The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-05-28


| quoted by Mr.. ARNOLD are incorrect. There
is grotesque extravaganza for instance, in
the declaration Of tho Nation which says in
effect that there are not 500 men in the
United States who change their linen more
than once week or eat with fork. We
| should incline to place at least 100000 In that
interesting category. Every traveller knows
that the use OF the knife for conveying food
to the mouth is more prevalent In Germany
and Austria than In the United States. As
to the assertion Of the American man OF
science" touching the proportion of our
people who accept the Genesis account
OF creation as literally true, this
seems to us equally i'll founded. AS
regards the relative ascendancy Of re-
ligious dogmatism and intolerance in the
two countries, II will probably suffice to con-
trast the expulsion Of Mr.. BRADLAUGH from
the House Of Commons with the fact that
the free-thinking THOMAS JEFFERSON was
twice elected President of the United States.
We submit, also, that Mr.. LOWELL goes too
far in his admissions when he calls us "the
least cultivated people in the world" Ac-
knowledging that in science, literature, and
art we are still behind the Germans the
French, and the English, we have certainly
much higher claims to scientific and literary
distinction than contemporary Spain, Portu-
gal, or Russia, and strong reasons might be
urged for asserting superiority to Holland
and even Italy.
But while 1t is not worth while to exagger-
ate the facts relating to the quality Of our
civilization, 1t seems to us that the right at
titude for Americans is one OF resolute 10y
,lt &c, n a, hot cot
forth by Mr.. ARNOLD. The most fundamental
Of economic facts, the necessity Of earning
ones daily bread by the sweat Of the brow,
must long bar the ascent of the mass Of hui
manity to those pinnacles VI lucidity and
deleetation wherein the apostles of high cul-
ture love to dwell. There is, after all, but a
fraction of nations earnings applicable to
the purpose OF education, and n free people
should consciously decide whether this sur
plus shall be devoted to universal diffusion
OF u moderate amount Of mental training, or
to the perfecting of individuals and the
achievement OF master works in litera-
ture and art. 1t may be said that
the two aims are economically incom-
patible; and 1t Is certain that, historically,
they have never been conjoined. For what
are the epochs OF the worlds history which
to Mr.. ARNOLD and his fellow missionaries
seem the most inspiring and radiant in ret
respect The age of PERIcLEs in Athens,
the age of the ANToNINEs in Rome the Italian
Renaissance, and the age ofLoUIs XIV. and
LOUIS Xv.in France. Now, American citizens
have learned to look at the converse side of
those brilliant pictures. They know that twas
a small body Of 10000 citizens for whom such
great sums were lavished on the Acropolis
and on the Attic theatre, for whom PERICLEs
planned and spoke, SOCRATES reasoned,
SoPHoCLEs wrote, and PHIDIAs carved. They
know that the 100000 slaves. as white as
their masters, who dwelt at the same period
within the walls Of Athens had no more part
and lot in all that sweetness and
beauty than their comrades in servitude who
were toiling In the silver mines ut Laurium
or straining at tho triremc's oar. They have
looked behind the luxury ard refinement of
high Roman society in the golden days OF
the empire, and they see that while on the
one hand the mansions Of patricians were
stored with the masterpieces OF Hellenic art
and letters, and MARCUS AURELIUs traced
with the same stylus an imperial rescript
ald his meditations on the Stole philosophy,
Oh the other the Latin and the Samnte yeo-
| men HAD persisted, and countless gangs of
white slaves were delving and starving in
chains amid the wealth OF Italy They
believe that the glories OF Italian art
and literature In the fifteenth and six
tenth centuries were dearly purchased by
the misery and squalor of the humble millions,
and that the vast contributions forwarded
from every part Of Christendom and sQuan-
dered on st. Peters by the vicar Of CHRIST
might have been more sagely and piouSly
| devoted to the succor OF the roohess and the
hungry who throngcd the streets OF Rome.
AS for the intellectual and artistic triumphs
OF the classical age Of France, they were
| bought by the sweat and blood Of the masses,
| who were glad to sleep upon the ground and
to eat the weeds Of the wayside; and the
revolution of 'S9 pronounced conclusive
judgment on the wisdom Of the investment.
We have profited by these lessons, and in
America, at al events, we mean to have no
proletariat. And IT, in liftingl the toiling and
disinherited masses to that level OF intei-
gence and virtue which Mr.. MATTHEW AR
MOLD describes as middle class, we must
give up the graces and the projections which
heretofore have been inseparable from aris-
tocracies, we shall cheerfully make the sacri-
flee. We had occasion just now to disagree
with Mr.. LOWELL touching a minor point,
but we heartily concur with him in thinking
it the highest act of republic to make men
OF flesh and blood and not the marble ideals
OF such" And we differ from Mr.. ARNOLD,
because it is not certain that the improve
ment of humanity, collectively, is entirely
incompatible with the exquisite development
OF Individuals; nor are we disposed to
weaken our grasp upon the former object by
pert and vain divergences toward the lesser
aim.
A Suspended Law.