Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16
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eien titles obtained before the terri
tories to which they refer became part
of France (for instance, Savoy and Nice
were Italian territory until 1860; 80
have been conferred on Frenchmen by
foreign sovereignS, including the Pope
(the Pope'S formal right to confer titles
being more than dubiouS), and II have
their sole justification In the fact that
they were used at the Court OF Ver-
sailles, and that, therefore, the French
Kings, silently at least, approved OF
what was probably q usurpation.
This accounts for Sal titles out Of the
thousand It follows that about $50
French titles of marquis now In use be-
long to the ancient and illustrious fam
lily Of the Marquis Of Carabas, the young
peasant of the immortal Perrault's
fables.
But titles are really only the appear
ances and the shibboleths of an aris-
tocracy. Even in the seventeenth CEN
fury, when they still meant something
they really had become a weapon with
which suspicious soyereigns could bend
to the lowering atmosphere Of some
Versailles the few naughty families still
content with Independent life on thei1
estates.
Situation In England.
In an analogous sense one might say
that what the English kings were unable
to do to bring about the lowering of the
British aristocracy-after Charles the
English kings had no more power than
the Doge in Venice-the introduction OF
railways succeeded in doing. In Eng
land the railways were as potent q cause
- ~ AAS ktwnk NJ EwHnr
lish society as the Reform Bill of 1882
for they played havoc with the trade
and social life in the country. And with
an aristocracy there must be country
life, or 1t is nothing.
For aristocracy is landlordisrn. That
is why its two strongest cases, up to the
end Of the war, had been Austria and
Hungary, where the hochgeborne lived
most of the year in their schlosSe and
deigned to descend to Vienna or to
Budapest only for short court periods
An aristocracy which habitually lives In
its palaces, in a capital, is mock aris-
| tocracy.
In Austria the Emperor maintained
| toward aristocracy the spirit that mis-
ancestors had felt when. before the VIC
tories of the French Revolution. they
still were the heads of the Holy Roman
Empire. It was a loose, federal spirit
! not the narrow and jealous policy Of
| elimination of federal power constantly
followed by the French kings. That j,
why, up to yesterday, the members OF q
| great Austrian family had an authentic
| certainty of their innate superiority, ct
which the French aristocrats were com.
! pletely deprived.
| Power Reduced.
The French monarchy began by at.
| lacking the grande seignelrs through
| the institution Of the intendants, which
1 deprived them of any form OF politica
/ power. Then 1t reduced their economic
| strength, and with 1t their prestige. I'm.
poverished, they accepted the invitation
| to come to the capital. 1t was the las
blow, for, in spite Of their privileged ap'
pearance, it made them q parasitic class
Dependent upon subsidies and salarie
from the crown, their material privileges
were increased at the very moment thei
lowered position made those privileges
, harder to justify.
How different things were in England
where the crown never became as Stroni
as in Francel
The attachment TO the soil was yer!
much stronger among the English arts
tocrats. And the care with which the,
exercised the functions arising from tfli
attachment was much more jealous ant
vieilant than In, France, Italy or Spain
Herein lies the explanation Of VIII,
the last two centuries, which have beer
a period Of extreme decadence for CONT
mental aristocracy, have been the perio'
of highest prosperity for the aristocrac.
Of England and Scotland.
II it Is true that Iandlordism In Eng
land II q phenomenon nearing extfnc
ton, we may conclude from the proceed
ing cunstderationS that what happenei
ras[ 4hn non4anantt Vail ncca2Ef i'm Engaan,