The morning call., 1892-04-25
THE LOWELL MEMORIAL.
English and American Literature Gem.
pared Maydsy in Europe.

In view of what has been said here and
elsewhere touching Dean Bradley's ex-
cluson of a Lowell memorial from West
minister Abbey one point ought to be
made clear The proposed memorial
was entirely English In It's origin
1t was LowelPs English friends who pro-
jected il, with Leslies Stephen at the head
of them and many respectable and respected
Englishmen in company with him. No
American, so far as / know, had any share
in the proceedings or attended the meeting
called by Stephen, though some were in
vited. No American name was signed to
the application addressed to the Dean. l
must say that / think Stephen and his
friends might have so managed matters as
TO avoid the public rebuff they have endured
from Dean Bradley. The possibility is they
did not imagine that such an affront TO
Lowells memory was to be expected. 1t
would be interesting 10 know how ii came
to be made public.
The first account of the matter appeared
as a piece of literary scandal in a weekly
literary paper VIGOROUSLY nimical to
Americans and American literature. The
Atheneum and perhaps Mr.. Stephen
would tell US who sent this statement. l
do not think he sent it, as his friendship to
Lowell was perfectly sincere, Not much
has been said here about the refusal and il
is regretted by the best Englishmen aud is
applauded by those who are not the best;
by the purveyors of that cheap gossip TO
cheap papers. So far as there exists here
anything like leal0uSyof American writers,
that sentiment also is gratifed.
Superiority of American Writers.
There is undoubtedly in England half
uneasy feeling that the best period Of mod
ern English literature is past, and that
American literature, so far from decayng,
is steadily advancing. Three great writers
are left TO this c0untry-IennyS0n. FrOude
and Ruskn. They are all past 20. More
than one branch of letters could be named
in which American writer's are admittedly
Superior TO the Eng ish. Lowell himself
had not his equal in Eugland la his knowl-
edge Of English literature. or In his many
sidedness. Oliver Wendell Holmes has not
his equal. There is not among living Eng
lish writers of fiction more than one writer
of genius, aud she is woman.
Neither Bret Harte. nor Henry James, nor
Howells has an English counterpart. No
English critic has done for the Victorian era
Of literature what an American critic, the
poet Stedman, has done. This Is no place 10
pursue the comparison in detail, nor need
one wish to do more than indicate the
grounds of Jealous dislike toward America
letters in England. Those who yield TO it
are not always conscious of it. but it exists,
and the most emphatic expression Of it is
the exclusion Of Lowell from Westminster
Abbey.
The French Government and the French
police are dealing firmly with anarchy.
They act of course, with more freedom
than would be possible IN America or Eng
land, where the preventive measures now
put in force would overstep the laws. but
they are in strict consonance with the
French law and French custom. More than
100 suspects were arrested yesterday in
Paris and Lyons and other centers of an
archist activity. These and other evidences
Of ministerial energy are restoring conf
dence. ParisianS are beginning to think
that COnstans is not the only Minister capa-
bic OF keeping order, and 10 applaud LOubet
as they applauded, and most justly ap-
Dlauded, his predecessor. The panic, if
there he panic, seems now to D5 on the
side Of the dynamiteTs. II is found in every
case that the arrested anarchists have got
rid of their explosives, except those of a lit
erary kind. These latter do no harm to
anybody but themselves.
May Day Demonstration.
1t is hard to believe that the people are in
earnest who draw up such decupents as
that issued by the executive committee Of
the labor demonstration for May /. They
declare that the bandit of capital is going
TO perish in shame and fiith,'' and that the
glances Of the famished are turning, drowned
in enthusiasm, toward dazzling labarum of
universal demands" Plain people will be
puzzled 10 know what il all means, The
anarchists invoke the memories of 1893 and
the reign OF terror and break the windows
Of the restaurant Richie. whichis not quite tie
same thing as setting up a gulotne.
On the whole the fears Of what may happen
on the 1st Of May are much diminished.
France is reckoned safe, unless St Etienne
and Fourmies should again prove the centers
of disturbance. Germany thinks herself
safe. Italy has forbidden all demon stra-
tiors. Austria will tolerate professions and
beer and expects nothing worse. If there
be danger. it is probably in Spain, and
possibly in Belgium. Here in England there
is no serious apprehension. The anarch-
ISIS who mean business are apt to be for
eigners, ard il j. not easy for foreigners TO
acquire The confidence OF the British work.
ingmaD.
The police have proved that they are wake
by arresting tailor and journalist, both
concerned in publishing an anarchist sheet in
the City road, which invited its readers to
proceed TO murder the Home Secretary and
Justice Hawkins. Even this not very vio-
lent measure provokes a protest from the
sentimentalists. Mowbray's wife - Now
bray is a taior-was just dead. The mag
istrate at first refused TO let him out on bail
and is attacked by the more maudlin papers
for his relentless rigor. At this early stage
of affairs the sentmentalists would like
nowbray to have a chance to execute his
threats before he is finally locked up. That
will give you faint notion of the difficult
ties the English police have to contend with
in their efforts to keep the peace.