"Pride in boasting of family antiquity, makes duration stand for merit"

In this quote, John Zimmerman is highlighting the unfavorable results of pride and boasting about one's family history. He suggests that when individuals place excessive significance on their household's enduring family tree, they often equate it with personal benefit or worth. This can result in an incorrect sense of supremacy and privilege, as individuals might believe that their household's history automatically makes them much better than others. Zimmerman argues that real merit needs to be based on one's own actions and character, instead of simply the duration of their family's presence. By emphasizing the risks of pride in household antiquity, Zimmerman motivates people to focus on their own achievements and virtues rather than relying on their family's past.