St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-07
OUR TWO CIVILIZATIONS.

during the past week which go very
far to illustrate the extreme types of
American character, and at the same
time to exhibit the extreme cosmopol
itan conditions of American society.
The first that we shall allude to has at
tracted less attention than the other,
which would indicate that, while as a
nation we are making some progress in
essential betterments, there is yet a
great deal of room for progression.
The notable event of the week at the
Paris exposition was the sale of the
SECRETAN pictures, and it is a notable
fact that the American bidders were
the most numerous and the most lib
eral. M. SECRETAN, the eX-copper
king, had the most famous collection of
the works of the old masters to be
found in any private gallery in Europe.
When it was announced that these
pictures would be offered at public auc-
ton in the exposition building at Paris,
there was a rush of American art
patrons to the scene. Various art asSo-
Citations in this country sent their rep
resentatiyes with funds and instructions
to bid literally. Private American
citizens of wealth flocked to the
sale and bid on the pictures, and alto
gether there was an exhibition of in
terest in art matters that spoke we'll for
American culture. Then. too, our
American buyers had to bid against the
French government on MILLET's fa-
nous picture 1.-The Angelus," yet they
bid with spirit and ran the price of
the great painting up until it passed
the 100000 mark. And then, when the
picture had been knocked down to the
representative of the French govern
ment at the enormous price of 553, COO
francs, Mr.. SUTTON, ali American col
lector, offered to donate $4,000 to the
poor of Paris if the purchaser would
sell the painting at the knoek-down
price. Such things as these encourage
us in the belief that American civiliza-
ton is attaining a more refined quality
than we usually get credit for.
Still, while we are consoling ourselves
with this thought. our dreams are dis
turbed by the hustle of preparation for
some momentOus event that is going on
in our own land. We observe an I'M
usual excitement among our own peo-
pie and a manifestation of anxiety that
betokens an unusual occurrence. Trains
loaded with people from all sections of
the American Union are pulling into
New Orleans to-day, and there is stir
and a hustle and an excitement in the
streets of the queen metropolis OF the
South greater than there was in the
streets of Paris while the SECRETAN art
sale was going on. With but two eX-
ceptions-once when old ANDY JACK
SONS troops lay behind cotton bales
and whipped the redcoatS out of their
boots, the other when FARRAGUT's
fleet was Smelling the rebelliOuS city
into subjectiOn-the interest of the en-
tire American people has never been so
entirely concentrated upon New Or
leans as it is to-day. And it is all about
prize fight that is expected to come
off in that locality tomorrow. A big
two-fisted fellow who is the pride of
Boston, the hub of American culture,
will stand up against another big two
listed fellow who halls from Baltimore,
a city that prides itself on the beauty of
its women and the chivalry of its men /;
and for so much spot cash paid in hand
these two champions of the ring have
agreed to maui and pummel each other
until one or the other is punished so Sc
verely that he can't come to time.
When we look upon the exhibition of
American culture at the SECRETAN art
sale last week and then turn to look
upon the exhibition of America bar
| barism at New Orleans tomorrow, and
contrast the two, we are forced to adj
nit the queer conditions of American
society. And what humiliating con-
trast it is for us. Where there was one
American citizen who took sufficient
interest in the SECRETAN art sale to re-
greet the failure of getting MILLET's
great picture OH this side of the water,
there will be scores of American citi-
zens who will take such lively interest
in the SULLIvAN-KILRAIN mill as to
risk their last dollar on the result.
If we have not two distinct civiliza-
tons in this country, it is absolutely
sure we have two distinct types of one
civilization. And it is our misfortune
that the type which is the least desira-
bic is always the most prominent.