Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-12-01
AMERICA.

The criticisms of the press on Matthew
Arnold vary with the views of the writer's,
but in none is there an approach to an
unkindly spirit. There is some disap-
pointment in his utterances. For in
stance his failure to span the use of our
terse paragraphs called forth humor a
little at his expense. Further, his lee
ture was not up to the mark in the opin-
ions of others. These remarks, though
not captiOus, are somewhat thoughtless.
The scholarly and intelligent Americans
are not strangers to the tendency of MIR.
ArnOld's teachings. Since his fame
passed into recognition, none in England
is better known on this side. His poetry,
with its charming simplicity. was first
placed by us side by side with that of
Russell Lowell, but more airy, though
not without sadness lnclining to a
kind of gentle despair. With us, robust
Of life and unrestrained as the air we
breathe, our instinct brings us abreast
with the spirit of the age. 1t is notable
that our public men fail to size the
breadth of our popular aspirations. We
have long since left behind the conser-
vative spirit. Emerson grew into
favor with our people before his sublime
genius had aroused approval in Europe.
All the leading thinkers of the Old
World are read here through our reviews
and magazines. We are familiar with
their genius, and in that quality our in
terest alone Is lodged. We care very
little what they say of us. Dickens lam
pOOned us in his Martin Chuzzlewit. Be-
fore him Thomas Moore thought us vul-
gar, and doomed to speedy explosion and
dissolution. Madame TrollOpe, too, was
merry over our prudery. We are too
finely tempered and too full of life to
feel hurt at these little spats, which had
been the surprise of the author of David
COpperfeld. We are glad the great
thinkers cross the sea to visit as, either
for money, seeking their leisure, or in
structiOn. We welcome all. America
is the great Wonderland, melting down
all nationalities into a homogeneous
mass, and the good sense of its people
is never offended at what might be said
Of them or their habits. 1t is proof that
freedom with us has her home. That
life, drawing inspiration from the In
finite, elects only what is fit to survive.
1t has no time for trifles. 1t neither
cares for appearances or compliments.
but with conviction all its own, the
priests like Capel, the preachers like
Farrar, the rationaists like Tyndall,
the radicals like Dixie, the agitatOrs
like Parnell, lawyers like Lord Cole
ridge, we welcome all, and If their
labors are to help us to Tighten the loads
of humanity and send it on to upward
planes, we say God speed. Curt or peev-
ish, we are never under any'prOvOcatiOn.
out of humOr, but with big aims, large
purposes, and land opening out to
our civilization on the finest quarter of
the globe, there is nothing limiting the
honest purposes of our fearless people
to bid the world move on. If Arnold is
here, and we feel that he is to inspire US
with nnet thoughts we care little about
his faults. America keys humanity ac-
cording to no standard. It's hopes are to
bless man, and so far there is nothing in
her history to question the honesty OF
her convictions. sq8 INSTRUMENTATION .,a.