The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-15
Matthew ArnoId's New Work.

Matthew ArnoId's New Work.
The London Aheneum reviews Matthew
Atnold's new work, Couture and Anarchy as
follows;-
myself and my Countrymen" would be
more fitting little for this book. Culture is, Of
course, synonymous with MIR. Matthew Arnold,
while anarchy includes the rest OF England.
People who labor for the disestabli hment of
the Irish Church, when there is some chance of
ehecting their object, who advocate marriage
with deceased wlfe's sister because the chief
argument ~ alnst 1t seems 10 be unsound, VINO
try TO bring about by degrees many reforms
which could not be carried at once without
revolution, are clearly In the gall of bitterness
and in the bond OF inlquity. Those only are to
be commended who LOOK in everything to
sweetness and light, who are in contact with
the nam stream OF human life, who let their
thought and Consciousness play freely and natu-
rally upon every subject, who try to put right
reason or their best self into the action of the
State, and to whom nothing has significance
unless it affects the best reason ana spirit of
man. Unfortunately there is only one person
who comes up to his ideal-and that person is
MIR. Matthew Arnold. We must depose all our
present leaders OF thought and action in his
favor. 1t Is clear that no statesman OF either
party can presume TO vie with him. The Con-
servative Home Secretary did not repress
Murphy. The Liberal Chancellor of the Ex-
cbequer Is devoted to the middle classes. The
Liberal party generally supports small measures
Oh the real property OF intestates. Mr.. Bright
praises America, although 1t Is clear from what
praise. Mr. Gladstone, instead OF proposing
measure which ''cuturen could have approved,
waited 10 trip up Mr.. DIsraeli If he proposed 1T.
1t is clear that none of these men Can have any
significance Tor our best reason and soirIt.
What. then, Is left to us? Nothing but the
consolation OF knowing that MIR. Matthew Ar
mold watches over our oestinies, and that if we
listen to his teaching we may gradually rise
ir, m the bondage which shuts in the children
OF wrath ana auarchy into the glorious liberty
OF the children OF culture.
H.. oh rtnof fVaAn hnf xun ora
afraid II will not attract many. Most of us are
100 hardened. We are unable TO see that an
institution which we think bad must really
be good Ut cause institutions Of the kind give us
sense of the historical lie of the human spirit.
! We begin TO distrust Mr.. Matthew Arnold's
phrases when we ind that they either mean
OF political pIstitudes. After listening with
! some interest TO uenuncianons OF our faith in
/ machinery, we are somewhat surprised TO hear
! that England has no idea OF ''the State-the
nation in Its collective and corporate character,
| iptrusted with stringent powers for the general
advantage, and controlling individual wills in
| the name Of an interest wider than that OF
| ludividuals.n Could we have better definition
! OF machineryl And yet when we have got this
State as q corrective TO the excess OF indi-
vidualism, Mr. Mathew Arnold tells US that
! we are to vivify the State by an essentially
individual process, that of quitting into the
action OF the State as much as possible OF right
reas on, or our oest selt.n We do not enter into
the question whether these projects are prac-
In the sense which they bear TO Mr.. Matthew
Aruold's mind. But 1t seems TO US that if they
mean anything, they describe very familiar
part of the Liberal policy II is true the Libe.
rails DO not generally talk about sweetness and
light, for the very good reason that sweetness
and light are wholly indefinite. And we have
no DOUBT that Mr. Matthew Arnold would not
only have more influence, but would do himself
| more Justice, II he did not talk OF them quite
so often. In his present book he seems to have
fallen victim to his love OF phrase-making.
| af ynIa inn vi m Oh
almost say instead OF understanding them
he adopts some forced classification, and
refers everything to 1t. Hebraism and
Hellenism are the last new things he
he has brought out Having once hit on any
such expression, he rides II to death.
Starting IRON proposition which Is not
very ineligible, he lhas to harp upon 1t con-
sta1,ly for lear It should be forgotten. The
result Is that his style seems to be losing that
clearLess for which 1t was once conspicuous.
Many pages Of this book appear TO be written
by a dandy Carlyle. There Is an intellectual
coxcombry peryading the whole. and giving II
the air OF a windbag floating along the man
stream Of human life, processing 70 be filled
with the best reason and spirit OF man, and
Labelled Sweetness and Light. Two or three of
the side-hlts by which Mr.. Matthew Arnold
illustrates his position justify this smile.
Speaking of the Pilgrim Fathers,he says:-"Not-
withstandiug the mighty results of heir voyage,
they and their standard Of perfection are rightly
Judged when We figure to ourselves Shakespeare
or Virgil-souls In whom Reetness and light
were eminent accompanying them on their
voyage, and think what ntoleTable company
Shakespeare and Virgil would have found them,
Then, the Cornell University, In which Mr..
GoldWin Smith has accepted chair, "seems
TO rest on provincial mlscouception of what
culture truly is, and to be calculated to produce
miners, or engineers, or architects, not sweet
ness and hght.n II 10 refreshing to turn from
such mistakes as these OF the Pilgrim Fathers
and of this American founder TO a really great
and good work, though 1t has often since beer
mistepreeented. "Christianlty might have lost
herself If II had not been for some such change
as that OF the fourth century, In asmultitude o.
hole. .and.coIner churches. Alta critical momen
came Constantine, end placed Christlanity-o
lei us rather say placed the human spirit who's
totality was endangered-in contact with tn
main current OF human life. And his work wa
insti6ed by its fruits, In men like Augustine
and Dante and indeed in all the great mel
! of Christianity, Catholics or Protesiants, eve
sipee,p This Is a rather wide generalization
hnt of course Dante never invoked Constantln
m a bitter attack on the riches OF the Papacy
+ eSclaiming-
All Constantine, OF how much III was cause,
Moi thy cOnVeI sion. but those ri IN uouhhs
That the first wealthy Pope received oi 'hee'
4 Such are Mr. Matthew Amold's views o
Q things removed from us by time aud space. ~
|. treatment OF home affairs is not more ATTRACTIVE
e He has misapprehended the argument asOt
Il | eOal hainO ~ haef ~ national creatures