New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-03

az the aYlstocrsry, aDo NJ" bixN'! 'NI ,n..n -.
;r,rodurtou at Court II may be natural 'ha' 'ho'e
- ,,nL among the first IN their own country
- 20 no received among the hr-t IN ioreish
on,-.yv hut when 70 be one Of the hrsl ID the ioi
or!,tr, bas altogether another meaning than
. sysr sAouiA have al home, the good ihhueioe "u
home-Ifs Of an education recenN ~ ~ -.
country under such circumstance may oe i'e'
toned. al .be.e o,...ion.
y tha, oriv yery small part Of the possible BAD
con.soueners viii really happen ana ths' amer,
go, T,a !. s.rouo enough 20 digest small dose 0l
no;son introduced into its stomach IL education
r. nroduc. satisfactory results, should be IA
t;o,s1 in its essential spirit, nevertheless re-
a:,ra.,I in1sence Of nations upon each other
i one az tb. conditions Of human progress IN tins
=. in otler spheres Of life. Beside this, there is
undoubtedly much real good for the American 70
1ssrD in Europe Undoubtedly those individual
accomplishments by which the charms of social
intercourse are hiehtened, and life itself Is embel
lisled and elevated, may be more easily sequrei IN
the Old than 10 the New World. Undoubtedly the
American mind made Of the best Steel may have
been overhardened little in the brisk changes of
moral temperature in which men must live IN thr
United States. and some trite # a softer temper
NAV DO il good. OF course, n TIT opposite dlrec-
ton, Europe may learn just as m cL from America
a. America from Europe, but vd,l tAis distinction,
that the most valuable part what America can
teach is not taught in school, but IN the hard and
manifold experience Of LIE fuI Of energy and
intellect, while fear the best that Europe has 10
teach must be sought for in her schools. 4 new
civilization moreover, however independent IN its
spirit cannot DO without the classic models OF
former periods Of civilization. Modern Europe
owes great deal of what II Is 10 the influence OF
the cls,sic models Of antiquity, and still We have
not become Greeks nor Romans for all that.
Modern Europe IN science and the arts, IN music
and literature, has her classic models, too, and
America will have to study them for a while, and
may safely study them without danger of falling
back into a state of society ike that Of England,
France or Germany.
Nevertheless, and with all this admitted some pre-
caution may not be superfuous. European pro-
fcency in art and science has ts dark ss It has its
bright side, and history shows how much more
often nations adopt the bad example OF each
other than the good. Let us take music as an
instance. Music may be justly called The essential
art Of modern Europe, just as sculpture vas the
essential art Of Greece. According to Richard
Wagner, the great composer, who is Likewise
great theorlst IN the sphere OF art music u art IN
the supreme ease of the word. Very well, let 1t
be So and let il stand for all the rest As to my
self venture to contend that have as clear an
idea Any body of the elevated position Whicu music
and the other arts destined 10 take in human life
and think that am fully sensible to their deep
cannot be blind TO the fact that music and art, in
Europe have been very much degraded to mere
vehicle Of amusement and vanity, and that Ia gem
ersl they are appreciated just in proportion as
there is less sense in them. Such state OF things
should not be advanced in the United States by
European example and if in America art cannot
raise itself TO eminent position IN the life OF
the nation, better let IL not be promoted and let
bare utihtaTanism dominate. Wherever art has
Io... tbx .f tha aft nf
men, or OF a whole nation devoted to serious Occu-
patton il has been connected with the highest and
most earnest interests of life. Butt il cannot take
such a position If Il s only to serve purposes for
which gallopade viii do just as well ~ sym
pbODy OF Beethoven and polka just as well AZ the
Stabat Mater: then, l say Yankee Doodle does
just as well Likewise.
BE this, however, as il may, if young Americans
of both sexes are gong 10 be educated IN Europe,
let them not go too early nor return too late. Aud
this brings me back to the question Of American
zstiOn and EurOpeanizati0n.
The European, Americanized by long resi-
dence or education in the United States, may not
have become better man for that; but even if the
reverse should have happened, which by no means
a rare case, he has nevertheless taken his rank
among the pioneers Of the age, while the AmeTi-
can, Europeanized by having yielded to the attrac-
iions of more thorough civilization may have
improved IN amiabllity, accomplishments or other
valuable qualities, and yet has fallen back in the
order of historical! progress. The question of be-
ing in the vanguard or in the rear of marching
civilization, is not question of individual pericc-
ton neither in accomplishments nor in character,
but question Vt vital energy and action, and OF 4
certain direction Of mind corresponding to the wants
OF the age. The more thorough civilization may
nevertheless be behind the age, while the rough
outlines of culture IN new country may Indicate
lis essential character In this manner, according
to my opinion. the relative merits OF American and
European life must be looked upon.
JULIUS FRoEBEL.