New-York tribune., 1884-01-16

hospitality will always be remembered, W99lu' n,n
sure he included bv Mr.. Matthew Arnold III " tho
remnant y unon which he was maudibly eloquent IN
his first New-Y York lecture-the SAT- Wrnoh ~ w
purify American society, the examples OF sWccunGss IT,
dpgencrafe western world But whether writer's
like MIR White misunderstood and mlsrepresent
Enuish society. whether we are as black as we
are painted. British eqnanimty Will probably re-
main unshaken. In either case u is certain iHat tIio
English are not popular IN the OmItH nlaTIH'
ALI hough there IN far more trlendly lecihS uo-
tween the two nations than existed some years leo.
This IL most evident IN the Eastern towns sHGn DIS
Boston and New York, where the imitation 0i o. H.s, .
lsh manners and amuscments has become LOT tlo
There is no reason why the English should be
popular in America. They are almost the mos uto
agreeable race cXtant ana are oItcI @ ycent
each other; nor is there any part oI Euop p d1ikdd
perhaps Hungary where they are not more uslihodd usd
than IN the United States. IL Is I1u'ou
probable that the Americans are. intrnSicalyy, as
dsaCrceable as ourselves; for although on i Vlie
tincnt of Europe they are comparatively PoPui,H''
th : il probabV because they are less khoWh' NJ al
nually II ght of pork-packcTs anu suG;I;s 20
trgdeSmen cross the Atlantic. with their fanliles, TO
comnlrtc an education which has III realty noI
beouin bv a contemplation of Parls holcIs anu
Rhine steamboats,: But the american p5IT o;cnd
chant is silent in the presence oil ms p
WI fc md daughters: and the complete party HS
tine though it be- is infinitely prclclapic. to vmo
swarm of London shop-boys WIN mn iii fi,
whose uproarous felicity makes hlde9nS an i1ro'gm m
resorts IN the near neqhbOrhOod of England. IN
the continental dislike of England IS an element Oh
jealousy and suspicion, IN when Amerlca . mas Iuu
part we have fought and bullled IN every quarter
Of The world and to-day we stand with crossed
swords with Russia in Central ASA ana ArlltiiIIti ii
with France in China and Egypt. Eight hundred
wears of victoTy-fOr the English never own deltat
has left much soreness on every side WINE lHc
too fortunate Yankee navyoss anu army N ftmre 10
enemy but merely as the welcome Tictlm oI li,slA
shopkeepers. If America were as closely conl9ctcu
with Europe as is England, her citizens wouIu Do as
much disliked as Emglishmcn. lie Two hatlons,
however diverse their special characterls'ics may
appear to superficial observer are cur,ousIy alkc;
rp
German or scandinavian or Irish emigration WIN
which they have never mingled Lhey are now;
and will remain. Engshmen IN thouGht; genius ana
weaknesscs-the physical typo modified by an nm
congenial climate mostly i'll extremes, the com
meTcial spirit intensified by unrvallcd opportunities
for its successful employment, ana tne hatloual .I
genius for mechanical invention developed ny the
high wages of labor precisely as the monkey de-
velOped prehenslle TAN
TIE LOVE OF BIG THINGS
Another English characteristic, strongly de-
veloped and even grotesquely carlcatuTed III Amer
lea is the love of big things which Is, a1tcf all a
failing AKIN to virtue and which will guide America
into fair pastures when adversely ana MI' ;sta
Arnold shall have chastened and purified fhlllstia'
AT present Americans are satisfied with things oe-
cause they large; and if not large they mus1 h
have cost great deal Of money. One evening at the
Madison Square Theatre. an American observed 70
me That is the most expensive drop-scehe III lhe
world" 1t was gloriied curtain 9d
mIaht instly have been claimed as the most Deaut-
full drop-scene in the world; but this was not me
urinary idea in the Yankee lllllu lIc wv u houS'S
most beautiful architecturally IN Mlclnlgan-aNe.
at Chicago were shown to me as ndOllar
houses. horse is not praised Tor ms points Out as
having cost many thousand dollars; % man. VINO
certainly may possess other vrtue, as owning 40
many millions. The habit OF making size reason
for admiration Is less Jarrlng to an sduSatea laste
than that Of making money the standard OF beauty
The Metropolitan Opera House al, New York.
which has been opened this season. IS the latest IL
mstraiion of the American love OF bIg things De-
cause they are big. This theatre s said to he the
largest in the world, and was built by wealthy New
Workers who were unable to buy boxes at the
original Opera House. as Their pToprleiOrs did ho'
think fit to die Vacate as quickly as the aSprantS
made money. The result has been the present
honse. in which may he nightly seen the miserable
and unmuSical milliOnnalrcs, from Nanderbilt ike
royalty, in the centre, to ay GOnld IN me dtplh OF
his stage box. like financial spider waltn TO suck
the blood of new victim telgnng pleasure lhey
do not feel, applaudIng with consistent ghoIdnce'
ut the wrong time ana III the wrong piace a sIiii-
lar scene of anguish was surveyed by SATAN Wheh
in Millions song. he rose from the heTy mari ana
addressed his peers. The new house cannot he com,
pared with those Of Paris Vienna. Moscow ana
London which have all and each Their special !
charm Its architect visited Europe, and GaIeinliy
coorted for reproduction everything that he cOuld
find ugly or incOnvenient, and then built the
largest the mcane>t, the most Ill arranged opera
house the worst for sight and sonnd to he f"nnd IN
the world York. whose opelH-going society IL
hardly twentieth of that of London IN the season.
cannot support two opera houses and on the SIX or
seven occasions that have been III the new house
it was half empty. But the love OF big things has
been gratifed, although the interests Ol music ana
the pu6c have been SacrIhced
Lord C0lcTidge. in his speech at the Academy OF |
Music in New York said "The first quest On that
is almost always put to me IS whether was not
amazingly struck by the vast SIZE OF the country:
1t was not size that particularly impressed me. II |
size were to be regarded, should say that small
ness rather than blgnes> should be insisted on. Men
are great in proportion to their natural adVantageS
What of the size of your country lou dld not
make It. 1t is not SIZE but products that are 10 he
looked to-" THIS argument does not commend IT.
self to the American mind which bnt slowly con-
cedes that pound of dynamite may be more cncr-
ectic than a barrel of gunpowder, and drop OF
prussic acid than pint OF castOT-Oll.
Although the Lord ChIef-Justce on this occasion !
indulgcd his American friends with little playful
satire he was not position TO ,e Ie cnrt 1c n%Ih %f th
American bar. and no Eugllshman IN recent years
has received in the States more cordial OF gcnc ps
welcome. The high rank and reputation OF the
Chef-Justice, his unblcm'shed character ana the
literary distinction connected with his name, COM
blncd with his fine presence ana cuuriIy manners
impressed and charmed American society. IFS |
progress from city % city was almost tllumphal,
and his opinion of his hosts and Their country a.
expressed IN his speeches was doubtless heartfelt
and sincere. Guests and hosts were mutually
gratiled. 1t may, however, he questioned whether
il altogether consistent with the dignity OF The
Chief Justice OF England is be carried about America
Ike Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth a an adj
vertsement of the glory of that remarkable coun-
try. Better the dinner OF herbs with freedom, th3n
tcl1apin and cauvas-baCk ducks with servItudc. |
And il must be admitted that full expression of
opinion and indulgence OF the critical or Judlcial
snrit were impossible in these frequent banqucts
and receptions 1t is not after dining with friend
that We can best crticse the arrangement of his
house or the manners of his family. 1t Is true that
honest criticism was neither expected nor desired,
for the Americans rcSemble-and herein they are
very sensible peoplc-thOse authors described by
Oliver W. Holmes, who when they ask for your
criticism expect your praise, and Will not be salts
fed with anything else.
LORD COLERIDGE's ExTRAvAGANCE.
A Chcf-Justice should only speak from the bench, |
where his words carry the force and weight which |
is rightly accorded to deliberate Judgment wisely |
nd
tnc glorious dust of the arena or the applause of
the crowd; the falsencss of open compliment, the |
insnccrity of unSpOken blame His language |
should be judicial he should be silent. Now, !
L..... L..L tL.. nlIlLLu of