New-York tribune., 1882-08-15
AMERICAN SOCIETY AND ITS CRITICS..
AN UNPREJUDICED DEFENCE.
From The London Spectator.

From the L0n0o1 spectator.
If MIR Lowell has any spare time. between the
kindness of his English friends and the abuse of
his Irish compati lots, he can hardly devote IL TO
better purpose than to write another essay like his
famous one 1" On a Certain COndescenSlOn III For
eIgners." Someone, at any rate, must step forward
TO viudicate American Society from the charges
which have been brought against 1t during tht
past few months. IL If not often that call has
10 be made for volunteers to defend anything
American; the power OF prompt repartee and the
desire to use il are supposed to be special Trans
atlantic cbaraterntics II is now, however three
months since Mr. Matthew Arnold's brilliant
sword About America appeared in The Nineteenth
Century, and not single voice has come across 10
us In reply. The subject arose first out OF the or
portunties for severe criticism OF America which
afforded by the dsgraceiul Gulteau trial
opportunities that seized by every newspaper
III England. Then came Mr.. Arnolds article mat
was followed by the success of the American novel
Democracy exhibiting the political corruption
at Washington: and in July two magazine articles
kept the ball rolling,-oue a review of Delnoc
racy." in The FortHtghtty; the other, long account
of American Society Ill American Fiction" III Ire
EdiHburqk BeriU.
Mr.. Arnolds article is brilliant. but unfair, and
in its origin recalls the fable of the Frogs seeking
King" When discoursing of civilization and
democracy, ii has been hls custom to draw his fav
orabe illustrations from France. For this custom
he tells us. he has been rcproached by certain
American correspondents, who ask why he does not
come to them for the illustration of bis theories
why he does not avail himself OF the one great re
publican nation of the earth. His attitude toward
this inquiry for a long time that OF King Log
toward the frogS-he took no notice OF It; he has
now auOptcu lHe IOIe Oi mig fotOl anu III IoPlS
10 the gracious invitation OF these American
writers, he has proceeded TO show them that their
civilization falls far short of what is necessary to
illustrate his theores.-has devouIed them, as il
wefe. AS might expect, his attack is much
more trenchant than the ordinary Outcry against
American vulgarism, and calls ior very adrOit
aud extended reply, il, indeed of il admits of
reply at all. IL matters little to him I'll at America
can show much larger proportion of perso MS who
have oil the necessarles aud some OF the uXuTes of
life than any other nation; he promptly admits
that collective humanity has there a chance of
aObler development than elsewhere; he is even
only slightly disturbed by blr. brlghCs gorgeous
euOQy of the American middle class. WITH the
old tricks of fence he seeks TO show that America
does not exhibit in a sufficient degree the ideal OF
ge,l-being of civilization, of humaDizatlon" Into
this mysterious field of social metaphysics we DO
not propose To enter; as we have said, lot Mr.
Lowell whose hand is as light and whose blade IS
rs keen as Mr. Arnolds, do battle for his own land.
Since however, we have waited in VAIN Tor better
champion. there are Il few points Of unfairness TO
which we must call attention We purpOsely pass
over Mr. Arnolds habtual literary maneuyre In
ringing the changes GU a few apt quotations.; his
masking of his ideas under the indistlnct PERSONAL
lies OF Striker. Murdstone and QuiniOn; and his
threadbare, but apparently Indispensable treat
nent of the questions of Nonconformlty aud
Dir. Lowell will doubtless avail himself, should he
honor us by following our suggestion.
With an entire super1uity of confidence, Mr..
Arnold informs us that he has never been in
America and it is TO this lack that several of his
mistakes are to be traced. In the first place. he
In common with the writer in The Edinburgh ReUieic
accepts the novels of Mr.. Henry James as trust
worthy accounts of American society. But MIR.
James has been wittily defined as an Englishman