The new North-west., 1882-12-15
THE NEW AR,srocRAcY OF CULTURE.


London Spectator.
We see grave reasons for apprehendlng that
the new aristocracy Of culture which Is grow
Ing up among us, aud Is asserting Ito tight to
position with 80 much energy and SUCCESS
that II half appalis and half attracts the aris-
sccracy Of birth and wealth, will not for
long time to come be very liberal In senti-
uent, whsthsr In the party sense or In that
larger sense which the word originally bore.
/. 10 getting very separate from the mass, to
begin with. ing 10 less explicable or
moro certain than that the rapid spread Of .
ponr kind of education has percsptibly deep
ened the chasm between the cultivated and
uncullivaied, and inclined the former TO in-
sist = little more upon their intellectual
rank, to recoil . little more from opinions
held commonly or BY great masses Of men.
Not only are the cultivated less moved by
general opinion, but they dislike II more, and
are more inclined to "analyze" those who
hold II, and to pronounce them very stupid,
very dense and eminsnlly very disagreeabe
perssns. We note that tendency distinctly
In Matthew Arnold, the drift being accentu-
sisd In his case by his habitual and instruct
i've kindliness, while IN his followers II be-
comes definite note Of thought. Separation
impars liberality Of feeling by impairing
sympathy, for We never sympathize keenly
with those from whom we feel All excessive
distance. The wsrmsst advocate Of justice
so animals fnds himself overtaxrd in his ef-
folt to feel much for fish, unless they are
highly organized enough to wriths or To
bleed like mammals; aud the difficulty exists
Ia = lesser degree ss between classes Of men.
II does not do for the mind to dwell strongly
OH ths stupidity of the dim millions. Th~ss
who do 50, end by sscribing their suf-rings
to that very stupidity, that is, 70 Inherent,
instead of removable, causes. f.
The tendency to physical refinement,
again, or estheticism, 20 marked among tie
cultivated Of to-day as to have become a !.
most new cult, deepens the chasm by In.
Producing sense Of disgust for Dirt, dreari-
meas and squalor, which, when INDUCED,
| speedily develops into contempt. II 10 dith-
cult, though NO, impossible, for Morris dis
ciples 10 feel for the "unwashsd," who de
not know what . "brutality Of color" call
mean. Then the democratic movement has
undouh,ly produced IS much recoil among
the cultivated ~ among the rich. The for
mer are not afraid tor their intellectual
treasures, which 10 demagogue, however
powerful, can taks away from thsm; but they
are afraid for their influence, which, great IN
sscis,y, Is, they sec, Ssry weak among the
vast, almost comic, semi. blind political force.
now IN motion. 1t Is very disagreeable 10 ,
man who knows, say, much Of oil oranchs'
Of Egyptology, ancient aud modern, TO ST.
that the fste Of Egypt will be settled by mil
lions Of voters who, but that Egypt is"a Bi
bi. country" would not know where Egyp
was, aud. even when they know that, fame,
the minute Delta broad, grand land, as In,
portant ~ France. He does not love th
voters more for their new power, but lest
aud is inclined to repudiate their demandi
which, being instinctive, are often right, bt
, cause Of the limit of their knowledge. TIL
tendency Of cultivated Americans TO sneer
, philanthropy - = huge "ism" Is very NJ
ticeable, and l. repeating Itself both here n,
upon the Continent. Philanthropisls n
liberals BY instinct, for they detsst the pas
with Its history Of wrong and suffering; Al
Il We should say that, while impatience VI Vi
ibie cruelty increases, true philanthropy do