecturer severely censured
Col. Robert G. Ingersoll for his tactics
in assailing the Bible and the Christian
religion.
In an amusing fashion Judgs Willis
deplored the almost universal addic-
ton of the American people to slang.
In their disrespect for the English Ian
guage, the greatest of all tongues, the
people violated the motto ''noblesse
oblige''
Think of a minister Of the gospel
said Judge Willis, urging his hearers
to catch on to religion Why should
counsel in addressing a jury in open
court say, Gentlemen, the plaintiff III
this case amt SLOW when he might
say instead, Gentlemen, the plaintiff is
man Of resourceful activity?
Naughter)
In the course of his remarks upor
honor as an attribute of nobility
Judge Willis recited Falstaff's famous
: disquisition upon that intangible virtue
which the fat knight had no use for
as it could not set a broken leg.
The lecture occupied less than al
hour, and was received with much ia
VOr.