Year: 1877

Y. Times.


Probably no word in the language is
more widely misused than the word gen
tleman. That it has force and fitness is
shown by the fact that it has been in
troduced into several modern tongues,
where, we trust, it is more judiciously
employed than in the vernacular. The
meaning Of the word, though varying
somewhat with different nations, is well
enough understood except, perhaps, in
this country, where it's elasticity is GER
tainly confusing. In Great Britain the
term is applied limltedly to those hav-
ing coats OF arms but no title, and in
this sense gentlemen hold middle rank
between the nobility and yeomanry. In
heraldry, also, the word has the same
significance. Generally, however, espec-
tally in the United States, gentleman is
a synonym for man of education and
good breeding, irrespective of his ante
cedents and occupation. This is a lib
eral and rational Interpretation of the
trlssyllable, but it's usage in the Repub-
lie is as loose as loose can be-


On broad grounds, it would seem that
every American claims to be gentle
man. This claim may not be recogniz-
ed, but he thinks it we'll to put it for
ward with or without occasion, lest he
may be suspected of having doubt on
the subject himself; and for him to
doubt is to surrender hope of reaching
what he appears to aspire to. We are
all said to be sovereigns here; but we
care far less about sovereignty than
about our craftsmanship The almost
universal desire to be considered gen
tleman in this country is as remarkable
as it is comical often. Many Ameri-
cans who talk very glibly of being gen
tlemen have little, if any, idea Of what
a gentleman is. Nor do they care to
know provided they are called such. 1t
is the name, not the thing, that they es-
TEEN, and having the name, they are
frequently willing to do what is wholly
inconsistent with, even condemnatory
OF, their assumptions This being Il
land devoid of titles, we cleave perhaps,
all the more to aught like social distinc-
ton. Almost everybody, we think, in
this land of democracy may be gentle
man; and not to be one, or, rather, not
to be ranked as one, seems to be Sc
we're reflection upon us, if not kind of
dishonor


One hears the word gentleman more
frequently in the Republic, we venture
to affirm, than one hears the terms cor
responding to in all the rest of the
world. Foreigners notice it and are
amused by it, particularly when some
person applies it to himself without the
slightest justification or shadow of pro-
priety. 1t would be diverting to get the
definitions, were it possible, of the diff
ferent classes and the innumerable indi-
viduals who habitually style themselves
gentlemen. They would present as
many and divers meanings as the most
opposite words in the dictionary The
small boys notion of gentleman, it
will be remembered, was a man who
wears standing collar and swears The
late David Crockett held him to be
gentleman who looked away when his
companion poured out his liquor. Gam
blers think that the character is estab-
lished by payment of so-called debts of
honor In the South he was formerly
accounted a gentleman who punctilious
ly observed all the principles of the
code Some Philadelphians assign the
honor to those whose great grandfath=
ers were respectable. In a certain
quarter Of Boston one must have come
over in the Mayfower, and have receiv-
ed degree at Harvard to be recogniz-
ed as a gentleman beyond question. In
New York, according to some of the
country journals, no man is reckoned q
gentleman unless he be worth Million
and to render his claim indisputable he
must buy Judge or steal railway.


1t would be difficult for any one man,
even the cleverest American, to fulfill
all these conditions Hence there is
danger that, in some sections of the
country, some of us, despite our pretep
sions, may be rated as we rate ourselves.
If we had a standard by which to meas
ure the gentleman, if we were more con
cerned about being and less about SEEM
ing, perhaps we should not be so sensi-
tive or so ambitious on this point One
of the denotements of the true gentle
man is to be sure of himself, TO
to be so conscious of integrity and
deserving as not to be disturbed
by criticism, Sights or misunderstood
ings. 1t is bad sign to be anger
ed because somebody else expresses a
different opinion of us from that which
we assume to hold of ourselves. 1t in
dicates that we do not hold our opinion
firmly, that dissent from it in another
half agrees with our secret conviction.
He who flies into passion because he
is told he is not gentleman incurs the
suspicion that the teller is endowed with
insight. Moreover, he places the other
mans word above ols own judgment.
Who is to decide so important a ques
ton? A casual acquaintance, blinded,
in all likelihood, by temper, or the gen
tleman who has been intimate with him.
self from the dawn of consciousness?


Notwithstanding the prejudices of
Americans in their own favor, the gen.
tleman is by no means common, even
among the better classes. The charac-
ter belongs to individuals, not to grades
orders or professions. 1t does not de
pend on circumstances, training or for
tune, not necessarily on education, for
education makes not, it merely deyel-
ops the man. Men who are ignorant.
who have had no advantages whatever,
are sometimes the superiors of those of
nice culture, good birth and favorable
surroundings. The gentleman comes
from within, not from without; he is
such by reason of his convictions, SYM
pathies, aspirations. He demands some
thing Of himself necessarily, and sees
that the demand is met without diminu-
ton or shrinking He walks by the
! light of ideals; he endeav9rs, so far as in
er than worse; he respects himself too
much to be capable of meanness; he
reverences the feelings of others; he
will not Willingly do wrong; in word,
he is thoroughly human and strictly
honorable.


Prof. Stewart, of Cornell University,
has found nv actual eyOeriment that