Year: 1873

hereditary or landed gentry. Ana II
is hard thing to say or believe, but
an honest mind must believe it true.
that this t6ourgeoisae" regime only
came into power at the suppression of
that Southern aristocracy which we so
energetically denounced when it
existed in the full strength of its
influence. Scarcely anything was or
could be more distasteful or even
hateful to us than the carriage,
sentiment, and self,arrogated position
of that proud and pretentieus
aristicracy which adopted the spirit an
department of the English nobility and
gentry But one who looks 'back over
the history of the country from its
birth as q nation must now see and
own that the influence Of this
Southern aristocracy was an element oil
immense value in shaping the
character OF our public men aud
political life The existence of many
things is only realized by their
temporary absence For nearly ten
years the South, as a political power.
has been Withdrawn from the Union,
1t has been ruled. repressed and Stified
in its old character and influence by
the worst kind of carpet~bagging
bourgeoisie. During this demoralizing
regime. it has been shoru of all It's locks
of its power on the national government
and public men of the country. Il ha
not yet sent single representative Of
old historical families, 10 Calhoun, nor
Clay, nor Benton, nor Berrien. None
of its old names have answered to the
roll-call in either House at the capitol.
None of it's old chivalry,. its high
sense of honor, has been represented
by tho nOwlY imported men who have
pretended 10 answer for the South.
The spirit which she boasted, and
which We denounced, has ceased to act
on the political morality of the nation
Perhaps the whole Northern mind
rcjoices at this emancipation. We are
now showing the world, and proving to
ourselves, what we are doing and can
do without the influence of a Southern
aristocracy, as we called it.


Yes We have shown to the world
and to ourselves what we can do as q
nation without the old influence of the
Southern mind without the
pretcntious "chivalry" and "high sense
Of honor" and contempt Of small and
crooked ways which the "frst families of
Virginia" and other Southern States
boosted of. We have shown what Il Q
,rade-spirit unchecked by the
influence of such chivalry, can do
when IFS prevades the entire nation
dominating national and State
legislation, and touching with It's golden
wand the highest court of justice in the
land. We have seen how this great
republic has been transmitted into a
ringpuolic, while the South has been
! reduced to o political nonentity; whai
concentric series of rings, wha'
"wheel within q wheel" and in the
prophets vision, have been produced
from the center to the circumference Of
the Uaion.


Look at the succession ef these


rings: first, the "primary meeting


ring, or the caucus of half a dozer


politicians making up their "slate'


around grocer's cask of onions ol


dried apples. Follow the series o


that political ring from that primar,


meeting of free and Independent


citizens up through State Convention


to the Congressional Caucus and lobby


at Washington. Then take tht


corporation rings, and follow them from


the center to circumference of theI


power. Do the same with land rings


gold rings, wheat rings, traffic ano
] transportation rings, and tariff rings


that touch with their perimeters either


ocean, at the Credit Mobiier the.


organize, the legislation they control


and the Legislators they demoralize AM


smirch with the pitch of dishones


transactions. See what men in th'