Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-10
MATHEW ARNOLD on AMERICAN CIV
uIZaTIoN.

a paper on American civilization which |
deserves very thoughtful consideration. 1t
Is called forth by an attack on MIR. Arnold |
because of some supposed structures upon
the United States. In his happiest man.
ner he proceeds TO show, first, that ne
really did not say what was attributed to
him; second, that If he had said it there
would have been no difficulty IN estab-
fishing its truth; third, that notwith-
standing much boasting, the level OF Amer
lean civilization is very low. Now it must
be borne in mind, as precautionary con-
sideration, that Mr.. Arnold has criticised
England without the least mercy that ne
has described her as country in which
the upper class is barbarons, the middle
class vulgar, and the lower class brutal.
From critic who speaks thus OF his own
countrymen we cannot expect anything IN
the nature of hattery, and we may well
give him credit for impartiality, and even
when his conclusions are palpably errone-
GUS, for desire to get at the truth. A
Boston journal, while admitting that Amer
lean civilization is deficient in many re-
spscts, nevertheless asserted that if Mr.
Arnold should ever visit the United States
he would find " in the smaller cities OF the
"inte-ior, in the northern, middle and
southeastern States, an elegant and sim.
pile social order, as entirely unknown il
England, Germany or Italy as the pri-
"vate life Of the dukes or princes OF the
"blood is unknown in America" Mr..
Arnold does not deny that this may be SO,
but he ventures to suggest that the Boston
Journal has unconsciously exaggerated the
extent and importance of this elegant
"and simple social order, and he bases
| this exaggeration upon the apparent alb
sence of anything indicative OF even me-
dunn degree of culture in the life of the
masses of the American people.
Perhaps it may be said that the civiliza.
ton of far.off province like California can
afford no criterion that it is merely an
example of the lowest stages of Ameri-
can culture; and that We must 90 to the
longest settled States on the Atlantic sea.
board to find what the Boston journal
speaks Of. But it is indisputable that if
in any part of the country an influential
class of the kind referred to really existed,
or if, as our Boston journalist alleges, such
class were diffused through the nation, it
would produce very decided and unmistak-
able effects. And such effects are wanting.
The signs and tokens OF American civiliza-
ton at Boston are in all essentials identical
with the signs and tokens of civilization at
San Francisco The things after which
Americans seek are everywhere the same
The uses to which education is put are
everywhere the same. And, speaking
generally, the tone of what is called Guilt
waited society is the same. Nor does in
quiry seem to warrant the employ.
ment of high standard wherewith to
measure this prevailing civilization. The
Boston journal above spoken of tells Mr..
Arnold that everywhere in the United
States are to be found groups of people
of good taste, good manners, good educa.
"tion and of self-respect, peers of any
"people in the world. Such people read the
best books, they interpret the best music,
"they are interested In themes world
"wide, and they meet each other with
.'that mutual courtesy and self.respect
(which belong to men and women who
"are sure of their footing" Doubtless
there are such groups, but what Mr.. Ar
mold contends is that they are the excep-
tions, and that they have not as yet
leavened the lump of American vulgarity
and barbarian.
The question is, whether this is the cor.
rect conclusion. Mr.. Arnold believes that
we are for the most part Philistines, and
we are obliged to say that we think he is
right. For, if we enter the memorable
Temple of Truth, where it is impossible
to avoid telling out the thing that is,
without any evasion or equiyocation, we
must acknowledge that there is lamenta-
Bile absence of sweetness and light in our
civilization. The pursuit of wealth in its
most sordid forms constitutes the absorbing
occupation of our men. The pursuit of
pleasure in its most frivolous and unintel-
lectual forms constitutes tine absorbing oc.
cupation Of our women. We are speaking
now Of the prosperous class; of those, that
is to say, who, having acquired the means
of subsistence, may be expected to utilize
their leisure for higher aims, if the desire
for better things be with them. Now it is
certain that in America there is larger
percentage of people who possess compe-
tence, than can be found in any other
country; but there is not larger percent
age of cultured people. Our rich men for
the most part never recognize in themselves
any higher life. They go on accommodating
money in gross and vulgar way; they
spend profusely upon sort of barbarous
splendor of ostentation they occasionally
endow educational institutions or academies
of science or art galleries but it cannot
be said that they do much to further the
humane life. Nor does our middle class do
more. The American publisher thinks
himself exceptionally fortunate if OF the
very best books he can sell an edition of
10000 copies and this in nation of
so, 600, 600 souls. That is a gauge of the
literary taste of the country which proves
great deal.
1t must be confessed that our society is
generally shallow, frivolous, unintellectual,
occupied with scandal and gossip, indifer.