The times., 1898-07-20
Hnnr nnd Nnrtan

other as bilious pessimist welded to
foreign ideals. despairing of the Ameri-
can Republic, and quite agreeing with
his idOlized Schoppenhauer that, after
all, it may be doubted if life is worth
living
After fifty years of friendship. tres :
antipodal sons of common a ma mater
have locked horns. and the pessmist
has had decidedly the worst of the en-
counter. Often prejudiced and wrong
headed in dealing with matters of State,
Senator Hoar has never lost the good
copper bottom of sturdy patriotism
and confidence in the American people,
their substantial worth. intelligence,
national vieor and destiny. Norton,
the Harvard professor. has never lest
an opportunity TO poison the minds of
the youth under his instruction with
his sneering dicta designed to convince
them that Americans are intrins cally
insincere and trifiing, and that the true
standards of intellectual life morals.
and ethics are not to be found in this
country. while they flourish abroad
with tropical luxur,ance.
Until our relations with Spain as
sumed a menacing aspect, and Prof.
Norton developed actual antagonism
To the prevailing sentiment of the
American people in favor of the expul-
sion Of that atrocious power from The
Western Hemisphere, his melancholy
views of his time and fellows were
treated with tolerant amusement II
was not Until he deliberately begau an
academic crusade against the policy Of
Furnishing Spain for her treachery, ana
the siclening horrors Of her murderous
course in Cuba, that anybody took par
ticuiar notice of the ere AZURE. But
" hen he deoI Jared 10 the Harvard under
graduates that the war with Spain was
"inglorious and criminal" his position
as a teacher Of the rising generation
in an institution Of the foremost rank
in the Union made il necessary to eX =
pose and denounce him. and that rv-
ice To the American people was appro-
priately and adequately peri rmed by
Senator Hoar, in an address on Am ri
canism and American Homer" at the
opening of the Summer school Of Clark
University. The senator pointed out to
his hearers some OF the beneficant
effects of this "inglorious" and 'crimi-
naP' war, in drawing together all sec
tions OF the country in the bonds q a
common brotherhood, and in crea'in :
for America and its people new and sin
cere consideration abroad. H said:
In strange contrast with these tokens OF re
spect are few disC0Tdant and jaTTIHg netes
which are heard at home. / see that Prot Nor
ton Of Harvard, Is quoted telling the youth
Of the university that II j. characteristic Of the
American people 70 be trfing; that they have
acquired a yaTnish Of civilized lite, but their
natures have not been refined.
Poor Prof Norton, color blind and music deaf
At this day, when the North and South are
coming together. when Mother England i leatn-
ing 10 know her daughter and to love her again,
he says that u Is characteristic Of the American
people 10 be trifing. and that he feels, with
Horace NalpOie. that he should be proud OF hT:
country il it were not for his cOunt-ymen.
Heaven knows that do not say this from any
desire to inhiet pain. hut it Is due to the youth
OF the country, it is due to Harvard, that some
body shall say this. II such utteIancts from
cur foremost university 20 go unrepTOyed
manhood and courage and honor will follow ath
letic Yale, or viii follow classical learning al
the Englisa Cambridge. There can be no wOrss
lesson II is d lesson which never VIII b. taught
in Clark UniyeTsty-tO tell the youth Of Tho
country that their country is base. The feeling
Of dislike and contempt for Us in EnglInd
which the utteTances Of Prof. Norton and meI
like him have done much 10 foster, Is giving
WAY to better knowledge. do not believe i
can be revived again by such utterances a
these.
The best instruction which the youth of
country like ours have is its history
and the best result OF that instruction Is a gooe
hope II any man attempts 90 tarnish or DESTROY
either, If il De due to ignorance. il Is pitiable
| If It be due 10 arrogance or conceit, ii i
II these utteFances came from an enthusias
| for lofticr ideal, from a desire to raise tn
country 70 a npbler loftier plane, we nigh
| forgive them. But the men who utter them hav
neither enthnsia.m nor ideals. It is the doctrin
! Of arrogance. 81 contempt, Of pessimism of bib
teraess. q despair.
II was natural that the object of thes
just refectiaas should not rest con
tentedly under them. and he did not
Professor Norton promptly addresse,
Senator Hoar by letter and declared
| that the unpatriotic remarks alleged |,
| have been made by him had not beer
SO made. He gave away his case, how
ever, in the admission that he had de
clared the war to be ''inglorious." anC
for the accomplishment of its assumed
| ends. needless" hence criminal
! Nothing more, it would seem, is needed
to bring him under the full terms o.
| the Hoar Indictment. But even if h:
half-denial as to specific utterancss .
a given time had been successful. i
would not have brought him much com.
| fort at the hands of his old classmate
who rejoined:
All lovers Of Harvard and all loves OF th
| country have felt for long time that your re
| lati0ns To the university made your iniuenc
| bad for the college and bad for the youth Of tn
/ country 1t was high time that somebody Shouts
| say what ] have said. could easily. from
my own memory and from the report Il person
| who have met YOU on social occasions p0in
out many utterances quite deserving of So
| we're reprrCf as those TO which | have adverted
| | am afraid that the habit OF bitter ard sneerin
] speech about persons and public affairs has ;
| grown upon Won that you do not yourself knoy
| always what you say. At any rate. there ar
| plenty cf pers-ns who will he able to Judge Q
| the matter. / should be sorry to do you an
| injustice; indeed, il is not in anybody's powe
| 10 do you injustice but yourself.
We have been so often comp II Il t
take issue with Senator Hear on mat
ters of domestic politics and govern
mental policy-matters which can we
| be laid aside for future rafersnce wiki
the country is at war-that il affords IL
sincere and particular pleasure to rec
| ognize in his brave and forceful word
| on "Americanism and American Honor
the true gold of that bright and nobl
| spirit which has sustained our countr
in many day of darkness and advers
| ity, and always brought it through tn
| gloom to victorious peace and prosper
| ity again. We are not triflers and su
| perlicial imitatOrs of a civilizatic,
higher and better than ours. We are
| people OF grand ideals. and reader tha
| perhaps any other to sacrifice mer
| mo atariaI good for their attainment 7