Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-05-27
ADMIRATION FOR EUROPE.
A just Appreciation of Age and Ex.
perience.


We have long deferred to Europe in
many ways, and our satirists and critics
have scourged mercilessly what they
branded as our servity. SIS the Hudson
not broadly magnificent enough, o rec
reant American, that you must prattle
of the Rhine? Is the-the-the- cap
itol at Albany or at Washington so in
significant that you can not forget n
crumbling Coliseum or ruined Parthe-
non? Are not two millions of dollars
for street cleaning in New York enough,
that the streets of Berlin or Glasgow
must be thrown in our faces? The
Champagne, the Vale of Emma, Olyml-
pus, Hymettus, what are they to the
prairies of Illinois and the farther west,
to the valley of Wyoming, to the Rocky
mountains" So frowns indignant pa
triotism, speaking with firm-set lips,
and so the nightingale of the boards
reproves us for scorning our own chill
dren whom Europe has not yet crowned
with laurel.
But may not something be said for
Europe? Although it be a country no
longer young, is it so hopelcssly senile
that its approval is worthless? Because
we are the child of the morning, with a
boundless estate of the future, do we
know everything so much more fully
and wisely that we justly laugh at an
older wisdom? Is it weakness that stirs
desire in the heart of the young painter
of the prairie to see the miracles of
Raphael, of Titan, of Corrcggio? Is it
scrvility that draws the American
sculptor to study the marbles of Angelo
and Phidias? Is it mistrust of his own
land and its genius that sends the archi-
tcct to the schools of Paris, the physi-
clan to Germany, the artifcer to the
countries that sent wonders of delicate
art to the Philadelphia exhibition? Is
it the shallow love of an echo that will
not let the scholar rest until he comes
face to face with the great masters of
human lore, and tfeads the great libra
ries, their workshops? Is it slavishncss
or loyalty of the soul which makes the
land of Chaucer and Shakespeare, of
Burns and Scott enchanted ground to
the native of continent which only be-
cause it is of recent civilization is not
yet stepped in the soft air of glorious
tradition?
Would not our melodious monitor
agree that it is because other and
smaller countries are so sincerely devot-
ed to the maintenance of lyric art, so
voted in it, so educated by taste and
long training and experience, that their
opinion is the opinion of knowledge, and
therefore that their praise signifies
what the verdict of less experience and
training does not signify? Would not
and should not the word of Linn9us
command for botanist a confidence
which the diploma of many an excellent
American college could not secure?
When the audiences that made the fame
of Thalberg, of Chopin, of Liszt of
Rubinstein, salute Padcrewslti, may we
not listen with just prepossession? 1t is
familiar phrase of Cicero, laudori a
laudato. Appreciation from Sir Hubert
Stanley is praise indeed, says our later
version.
Is the case fully stated when it is
stated that we applaud because Europe
applauds? Is it not rather because we
find that Europe justly applauded? Its
applause properly bespealis our atten-
ton; but in fact, our applause does
not follow eX officio, like, Diggory S
laugh the Squire's familiar jest; it fol
lows our own perception of desert-a
perception undoubtedly and properly
quicliened and guided by larger ex-
perience,-George William Curtis, in
| Harper'S Magazine.