The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-06
MIR. MATTHEW ARNOLD.
THE GREATEST OF ENGLISH CRITICS
TELLS THE WORLD
What He Thinks of Americans From the
Standpoint of "the Humanizatien of
Man in Society,"" and Wastes His
Sweetness on the Desert Air.

routine affairs which better deserves
Americas attention than the article by
Mr. Matthew Arnold, in the April Nine
tenth Century, on Civilization in the
United States" Only last Wednesday
Mr.. Chamberlain and Mr. Bright were ex-
planning to Birmingham audience, and
virtually to all England, how close is the
kinship between England and America,
and how deep are their mutual reg ..rd and
respect 1t is well that they spoke when
they did. Three days later might have
been too late. Now comes man not less
eminent in his own sphere than either OF
those two statesmen, with such an account
OF America as might, II believed, close the
mouths Of our real friends abroad.
This article is remarkable in more re-
spects than one. II is at least remarkable
that great English writer should have
thought il worth while to fill fifteen pages
in saying ditto to Sir Lepel Griffin. lie
takes for his text that raw young Anglo
Indians remark that there is no country
calling itself civilized where he would not
rather live than in America, except Russia.
Upon this Mr.. Arnold enlarges This is
his text, this the refrain of his ar
ticle. His sweetness has turned sour;
his light turns everything he touches
black. II he praises, he praises just
enough to make the contrast between
praise and censure effective. Three years
ago he thought America had succeeded
well in solving the political and social
problem. Now he hints that this success
is due as much TO the good fortune OF the
American people as TO their wisdom or
virtue. What he now deals with he calls
the human problem. Civilization, accord
ing TO Mr.. Arnold, Is the Illumination
of man in society; and according TO
Mr.. Arnold, civilization in America is a
failure, because It does not satisfy for man
in society the true law OF human nature.
That is his general reason. His first par
ticular reason under IL Is that American
civilization failed 10 make Mr.. Matthew
Arnold comfortable. lie complains gnvely
that all luxurics are dear, except oysters
and ice that the clubs are expensive; that
cab rates are prohibitive; that tailors' and
merccs' charges are a third higher than
in England. There are, he says, hundred
other similar grievances which he might
mention.
Lest you should be In doubt as to how
much importance he attaches 10 such
matters, he SAYS expressly that when a
man is passing Judgment on n cOuntry's
civilization, points Of this kind crowd TO
his memory and determine his sentence.
True, his judgment and sentence having
been thus determined by these trivialities,
he contradicts himself on the next page
and declares that civilization does not con-
sist In being supplied with the comforts
and conveniences OF life. This contradic-
ton II is which enables him 10 array
against unhappy America a host OF other
censures What he next demands Is that
civilization shall be interesting, and Amer
lea not only failed 10 provide Mr Arnold
with cheap calls and good peaches, but
failed 10 interest him. There were two
things which he liked. (l) We do do not
put Esquire" after mans name ON the
the envelope OF letter; and (2) Amcri-
can women, though their voices and in
donation were displeasing 10 his ear, had
for him the charm Of natural manner
lacking to the English. Those two, and
those only. For the rest, America has
neither beauty nor distinction. The COM
mon and ignoble prevail. Even the land
scape did not delight him: nor the climate,
which he pronounccs harsh. Between the
climate OF New Hampshire and the climate
OF Florida he detected no distinction. Nor
Is there any beauty In the cities. The one
American architect Of genius, Mr.. Rich
ardson, who might have beautifcd them,
had 10 work under injurious conditions.
OF the really beautiful in the other arts
and In literature quote textually-vcry
little has been produced there as yet The
very names Of the towns annoy him. As
for distinction or elevation, we have Il not.
We have had able men, Mr.. Lincoln for
one. But Mr.. Lincoln had not distinc-
ton. The glorifcaiion Of the average man
II our religion. The newspapers are our
damnation. The absence OF truth and
roberness In them, the poverty in serious
interest, and personality and the sensa-
tion-mongcring, are beyond belief Their
news u news Tor the servants hall.
Here we approach the true source Of
Mr.. Anold's woes and grieis against us.
Never would |, for one, have sought for
or believed In low motive for all this
laborcd disparagement Of America. But
Mr.. Arnold himself supplies II. lie prints
with comical solcmnity paragraph after
paragraph OF his personal experiences. A
Boston paper made him too old A Chi
cngo paper described his features ~ harsh,
his manner ~ supcrcilious and his clothes
as ill.fiiting A New York paper pub
lished facetous criticism Of Chicago, at.
tributed to him; aud Mr.. Medll refused 10
believe his denial and pronounced him a
cur. Is this present article also a hoax
These specimens, concludes our late guest,
win give q clear enough notion OF what the
newspapers over there are. American
literature II little or no better than Ameri-
can newspapers. lie complains that we
read American books Gar from admit.
ting that In literature they have ~ vet
produced little that Is important. they play
NJ treating American literature as II Il were
n great, independent power. For every
English writer they have an American
writer to match, and him good Americans
read" lie does not mention one Amcri.
can writer with respect, nor make one ex.
ception to the sweep Of this contcmptuous
condemnation. For him Hawthorne has
written In vain. Emerson, whom he once
paironiEed, Is forgotten. Holmes, with all
his wisdom and delicate humor. he for
aught that appears includes among those
funny men whose existence lac rcckons
national misfortune. Lowclls incompar-
able satirc, his poetry, his penetration
aud authoritative criticism have not i'm.
pressed his English rival. Mr.. Arnold
might NJ least have rccollected the essay
"Un Certain Condesccnsion In Foreign
cr." Perhaps he ccollecicd u too well.
lie mentions, while on the subject Of liter
aturc, 10 which he twice ricrs, Just one
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