The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-06-28

study of many things, rather that to
the thorough mastery OF a few-these
facts may be sufficient to account fol
our intellectual vassalage.
But not in leadership or in the
higher branches of literature only do
we find these facts to exist-in some
of the most ordinary fields of literary
labor there is contrast between
American and English methods which
is very notable. Take, for illustra
tion, What may be called reform liter.
atnre-writings aiming to enforce
ideas of life and conduct, or devoted
to the criticism of social customs. In
English productions of this class,
there are commonly 2ood sense and
wise moderation, a discretion and
wisdom, which we are far from find.
ing among American writer's on the
same subjects.
AS an admirable instance of Eng.
lish taste in this direction, we may
cite Hamerton's recently published
volume, entitled "Intellectual Life
The purpose of this volume is to
consider the possibilities Of salts
factory intellectual life, under vari-
GUS conditions Of ordinary human ex.
istence and, by Intellectual life, th>
author means not simply erudition or
accomplishment, but sort of virtue
which delights in vigorous and beau
tiful thinking, a state of mind which
seeks earnestly for the highest and
purest truth. This volume is full: of
refreshing common sense-not that
sort of common sence which consists
Of platitudes, but that which comes of
a close analysis, keen discernnent,
wise balancing of argument and con-
ditions, large sympathy, and pene.
trating insight. he book is alway
original, and always supremely sane.
it breaches no crusade; it is an ad
vocate of no theories: it has no
"'isms.' The most conservative man
in the world would find pleasures in
it, AID the most advanced thinker
would discover fresh suggestions.
How would such book be written
in America If we have a right to
judge by what has been done and is
doing in our literature Of this class,
We may safely assume that the Amer.
lean author would have made it po-
lemical, would have filed it with a
hundred wild theories, would have
tiercelv denounced all existing iusti
tutions and advocated host of ex.
perimental ones as substitutes, would
nave had an ism" as a panacea for
every known social evil, would, in
brief, have been hotly revolutionary,
and emptied his performance Of pret.
ty nearly every condition Of sanity.
discretion, or largeness Of knowledge
Would all American writer's have
done so? We answer by asking
what American writer on these topics
is there who has not done so [? Alb
solutely, in the whole domain of So
cial economy, we have been cursed
-or amused-by a set of writer's
who have begun their tasks by first
eliminating human nature from theil
theories, and then by casting ou,
common sense from their brains
There is no such thing, in all ou1
literature, as judicial breadth or wise
discernment in the treatment of so
cial matters-when social matter.
are specially the topics of thu
writer's. There are, of course, not :
few admirable and wise incidenta
touches scattered through our liter
ature hut those who make habit!
and conditions of life their theme
are, almost invariably, warm and big
oted extremists. An American woult
seem to be nothing unless fanatica'
Because convention in some thing
may be reformed, convention is a
once assumed as vicious in all it.
forms. Because there are errors o
taste in dress, all that the world ha.
established in the principles of ,.res'
must be revolutionized. Becaus,
there are excesses in the indulgence
Of The palate, all the dishes that hav,
the sanction of time, and all the Gus
toms of the table, are denounced
Whoever, with US, enters literature
as reformer, seems to be special,
endowed with narrowness whateve
is crude, or half known. or specious
or undetermined in the philosoph,
Of by giene, medicine. work, dress
Occupation, food, drink, social habits
whatever has no foundation in th