The Portland daily press., 1884-11-25
English and American sootetz.

bngl1Sn ana American society.
Mr.. Julian Hawthorne lectured a few ev-
enings ago before the Long Island Histori-
cal Society, his topic being "Society." The
report says he spoke Sin a drawing man
ner," but there is not much drawing in his
treatment of the subject. Tue lecture is es-
pecially interesting for the correction it
makes of the judgement of those who have
inferred from his novels that his sympathies
were not very strongly American.
"Wbo, without fear of contradiction, can
tell what society Tsp" asked Mr. Hawthorne.
''Ever since it existed its meaning has been
moo.ed question. What is that which all
the world shall recognize beyond cayil as
good societyP What must one do or be in
order to belong to it? One would be in
clined to think that good society was a phil
osopher's stone, phantom OF the lmagina-
ton, a thing chimerisal and impossible"
"Englisa society,"" resumed the lecturer,
"has been ripening for 1000 years, aud is
now from its own point Of view as nearly
perfect an organization as human expert
ence can contrive. The intercourse of hu-
mau beings for purposes of mutual pleasure,
improvement and profit could scarcely he es-
tablished upon footing of expediency more
elaborate. The nation is deposited, as it
were, in strata like the crust of the earth,
from the monarch at the top to the pauper
at the bottom. No Euglishman is so low but
that be can look lower, or so high but that
he can look higher. To the American, this
monarcbical impreguation has a peculiar
taste. Unlike their Bass's ale, IL lies much
awry on The Republican stomach, aud the
more so because the EOglish speak our Lam
guage-or at least a dialect Of it, Mr. Haw-
thOrne added with seraphic cOolness In Eu-
glish society, in Limited and liberal sense,
the royal family set the fashions. II was a
good day for England when the Queen first
took her little Princes and Priucesses out
driving in the park. Instantly all the nur-
series were empty aud the air of England
was breathed by bevY Of fashionable ba-
bies. 1t was very lately considered bad form
to see a lady driving in hanson. This vas
felt to be restriction, so one fine day the
Princess of Wales drove mile in one of
these vehicles and since then the ladies have
adopted that mode of conveyance. On one
occasion the Prince of Wales was observed
10 Piccadilly without his gloves. To be with
out gloves was henceforth the fashion.
"NOw,' continued Mr.. Hawthorne, 'fthis
seems childish to Americans, but IL is very
the royal family are worth their weigh, in
gold to England as the means of saving much
wear and lear Of thought. Laughter Peo-
pie and things are absolutely controlled by
the unwritten law of good form, which is q
matter of sentiment. The higher society be-
comes in England The greater is its tendency
TO deteriOrate. Earls aud dukes are less
well behaved than barons and esquires, be-
cause the range OF traditions in the loftier
QDnpra hApOD1RQ mo orai
ry. The higher ranks play such tricks be-
fore or another that it makes the angels
weep aud Americans smile"
Mr.. Hawthorne spoke of the seamy side of
English society. When things were learned
that were not spoken clue was obtained to
"Vanity Fair" aud the revelation was an
ugier one. "Must England seek true moral
freedom through anarchy?' he asked, ''or
must it come to her. through inward aud vol =
untary enlightenmentP' At first sight
America seems worse of than Englaad. We
are tod that we have no recognized native
manners, apd that as patriotic aud indepen-
dent citizens of these United States we are
shy to adopt foreign one. We will uot en-
dure to be ruled at this late day by Bucking-
ham Palace, while to stand upon our own
basis is too often to stand still. People are
afraid 10 copy Eogllsh etiquette, aud are
afraid not to copy It,, IL we have no ten CEN
turies behind us, one hundred lie before us.
We sre the cornerstone Of the future, not
the culminaiion Of the past. We are not, In
the restricted European sense, a nationality.
Our position is no sinecure and cannot be
made compatible with dalyng over exquis-
ite dinners or doing in luxurious srmchairs.
He who does not rise to the occasion will be
left behind and forgotten, aud another will
take bis place. Our difficulties caun0t bs
solved by European precedent. II was pre-
cisely to avoid European precedeut that the
Mayh0wer made her voyage. An American
snob," continued Mr.. Hawthorne, Sis not a
eeble-minded man; he is an unjustifiabla
monster. IApplause. We need not feel
alarmed at tne sinister appearances of Our po-
sulical methods and social scandals. The dis
order that comes to light has fcss its power
tor vital injury. We must regard with fear
the man and the people who would pretend
to be Immaculate II cannot be SAID that
our political and social outside is as good as
that of England. But we can feel more con-
fdent OF the strength and endurance Of our
digestive organs and of our lungs. / would
not exchange the Democratic street car for
all the silken ease of the British Empire"
Applause.
Mr.. Hawthorne said that America was
called the New World, but that her people
had hardly even yet comprehended the full
significance Of the phrase. He spoke glow
ingly of Americas future and compassion
ately of that of England, the institutions Of
which country be thought could not last.
Having compared the societies OF the two
countries, Mr. Hawthorne left to his hearers
the task Of answering the question which he
propounded at the beginning Of his lecture:
''What must man do or be in order to be-
limo To onnd euoinfvof5