New-York tribune., 1879-02-01
CART As A STEADY DIET"

10 the EditOr Gf me IrtDHHe.
SIR: In the January number OF SGVRerS
Haga-uie as one OF ,he Topics O tho lim,,' ana
under .uc above heading d. Holland - dlacouiscs on
the rapid spread OF aud ideas IN TINS country
! thnk ne coufounds certain tran,tory and suiiaee
Influences with what is real vital and enduring. Bu-S
IN sauc.rs and ca.-t.Is tdbe covers may ne an eN-
preston of the ;rstn tic in men and women' though
the matter open 10 grave doubts but ART 10 may he
feffrd deeper significance than Is expressed IN
tas fashionable craze Cor decoration rns "now enihu-
siasm which spared neither axe nor seX' is no
doubt an uurcasouinS enthusiasm; 10 II considerable
axtent If Il nothing more less than Il fashion with
which at has nothing Whatever To dc. This luhuher
able most OF enthusiasts paint tHer bumhtOce' Hh'
emhroidcr their sunAowcrs BECAUSE it is the proper
thing tu do" IN answer to any awakened instinct
or faculty rather. That there may be something at
the bottom OF the enthusiasm that touches arr
that +, actually stirred Icy its pusations.
am nor disposed 10 duupt. an inclined 10 thiuk there
Is "H contagion tnat swim IN the universal
dir" aud tnat il may indicate cOnIon o, the mental
atmosphere favorable u genuine art achieve
meuts But These decorative results OF tins sed' re-
yivai" have no relationship To art, when tner are
no lonsr the direct result OF tn" decorators thought
and feclng but merely the srnseess reDetitons OF 4
fashion.
81 Ant add nothing to morality says the Doctor
uothug To- roiIgpu, to science, 10 social or roioti
wisdom" Does engineering or farming or railrodd.n$
or e,egraphng add nythng 10 mOraityi What - re-
gion but tre attempt 10 syst mze ana strengthen tue
better impulses Of natures May not art minister To
that endeayOr we'll As mechanics for ms ttncc
To be sure AIT may pander mau's lowest uscs; but
10 art peculiar in this respect l. the rc.gOnst dis
posed TO give up or uniervalue his creed becansc
IN base minds it becomes cana msy robe TO hide cor
rupiOul Ii is FATHER the painter who degrades his art
than which deerade- the painter What warrant
FOL tie assertion thar when ma ~ spren"y
absorbed In Il u art ne degraded nv y Where are
the facts 10 substanate such statcmentf Dcyo ting
nv lie to study fail 10 comprehend tue lnn'r'rt
degradation of art Men often supremely absorbed
N art but they tue who degrade II or are
degraded by it, l. "degrddet good word 10 applV 10
Michael Angelo AilstOnl Dr Holland
saws cannot conserve and develop nations NO. re,
feTring 10 Greece and Rome Tor an liusiiatOn Du
their OrdtOry. their learning their PHILOSOPHERS save
theml Theirs was ripe civilization and dropped on
because II was ripe In see KING conserving lhhea1S
or element, snail we look for them save IN old
nations, those most enduring We may seek theih III
the Orient wien emma and Japan, In many matters O
art can reacn the world" "They knew ittle nothing
of science, says the Doctor they had no machinery
their literature was childish; thty were ponhi up III
their own sell concet" "a quality fortunately quite
alen to Western habits or thoug"O-and they
the Oldest OF nations III Is presuhpuous 10 assert
fhat tue normal development Of any faculty is degrad
ing. faculty may be nisused or abused Out no more
the case OF an a. faculty. IMAM IN otheIs ahdt the
Doctor would probably choose a. conserving lhnhnces
Reverence III one instance ~ d"lafy IN thr oihci. Nhat
are tuc great and vltalites that most coroeru
mankind -! verify Is truth, aud tr true nss Oh o
art To reveal truths Form, couignraton coor' con
strucilon-all tGe dhlhty secret. iu dElros q" P's'
ncnt inventions of TINT Ia excite the Hnigl-
tine im' gina"n ot course beihg an luato
accident lh tbc rc"h'' ol th' sou uSa,c PIo",
internal harmony Hud external beuy-thrse constitute
art" This, TO me- - li1hc lhc"hrr"t bht - !oera
bly, comprehensive, ana seems to lncIndc some NtH
ics and vtulItlts"; internal harnOnes, for lnslhhc
Tnerc is an elasticity about that phrase that might
uutl,r possible conditions, appa even s author Again,
'art ~ simpy carrier OF divine tnlngs" Let II, be
Thankful for small iayors. 1t Is something To be cup
bearer the gods Fualy, "h Is amply not the si-
preme thing." Wei! NO; suppose 1t 10 no., bn Euih
IS ard art repeat is devoted 10 the exposition of
WA Washington, D. C., Dee. %. 1873.