New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21
FAULTS AND MATIHEW
ARNOLDSS CRITICISMS
From NE Roston Transcrfpt.

JOStOH
Europe holds the relation of leader and teacher
to the United states IN all the more difficult aud
finished lines of culture. But we have held man
fully 90 doctrine OF giving every body MOUTH
full of education, although we could furnish ono
satisfactory meal. Hence the mediocre character
of IDEALS and achievements Responsibility
and Intelligence. the natural ideals OF a social and
political democracy. have been the limits Of our
higher aspiration. Our civil freedom mas been
our fundamental condition for all sorts OF Develop
ment, and We have expected human interests TO ex-
pand beneath it AZ beneath a spring sun. But
human nature produces only after IT'S KIND and
instead of a swift and luxurant generation OF
leaders in science higher literature and art, we arc
Inundated at seeing how little OF these things we
furnish for home consumption, and how small Is
the foreign demand for Our intellectual wares:
In fact, We may az well admit. without grim3ce,
that we have hitherto served workshop and
granary foI be rest OF the world. This function
has been altogether respectable, but IL has not
been the highest. We are Just learning the super-
hcaty of most of our attempts at higher things.
The artistic, scientific and intellectual tendencies
which give leadership exist IN us only potentially.
In order TO rIpen into instincts whereby We may
produce poets artists and men of science spontane-
0usly and easily, every one of these nascent ten
denotes must be persevernglY nonrshed. We nave
hitherto excused ourselves Cd the plea Of lack OF
time. Our self-cOmplacency has not allowed the
admission OF a lack of natural capacity. Bat Mr:
Arnold brings his historic lens TO bear upon Us, and
we, too, looking through II, begin 10 see ourselves
others We begin to be ashamed OF our
noisy INSTRUMENTATION. The heights have
yet TO climb look infinitely sleeper than those We
have already assembled. Regarding our national
attachments In all candor. We shall have 10 say
that Russ a, state whose redemption fr in AsatIo
semi-barbarIsm began only one hundred and nifty
Years ago, has already accom- pllshed much as
we in art, in music in pure science, in dramatic
literature and IN fiction. Russia has lew UNIVERSE
ties but those she has quite equal 70 the best or
ours. We count some BOO cole ges most of them
unequal in standard of scholarship to the pTepara-
tory schools of Germany and England. Indeed,
the degree of an American college Is pleasant
Jest the lips of foreigners. Lattery We have
sought TO remedy our Deficiencies IN two ways-by
pean scholars TO fill our proiessorships. nus we
have bought general culture as England has
bought art. The enormous literature that pours
from our printing presses is as marked for super-
ficlaty as for quantity Certainly we are ng
advance and the publishers OF our best magazines
the public taste ctamors for sensation, and the
struggle for life compels publishers TO the accept
ance of much seeond-rate matter.
But the list % our Deficiencies does not close
with our faulty intellectual standards. The stamp
of cOmmOnplaceness Is also upon our s"ciai ana
moral ideals We have nothing answering 10 the
unique class of English gentlemen III whom tine
morals and fine manners hold the close relationship
of cause and effect. We have the principle OF dhu-
sion and community OF rights. But We nave not
the finest things to dlfuse. The prevalent careless
ness IN language, the brusque downrghtne,s of our
manners, our easy commercial morality. our p0lIt-
cal trlckery and bluster the stress We pat upon
clothes and furniture the thousand vulg artes that
we commit without the grace OF repen lance,
all make heavy Indictment ana ought surely TO
checb our sefesteeln. Let Us once for all be irank
with ourselves and confess that cannot auord 10
add thesln of defiance Of good advice to the ress OF
our shortcomings. We have sore need of all our
seriousness and of all intellectual force 10 meet
the problems that lie in our path We can afford TO
spend no energy in disputatOn with so noble
friend and wel-wsher Matthew Arnold. The
remedy when he proposes TO us Is one which our
own good accepts Those Americans VINO
really love the land of their birth Will take mp
the respons bllity of creating and dlhusng high
moral. aesthetic and Intellectual ideals. We muse
shake ourselves awake from the cOntented
materialism which controls Us and we must keep
before our eyes s,methlng apprOxlmatlng Mr..
Arnold's ideal of national culture.