New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-14

themselves developing it is said, class of very
rich people quite sufficiently materializcd America
has not our large and unique class of gentlemen.
something OF II they have. OF course but 1t not by
any manner Of means the scale there as here
Acting by itself and untrammeiled, our English class
OF gentlemen has eminent merits; our rule in India
OF winch we may well be proud - in great measure
us work But IN presence OF great force OF Bar
barIan power, as IN this country in presence of
a great force of PhilistiDIsm. class OF gentle
men, rs we know. has not much faith and ardor il
somewhat bounded and Ineffective is not much az
u CIVILIZED force Tor the nation at large not much
more perhaps, than tho few rather c yil,zed In
divlduals" in America, who, according our Boston
informant, go hopping backward and forward
over the Atlantic" Perhaps America, with her
needs. has no very great loss IN nos having our
special class OF gentlemen. without this class and
without the pressure and false ideal OF our Bar.
baTians, the Americans have, like ourselves the
sense for conduct and religion they have Industry
and they have liberty; they have too over and
above what we have they have an excellent thing
equality But We have seenTeason for thinking that
as we in England, W It'll our arstocracy. gentlemen
liberty, Industry, religion and sense for conduct
have the civilization of the most important part az
our people the immense middle class, impaired by
detective type OF religion narrow range of intel.
lect and knowledge, "A stunted sense OF beauty n
low standard OF manners; so IN America too
where this class is yet more important and all-Der
vading than it is here, civilization snliers in the
like way. With people of Our stock IL could nor
indeed, well be otherwise. long as this people can
he truly described as the most common-scnooed
and least cultivated people in the world"
The real cultivation OF the people of the United
states as OF the English middle class, has been in
and by its religion, its one thing needfnL" But
the insniicency of tins religion is now every day
becoming more manifest. Ii deals, indeed, with
personages and words which have an indestructibls
and IueXhaustble truth and salutarinrss; but n ia
rooted and grounded in preternaturaism 1t can
receive those persOnages and those words only on
conditions OF preternatuTalism, and a religion of
preternaturallSm Is doomed whether with OF with
out the battle OF Armageddon for which Lora Sails
bury spreparng-to vltable dissolution. Fidelity
To cOnsclencel cries the popular Professionalism
of Great Britain and America, and thinks that il
has said enough. But the modern analysis relent-
lessly scrutinlZes this conscience, and compes to
give account of itself What sort of "A con-
science a true conscience or false one Con
science is the most changing of rnes; conscience il
presumptuOus IN the strong tlmld IN the weak and
unhappy, waverlng in the undecided; Obeiient
organ of the sentiment which sways us and Of the
opinions which govern us more misleading than
reason and nature" SO says one OF the nobest ana
purest of mOralists, Nauvenafgues and terrible
it may be 10 the popular PIOtestantism Of England
and OF America To near IT. 'auNehargnes thns de-
scdbes with perfect truth that conscience to when
popular Professionalism appeals as Its supposed I'M
shakeable ground o. reliance.
A LARGER CULTIVATION NEEDED.
And now, having up to this point neglected all
the arts of the cOnlrOyersalss. having merely made
Inquiries OF American friends to the real state
OF their civilization, inquiries which they are free
10 ans wer in their own favor if they like. am gong
to leave the advantage with them to the end They
kindly offered me the example OF their civilization
as a help TO mend ours aud |, not with any VAIN
Angclsn. for | own our insular civilization 10 be
very unsatisfactory, but from desire to get at the
truth and not deceive myself with hopes OF help
from quarter where at present there Is none 10 DO
found, baVe inquired whether the Americans realty
think on looking into the matter, that their CIV
ization is much more satstatOry than ours. Aud
In case they should come TO the conclusion, after
due thought, that neither the one civilization nor
the other Is la satisfactory state let me end by
propOunding a remedy which really II Is heroic IN
ma Tn DpODlp bored n
say by me with II, and every time mention lt
make new enemies and diminish the small numbel
of friends that | have now. Still, | cannot help
asking whether the defects of American CIVILIZATION
il 1t is defective, may not probably be connected
with the American peoples being, as Mr. Lowell
SAYS, the most cOmmOn-schoOled and the least
cultivated people in the world" higher, larger
cultivation, finer ncidlty, Is what Is needed. Inc
friends of civilization, instead of hopping back
ward and fOrw ard the Atlantic should stay at
home a while, and dc their best to make the al
ministratOn. the tribunals the theatres, the arts
ID each State, to make them become visible Ideals
to raise purge and ennObe the pubic sentiment
Though they NAV be few in number, the friends OF
civilization will find. probably, that by serlous
apOstolate of this kind they can accomplish g0ol
deal But the really fruitful reform to be looked
for in America, far as l can Judge, Is the very
same reform which is so urgently required here-a
reform of secondary instruction. The primary ana
common schools of America we all know ther
praise is in eveTyone's mouth About superior or
University instruction one need not be uneasy, 10
excites SO much ambition, is 80 much IN view ana
is required by comparatively so small number.
An institution like Harvard probably all that one
conld desire. But really good secondary schools to
form due proportion OF the youth OF America
from the age of twelve to the age OF eighteen, aud
then every year to throw a supply of them, thus
form ed. into circulatlon-this is what America, l
believe, wants, also want IT, and what she
possesses no more than do. | know she hts
higher schools | know their programme: Latin,
Greek, German. French, Surveying Chemistry,
Astrology, Natural History. Mental Philosophy,
Constitution. bookkeeping. rrigonometry, etc.
Alas to quote Vauvenargues again: On ne corrfgrdl
jlindis les hOmmes ddppreRdre des chooses m1tes"
But good secondary schools not with the pro-
gIamme of our classical ana commercial academies.
but with "A serious Programmed programme
really suited to the and capacities of those who
are TO be tIained-thls. repeat, is what American
civilization in my belief most requires, as 1t IS
what our civilization. too. al present most requires.
The special present defects of both American civlll-
cation and the kind of defects for which
this is a natural remedy | commend It 10 the at
tention of my friendly Boston critic in America;
and some months hence, perhaps. hen Nr. Bar
mum begins TO require less space for his chronicles
of Jumbo my critic Will tell what he thinks
CT it.