The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-08
THE GLAMOUR OF RANK.
Philosophical Explanation of Why
Englishmen and Americans So
Dearly Love n Lord.

Dearly Love n Lord.
From the London Spectator.
We know of few social puzzles so
perplexing as the English reverence
for rank. 1t is so entirely at variance
with everything one knows or imagines
of the national character The majority
of our people are supposed to be stub
born, -opinionated, and proud of
their personal independence. They are
unusually sensitive to slight, and hold
stcutly in theory to the belief that
one man is as good as another, If not,
when they are thinking of themselves,
a little better. They have absolutely
no respect for pedigree, about which,
in fact, as they have few traditions,
they usually know nothing; and they
have not trace of the feeling that
rank, being conferred by the sover-
eign's WILL makes in some way de-
mand upon their loyalty. They
would be surprised to hear
that much of their free
dom was due to the self-sacrifices of
the caste, they do not attribute the en-
pire to their exertions, and though
they acquiesce in the preference given
them in the distribution of patronage,
they would, if that were presented to
them as a theory, loudly protest that
1t was both unfair and inexpedient.
Nevertheless, they have what can only
be described as a reverence, some
times a rather abject reverence, for
rank. If man has a right to title,
especially if the right comes by in
heritance, they acknowledge him in
their hearts as a superior, are eager
to pay him deferens4, think his ex-
81 IN iXro11acS Or11 Natural hIIf he
coming, and judge his errors by
standard which they do not apply to
men of their own rank, and which-a
still more singular fact-they do not
altogether approve. They watch his
proceedings, his sports, his marriage,
his tumbles in the hunting fields, with
an interest that never tires, and actu-
ally expect all their newspapers to re-
cord such things as carefully and as
fully as any other events. They will
read aloud paragraphs about the be-
trothals of persons with whom they
have no acquaintance, or business con-
nection, or relation of any kind, with
positive gusto, remember them as they
remember nothing else They like the
heroes of the fiction they devour to
be people with titles, and do not, ap-
parently, care whether they are the
angels or the demons of the drama.
Indeed, the bad Marquis and the
wicked Baronet have become stock
characters in fiction; the readers ex-
pect Dukes to be described as idiots,
and Viscounts as used-up debauches,
and yet, if thrown into contact with
people bearing those titles, they are
distinctly elevated in their own esteem.
They are far more eager to hear about
them than about the official magnates
whose characters really concern them,
and will skip q speech by Mr. Richie
to gloat over some entertainment given
by the Marquis of Carabas, who has
abstained from the work of govern
ment as little beneath him. Indeed,
the feeling goes a little further than
that. We have noticed for years that
the managers OF newspapers which
cater for the imam in the street" all
keep a corner, sometimes quite a big
corner, for the doings of foreign mobiles
about Whom their readers can and dc
know nothing, and If these mobiles
chance to have the prefix of Prince
sub editors will insert long paragraphs
and sometimes historiettes about them
1t is, perhaps, natural that they should
give tlaring headlines to an announce
nent of the betrothal of the Arch
duchess Elizabeth of Austria, for that
young lady, besides being the grand
child of the rcigning Emperor, is the
only daughter of man whose romantic
and melancholy death interested all
Europe; or to the death of the Duke
of Berwick, for, although that noble
was a Spaniard, he is closely connected
with Our own history, but we have
known them pay the same honor to
German and italian mobiles as far
from thrones, and as little likely to be
mentioned in history, as any English
1fy.Aa
know their own business, and what
can be the explanation of an interest
which is certainly not produced by any
desire Cor information, our people, as
rule, being absolutely Indifferent to
all Continental peTsonageS except Kings
and statesmen or soldiers of the very
highest rank? They know less of DR.
Miguel than of Sir Harry Vane, and
could no more repeat the names OF
the Prussian Cabinet than those OF
the first six Popes.
1t is all snobbishness, explained Thack-
cray, who was supposed to be not only
a great satirist, but q man Of deep in
sight into his own countrymen, and
the explanation is widely accepted; but
even if true, 1t does not go very far
What makes one of the proudest and
freest of races so snobbish about rank
as distinct alike from pedigree and
wealth? We doubt, too, the truth OF
the statement, for these same snobs
who so worship the great in rank will
not bear at their hands the smallest
oppression, nor in politics overmuch
resistance. They are just as ready to
sue the Marquis of Carabas as any
other customer and If he drives over
a child in his motor-caf will pelt him
rather harder than they would a
commoner, owing to an impression
| quite unjustifed, that Judges will be
too lenient. Depreciatory explanations
of national peculiarities are rarely
| completely true, and even granting
snobbishness as a fact, there musi
be a reason for a quality so remarka-
bic. The late Mr.. Walter Bagehot, who
was one of the wisest of mankind
used to say that the true explanation
was creditable They were, he believed
in every grade continually Struggling
toward the light" striving, that is, tc
! press upward, and, as 1t were, clutch
at the upper rings to make their as
! cent easier. They watch those above
them, and especially those labelled as
such, for the sake of instruction in liv.
ing, and defer to them as possessing
something which they themselves have
not and which is worth having. We
believe that explanation is substantial.
| ly the true one, II we only. remember
that vulgar minds remain vulgar ever
when they are struggling upward, anc
that the sense of inferiority weakens
self confidence, often to the great in.
jury OF the character. Add that thu
Englishman does not feel envy, anc
that his social system, lasting as Il
/ hac for no 81