Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-04-02
Matthew Arnold,s Bitterness.

AAbtu0W ATnOlO, III Cnglunu, IL TeIeTTtu
70 - IAN apostle of sweetness and light, !"
the reason for which is not apparent on
this side Of the globe. Whenever he talks
Of America, or writes of Americans, he
seems to condense as much bitterness into
his criticisms as is possible. England is
now discussing his article in the April
number of the Nineteenth Century on
!" Civilization in the United States" Mr..
Arnold says that civilization in America
II failure, because it does not satisfy
for man in society the true law of human
nature. He complains that all luxuries
are dear, except oysters and ice that the
clubs are expensive that cab rates are
prohibitive; that tailors' aud mercers'
charges are third higher than in Eng
land. There are, he says, a hundred other
similar grievances which he might men,
ton.
II this line OF argument is permissible,
= very serious case might be made against
Mr.. Arnold himself. When he was in
this country few years ago, he deliv.
ered . number Of lectures, the prices for
hearing which were enough toenable the
lecturer to carry large amount of Amer
loan money home with him. Mr.. Arnold's
critics on this side of the water might
very fairly say that his literary efforts
were dear at any price, for he left us no
new thought, but considerable savage
cxiticism as the result Of his sojourn.
For one 90 wrapped about with the
mantle Of sestheticism, it is somewhat
odd to hear 30 much made of fleshly
things in the shape of human food. One
whose home was among the evanescent
might safely be expected to tolerate short
comings OF this kind, but not SO our crit
ical Matthew. He likes two things about
NJ: We do not put " Esquire" I" after a
mans name on the envelope of a letter !;
and American women, though their
voices and intonatiOn were displeasing to
his ear. had for him the charm of a
natural manner lacking to the English.
For the rest, America has neither beauty
NOR distinction. The common and ig-
noble prevail. Even the landscape did
not delight him nor the climate, which
b pronounces harsh. Between the eli.
mate OF New Hampshire and the climate
o. Florida he detected no distinction.
Nor u there any beauty in the cities.
He Is especially severe upon the char.
acter of the news in our journals, and
heGe be perhaps has some justification,
fnr he prints some paragraphs Of his per.
1onal experiences. A Boston paper made
him too old. A Chicago paper described
his features as harsh, his manner as su.
pNcilious and his clothes as ill-Gtting. A
New York paper published facetious
eeiticism of Chicago, attributed to him,
0nd Mr.. Medill refused TO believe his de.
nial and pronounced him cur. Du, be-
loanse Of this, it is not fair TO sweep awsy
III American literature at one fell blow.
He does not mention one American
writer with respect, nor make one excep.
1ioa 70 the sweep of his contemptuous
oendsmnation. For him Hawthorne has
written III vain. Emerson, whom he
onoo pntr0nized, Is forgotten. Holmes.
Nm I'll his wisdom and delicate humor.
eo,fbr suyht that appears, includes among
0hooe funny men whose existence he
1ookons national misfortune. Lowen's
1Doonparable satire, his poetry, his pene.
|n&aon and authoritative criticism hay.
- imps ssed his English rival.
u ins, Mr.. Arnold calls us nation OF
xobls braggaris, and surpasses Sir
Griffin in his spleen. AS the lead
- Epgliah letters, bis article in |