Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-11
ANATHEMA.

ARNOLDss ~ANATHEMA.
The Apostle OF Sweetness and Light, q
Matthew Arnold is called, has written
paper on Civilization in the Unite
States" which appears in the April Nine
teenth Century of which a London cor
respondent has cabled the gist to hi
newspaper in this country. Mr.. Arnoll
enjoys the distinction of being one of tn
leading literary men in England, Q
the most advanced liberals In thought
M of the most erudite and careful O
critics. It will therefore be a matter OF
regret to cultivated Americans to fint
that this greatest of living critics, afteI
mature consideration, has come to tn,
conclusion that American civilization il
a failure. MIR. Arnold's opinion is of nc
moment to the mass of citizens of th,
United States who are bent on reaching
the goal for which they started out on thu
lines they have laid down for themselves
whether it agrees with Mr.. Arnold's idea
of what true civilization should attain to
or not. And from the summary of the
article in the magazine furnished by the
London correspondent no sensible
American will attach much Inn
pOrtance to it either, for If the
summary lis in any sense a fair condensa-
ton Of the views in the Nineteenth Gen.
fury article, it bears on its face a triy-
iality and pettiness that can hardly
escape even English readers disposed to
ready belief in the author. When a man
of Mr.. ArnOld's mental calibre, with the
reputation Of N of the greatest English
men OF letters to sustain, with a record
OF works whose cOgent reasoning and
clear perspicacity make their subject
evident to the simplest understanding,
undertakes to pass an opinion on the civ
ilization of one of the leading nations of
the earth, it would never be believed that
he would allow such an ignOble motive
yindictiye resentment to warp his
judgment. And yet, if the summary Of
the article is TO be believed, this is what
has given Mr.. Arnold his inspiration. In
stead of treating his subject with a
bOldness and expanse of thought COM
mensurate with the Republic stretching
from ocean to ocean and from the tropics
to the Arctic zone, he approaches it as a
Cockney who had never been half a mile
from the sound Of Bow bells, and with the
naTr0w insular prejudice of the least edu-
Gated Of this class who can see no good in
any place outside of their place of birth.
1t was not the wonderful accomplish
ment Of a century, especially the last
quarter, I'm Transforming a wilderness
into a garden by methods too rapid for
the slow growth of European. improve
ments, that arrested his attention, appar-
To be sure, here there were no
Of error to uprOOt and reform,
but there were material forces to subdue
needed and commanded the highest
human energy and courage, the sublimest
faith in the country's destiny. This Mr..
Arnold has nothing to say about. 1t is
such t%riles, apparently, as enter
into the everyday, personal existence of
Mr.. Arn0ld-such as high cab fares and
expensive clubs and tailors-that lead
him to the conclusion that American civ
ilizatiOn is a failure. In his opinion
America has neither beauty nor distinc-
Its landscape is not pleasing to
him, and its climate is uncomfortable.
There is no beauty in the cities. The
ablest men the nation has produced lack
He falls foul Of the news
papers with vengeance, and here he
reveals the source of his strangely
ideas. The correspondent
HE prints with comical solem-
nifty paragraph after paragraph Of
MS personal experiences" the burden
If which is that the press of the
country, in their free and breezy treat
nent of MIR. Arnold, Photographed him as
human being having distinctive char
that the re- .Orters mentioned
With the unconventional freedom from
estraint characteristic of their class.
j~nwittingly, by so doing they sealed the
DOM of their country-so Ear as the
erdict of the Apostle of Sweetness and
light can seal it. Their comments
aundieed all he saw and heard in this
Thenceforward America was
nation Of braggarts, each man trying
Guido his neighbOr in self laudatiOn;
uniting upon indiscriminate over
raise Of what as a nation 1t had accom-
lished. But America has survived mis-
presentation from literary English men
nd women before, and has kept on the
lpid tenor of its way as it will continue
} i'm spite of Mr.. Arnold. 1t will be a
latter Of regret to many in this country
hat he should have published such an
rticle, because Americans like to be well
nd correctly thought Of by those. even,
HON they never expect to see. For
lnately, the men who rule the destinies
our English cousins have clearer
Otions than Mr.. Arnold. Mr.. Joseph
who has just returned
ON a lengthy visit to this country,
Allies and has declared on the platform {
hat close community of interests the !
70 countries have and the causes that
list why there should be the deepest
utual respect and esteem between !
Iem. lie is not alone, either. There is {
, danger of American civilization lack G
6 defenders If need be across the water,
here Mr.. Arnold's structures will find e
any dissentients. Il
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