Travels in the United States, etc.,: during 1849 and 1850./ By the Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley.

NOBLE-SPIRITED MECHANIC.
I believe, mechanic means here, in a general sense, a laborer. He
seemed, a fine, honest-hearted, straight-forward, noble-spirited son
of the plow; and his lofty, earnest, generous sentiments were spoken
in somewhat unpolished but energetic and good language; and
what particularly struck me was a really beautiful and almost
child-like simplicity of mind and manner, that was combined with
the most uncompromising firmness and unflinching adherence in
argument, to what he conceived to be right.
His features were decidedly plain, but the countenance was very
fine, chiefly characterized by great ingenuousness, commingled with
gentleness and benevolence; and yet bearing evident traces of
strength, determination, and energetic resolution. It was rather
a complicated countenance, so to say, notwithstanding its great
openness and expression of downright truth and goodness.
After opening the conversation with him, as you would an oyster,
by the introduction of a pretty keen knife of inquisitorial questions,
the chief speaker began to hold forth, capriciously enough, on the
essentials and distinguishing attributes of a gentleman. He declared, emphatically, that one qualification alone was necessary,
and that money only made a gentleman, according to the world,
and, above all, in the United States (quite a mistake is this, I
fully believe).; "Let a man," said he, "be dressed here in every
thing of the best, with splendid rings on his fingers, and plenty of
money to spend at the ends of them, and he may go where he will,
and be received as a gentleman; ay, though he may be a gambler, a rogue, or a swindler, and you, now, you may be a good
honest mechanic; but he will at once get into the best society in
these parts, which you would never dream even of attempting to
accomplish-"
"But he would not be a gentleman," broke in the Kentuckian,
indignantly. "No, sir; nor will I ever allow that money only
makes the gentleman: it is the principle, sir, and the inner feeling, and the mind-and no fine clothes can ever make it; and no
rough ones unmake it, that's a fact. And, sir, there's many a better gentleman following the plow in these parts than there is among
the richer classes: I mean those poor men who're contented with
their lot, and work hard and try no mean shifts and methods to
get on and up in the world; for there's little some'ill stick at to
get at money; and such means a true gentleman (what I call a
gentleman) will avoid like pison, and scorn utterly."
"Now that's all very well for you to talk so here just now; but
you know yourself, I don't doubt, that your owtn object, as well as
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