Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-12
MATTHEW ARNOLD IN CHICAGO.
That Which Most Impresses Him-An
Assumption of Culture Vanished Over
a Solid Basis of Philistinism.

a Solid Basis of Philistinism.
Mr.. Arnold in the Pan Nall Gazette.
That which most impressed me during
my stay in Chicago, as we'll as in the
other American cities of the larger sort
which / visited, was a certain assump-
tiOn of culture, which, upon close OBJ
servation found to be very specifically
vanished over very solid basis Of Philis-
tinism. This affectatiOn of concern for the
things of the spirit, which may very easily
be seen to be nothing more than an affec-
tation, is chiefly observed in its aesthetic
aspect. OF ethical culture there is hardly
any pretence. From sheer stress OF habit
the members of the clergy dispense from
the pulpit their weekly mOdicum of dilut-
ed moralities, and from sheer force Of
fashion the most respectable classes OF
the population give apparent heed to
what is said to them. But it
would be safe to say that the condition of
the trade in timed meats, or in pork or in
grain has the largest share OF their
thoughts even during the hour of Ostensi-
bic devotion. The inevitable curse of the
money getting spirit is writ large, as it
were, in the action of this population of
half q million souls. 1t is an easy matter
to know the heart of such a community
as this, when its actions are so open TO
the view Of all men. AS an illustration
of the slight extent to which Englishmen
of reputation are generally known in
America, may mention an amusing in
cident which happened in Chicago. l
was cOnversing with an intelligent gen.
tlemen of commercial pursuits, and in the
course of what was said | took occasion
to remark that Mr.. Herbert Spencer had
lately been in America. My friend
seemed little surprised at first. and then
said: sob, yes, he came back from
Europe last summer" | learned upon
further inquiry that reference was made
to a Mr.. Hubbard Spencer, who is Chi
cagO tradesman, engaged, / believe, in
the iron business and who had recently
made a summer trip to Europe. | trust l
may be pardOned if / relate also in con-
nectiOn with this little thing about my
self which / found quite as amusing as
the one just mentioned. / was cOnYers-
ing with a lady who was kind enOugh.tO
tell me that she had read my works and
greatly admired them. / expressed my
qualification at learning that the ideas of
sweetness and light of which / have hum
bly, endeavored to become an exponent
had been so kindly received in this dis
tant place, and ventCred to ask which of
my works she hOnored with her prefer
enNf. a little to my surprise she men,
toned Tom Brown at Rugby and ''The
Light Of Asia"
But to take the matter more seriously, l !
gave myself the pains to ask large num- |
Der of the apparently cultivated people |
with whom l came in contact whether
they had read "Obermann." As the result !
of these inquiries / must state the melan- |
chOly fact that to all but one of those |
questioned the name was wholly uEfa- |
miliar, and this one understood me as re- |
ferring to a gentleman of that name who |
is the proprietor of a chemists shop in |
Chicago. do not know OF any other little !
tod ctr,
which gave me such a sense Of the crude |
ness of American culture. What an |
other alchemy was that of the author Of |
"ObermaHn," than the art practiced by |
the Chicago chemist in his daily dispense |
tions.
During my stay in Chicago, attended |
very pleasant little reception given by |
the Literary Club of that city. l call it |
the Literary Club because that is the !
name by which it is known, and not in |
any way to imply that in so large a city |
as Chicago there is but one society of |
that character. l should judge, indeed, |
that there must be many similar mueller |
of persons who are sufficiently released |
from the demands of the pushing bust |
ness life of the city to be thus drawn |
together by the bond of culture, and as
far as my recollection serves me, the |
greater number of the persons Of literary |
pursuits whom | had the pleasure Of |
meeting were not included among the /
members Of the particular association of /
which L am speaking. This evening /
afforded me curious illustration of that /
combination in the person of the indi- |
uvidual of business ability and cultured 1
tastes which Iiso often had occasion to note /
While in the States. \ pleasant little pa |
per on the subject of Philistinism was read.
and as the subject is one in which | have /
taken some interest, naturally gave it
close attention, for which l felt fully re-
paid. Wishing to learn the profession of /
the gentleman who had SO Intelligently /
handled the subject, l made inquiry of a
friend, who informed me that the essayist
was the owner of a large grocery bust
ness. L learned also upon making further |
inquiry, that, besides members Of the
clergy and of the legal profession, whom
l should naturally expect to find in such
a society as this, there was a very large
element consisting of successful trades
men, such as MERGERS, irOnmOngers and |
packers, which latter term is applied to
dealers in the class of food products de-
rived from the hog.
Chicago society, l should say, although
no one can be more painfully aware than
myself of how inadequate were my Op-
pOrtunities for observation, has Just !
reached that stage of its development at
which the lncOmpleteness Of the CONNER
cial idea of life is beginning to make itself /
keenly felt, and is somewhat uncertainty
cropping in search of the larger and finer
things, whose existence it dimly appre-
bends. But it has not yet reached the
stage Of clear discernment, and is easily
satisfied with the appearance of culture,
even If the substance be wanting. Its
great commercial success has given it.
moreover, a certain Impotence of temper
which makes it incapable of going to
work in the right way to acquire that of
which it is just beginning to feel the need.
A society that has lived in the flesh, so to
speak, for so long, cannot at once and
naturally come to live in the spirit
The change of heart, which is the
condition of the working out of such
change of life, must be gradual one. The
prevailing attitude of Chicago society to-
ward things of culture has about it an air
of patronage. 1t seems to say s'These
things are desirable, and we Will make
them the fashion," All that need be done
is to build costly chapels, to purchase ex-
pensiye pictures, to make the concert and
the opera places of fashionable resort.
How different is this from the humble at
ttude of the one who recognizes the real
significance of culture, and who knows
that to be genuine it must grow up 81
lently with the life. ''The Kingdom of
God cOmeth not with observation" Nor,
fear, will the sweetness and the light of
cultured life come to Chicago at the beck
Of the rich man.