第45章

Allthiscallsforthanenormousquantityofactivity，andcausesAmericanlifetoassumetheaspectofalife-and-deathstruggleformasteryoverthematerialforcesofthatpartoftheearth’ssurfaceuponwhichitthrives。 ItisthusthatwearetraversingwhatmayproperlybecalledtheBARBAROUSepochofourhistory，——theepochatwhichthepredominantintellectualactivityisemployedinachievementswhicharemainlyofamaterialcharacter。Militarybarbarism，ortheinabilityofcommunitiestolivetogetherwithoutfrequentwarfare，hasbeennearlyoutgrownbythewholeWesternworld。 Privatewars，longsincemadeeverywhereillegal，havenearlyceased；andpublicwars，oncecontinual，havebecomeinfrequent。 Butindustrialbarbarism，bywhichImeantheinabilityofacommunitytodirectaportionofitstimetopurposesofspirituallife，afterprovidingforitsphysicalmaintenance，——thiskindofbarbarismthemodernworldhasbynomeansoutgrown。To-day，thegreatworkoflifeistolive；whiletheamountoflabourconsumedinlivinghasthroughoutthepresentcenturybeenrapidlyincreasing。NearlythewholeofthisAmericancommunitytoilsfromyouthtooldageinmerelyprocuringthemeansforsatisfyingthetransientwantsoflife。 Ourtimeandenergies，ourspiritandbuoyancy，arequiteusedupinwhatiscalled“gettingon。“ AnotherpointofdifferencebetweenthestructureofAmericanandofAtheniansocietymustnotbeleftoutoftheaccount。Thetimehasgonebyinwhichtheenergiesofahundredthousandmenandwomencouldbeemployedinministeringtotheindividualperfectionoftwenty-fivethousand。Slavery，intheantiquesense，——anabsolutecommandofbrainaswellasofmuscle，aslave-systemofskilledlabour，——wehaveneverhad。Inourdayitisforeachmantoearnhisownbread；sothatthestruggleforexistencehasbecomeuniversal。Theworkofoneclassdoesnotfurnishleisureforanotherclass。TheexceptionalcircumstanceswhichfreedtheAthenianfromindustrialbarbarism，andenabledhimtobecomethegreatteacherandmodelofcultureforthehumanrace，havedisappearedforever。 Thenthegeneralstandardofcomfortableliving，asalreadyhinted，hasbeengreatlyraised，andisstillrising。Whatwouldhavesatisfiedtheancientwouldseemtouslikepenury。WehaveadomesticlifeofwhichtheGreekknewnothing。Weliveduringalargepartoftheyearinthehouse。Oursociallifegoesonundertheroof。Ourhousesarenotmereplacesforeatingandsleeping，likethehousesoftheancients。Itthereforecostsusalargeamountoftoiltogetwhatiscalledshelterforourheads。Thesumwhichayoungmarriedman，in“goodsociety，“hastopayforhishouseandthefurniturecontainedinit，wouldhaveenabledanAtheniantoliveinprincelyleisurefromyouthtooldage。Thesumwhichhehastopayouteachyear，tomeetthecomplicatedexpenseoflivinginsuchahouse，wouldhavemorethansufficedtobringupanAthenianfamily。IfworthyStrepsiadescouldhavegotanAsmodeanglimpseofFifthAvenue，orevenofsomeunpretendingstreetinCambridge，hemighthavegonebacktohisaristocraticwifeasadderbutamorecontentedman。 Wealth——oratleastwhatwoulduntillatelyhavebeencalledwealth——hasbecomeessentialtocomfort；whiletheopportunitiesforacquiringithaveinrecenttimesbeenimmenselymultiplied。 Togetmoneyis，therefore，thechiefendoflifeinourtimeandcountry。“Successinlife“hasbecomesynonymouswith“becomingwealthy。“Amanwhoissuccessfulinwhatheundertakesisamanwhomakeshisemploymentpayhiminmoney。Ournormaltypeofcharacteristhatoftheshrewd，circumspectbusinessman；asintheMiddleAgesitwasthatofthehardywarrior。Andasinthosedayswhenfightingwasaconstantnecessity，andwhentheonlyhonourablewayforagentlemanofhighranktomakemoneywasbyfreebooting，fightingcametoberegardedasanenddesirableinitself；sointhesedaysthemereefforttoaccumulatehasbecomeasourceofenjoymentratherthanameanstoit。Thesametruthistobewitnessedinaberranttypesofcharacter。Theinfatuatedspeculatorandtheclose-fistedmillionaireareoursubstitutesforthemediaevalberserkir，——themanwholovedthepell-mellofacontestsowellthathewouldmakewaronhisneighbour，justtokeephishandin。Inlikemanner，whilesuchcrimesasmurderandviolentrobberyhavediminishedinfrequencyduringthepastcentury，ontheotherhandsuchcrimesasembezzlement，gamblinginstocks，adulterationofgoods，andusingoffalseweightsandmeasures，haveprobablyincreased。IfDickTurpinwerenowtobebroughtbacktolife，hewouldfindtheNewYorkCustom-Houseamorecongenialandprofitableworking-placethantheking’shighway。 Theresultofthisuniversalquestformoneyisthatwearealwaysinahurry。Ourlivespassbyinawhirl。Itisalllabourandnofruition。Weworktillweareweary；wecarryourworkhomewithus；ithauntsourevenings，anddisturbsoursleepaswellasourdigestion。Ourmindsaresoburdenedwithitthatourconversation，whenserious，candwelluponlittleelse。Ifwestepintoarailway-car，orthesmoking-roomofahotel，oranyotherplacewhereadozenortwoofmenaregatheredtogether，weshallhearthemtalkingofstocks，ofinvestments，ofcommercialpaper，asiftherewerereallynothinginthisuniverseworththinkingof，saveonlytheinterchangeofdollarsandcommodities。Soconstantandunremittedisourforcedapplication，thatourmindsaredwarfedforeverythingexcepttheprosecutionoftheoneuniversalpursuit。 Arewenowpreparedforthecompletingofthecontrast？Mustwesaythat，asAthenswasthemostleisurelyandtheUnitedStatesisthemosthurriedcommunityknowninhistory，sotheAmericansare，asaconsequenceoftheirhurry，lackinginthoroughnessofculture？Or，sinceitisdifficulttobringourmodernculturedirectlyintocontrastwiththatofanancientcommunity，letmestatethecaseafteradifferentbutequivalentfashion。SincetheUnitedStatespresentonlyanexaggeratedtypeofthemodernindustrialcommunity，sincetheturmoilofincessantmoney-getting，whichaffectsallmoderncommunitiesinlargemeasure，affectsusmostseriouslyofall，shallitbesaidthatweare，onthewhole，lesshighlycultivatedthanourcontemporariesinWesternEurope？Toacertainextentwemustconfessthatthisisthecase。Inthehigherculture——inthecultureofthewholeman，accordingtotheantiqueidea——weareundoubtedlybehindallothernationswithwhichitwouldbefairtocompareourselves。Itwillnotdotodecideaquestionlikethismerelybycountingliterarycelebrities，althougheventhusweshouldbynomeansgetaverdictinourfavour。Sincethebeginningofthiscentury，EnglandhasproducedasmanygreatwritersandthinkersasFranceorGermany；yetthegeneralstatusofcultureinEnglandissaid——perhapswithtruth——tobelowerthanitisinthesecountries。ItissaidthattheaverageEnglishmanislessreadythantheaverageGermanorFrenchmantosympathizewithideaswhichhavenoobviousmarket-value。YetinEnglandthereisanamountofhighcultureamongthosenotprofessionallyscholars，whichitwouldbevaintoseekamongourselves。Thepurposesofmyargument，however，requirethatthecomparisonshouldbemadebetweenourowncountryandWesternEuropeingeneral。Compare，then，ourbestmagazines——notsolelywithregardtotheirintrinsicexcellence，butalsowithregardtothewayinwhichtheyaresustained——withtheRevuedesDeuxMondesortheJournaldesDebats。OrcompareourleadingpoliticianswithmenlikeGladstone，Disraeli，orSirG。C。 Lewis；orevenwithsuchmenasBroughamorThiers。Orcomparetheslovenlystyleofournewspaperarticles，IwillnotsaywiththeexquisiteproseofthelamentedPrevost-Paradol，butwiththeordinaryproseoftheFrenchorEnglishnewspaper。Butafarbetterillustration——foritgoesdowntotherootofthings——issuggestedbytherecentworkofMatthewArnoldontheschoolsofthecontinentofEurope。ThecountryofourtimewherethegeneralcultureisunquestionablythehighestisPrussia。Now，inPrussia，theyareabletohaveaMinisterofEducation，whoisamemberoftheCabinet。Theyaresurethatthisministerwillnotappointorremoveevenanassistantprofessorforpoliticalreasons。Onlyonce，asArnoldtellsus，hassuchathingbeendone；andthenpublicopinionexpresseditselfinsuchanemphatictoneofdisapprovalthatthedisplacedteacherwasinstantlyappointedtoanotherposition。Nothingofthissort，saysArnold，couldhaveoccurredinEngland；butstilllesscoulditoccurinAmerica。Hadwesuchaneducationalsystem，therewouldpresentlybean“EducationRing“tocontrolit。NorcanthisdifferencebeascribedtothelesseagerpoliticalactivityofGermany。ThePrussianstateofthingswouldhavebeenpossibleinancientAthens，wherepoliticallifewasasabsorbingandnearlyasturbulentasintheUnitedStates。Thedifferenceisduetoourlackoffaithinculture，alackoffaithinthatofwhichwehavenothadadequateexperience。 Welackculturebecauseweliveinahurry，andbecauseourattentionisgivenuptopursuitswhichcallintoactivityanddevelopbutonesideofus。OntheonehandcontemplateSokratesquietlyentertainingacrowdintheAthenianmarket-place，andontheotherhandconsiderBroadwaywithitseternalclatter，anditsthrongsofhurryingpeopleelbowingandtreadingoneachother’sheels，andyouwillgetalivelynotionofthedifferencebetweentheextremephasesofancientandmodernlife。Bythetimewehavethusrushedthroughourday，wehavenostrengthlefttodevotetothingsspiritual。To-dayfindsusnonearerfruitionthanyesterday。Andifperhapsthetimeatlastarriveswhenfruitionispracticable，ourmindshaverunsolongintherutsthattheycannotbetwistedout。 Asitisimpossibleforanypersonlivinginagivenstateofsocietytokeephimselfexemptfromitsinfluences，detrimentalaswellasbeneficial，wefindthateventhosewhostrivetomakealiteraryoccupationsubservienttopurposesofculturearenot，saveinrarecases，sparedbythegeneralturmoil。Thosewhohaveatoncetheability，thetaste，andthewealthneedfulfortrainingthemselvestotheaccomplishmentofsomemany-sidedandpermanentworkareofcourseveryfew。Norhaveouruniversitiesyetprovidedthemselveswiththemeansforsecuringtoliterarytalenttheleisurewhichisessentialtocompletementaldevelopment，ortoahighorderofproductiveness。Althoughinmostindustrialenterprisesweknowhowtoworktogethersosuccessfully，inliteraturewehaveasyetnoco-operation。WehavenotonlynoParis，butwehavenotevenaTubingen，aLeipsic，oraJena，oranythingcorrespondingtothefellowshipsintheEnglishuniversities。Ourliteraryworkershavenochoicebuttofallintotheranks，andmakemerchandiseoftheirhalf-formedideas。Theymustworkwithoutco-operation，theymustwriteinahurry，andtheymustwriteforthosewhohavenoleisureforaughtbuthastyandsuperficialreading。 Burstingboilersandcustom-housefraudsmayhaveatfirstsightnothingtodowitheachotherorwithmysubject。Itisindisputable，however，thatthehorriblemassacresperpetratedeveryfewweeksormouthsbyourcommoncarriers，andthedisgracefulpeculationinwhichweallowourpublicservantstoindulgewithhardlyeveraneffectivewordofprotest，arealiketobeascribedtothesamecauseswhichinterferewithourhigherculture。ItisbynomeansamereaccidentalcoincidencethatforeverydollarstolenbygovernmentofficialsinPrussia，atleastfiftyorahundredarestolenintheUnitedStates。ThisdoesnotshowthattheGermansareoursuperiorsinaveragehonesty，butitshowsthattheyareoursuperiorsinthoroughness。Itiswiththemanimperativedemandthatanyofficialwhatevershallbequalifiedforhispost；aprincipleofpubliceconomywhichinourcountryisnotsimplyignoredinpractice，butoftenopenlylaughedat。Butinacountrywherehighintelligenceandthoroughtrainingareimperativelydemanded，itfollowsofnecessitythatthesequalificationsmustinsurefortheirpossessorsapermanentcareerinwhichthetemptationstomalfeasanceordishonestyarereducedtotheminimum。Ontheotherhand，inacountrywhereintelligenceandtraininghavenosuretythattheyaretocarrythedayagainststupidityandinefficiency，theincentivestodishonourableconductareoverpowering。Theresultinourownpoliticallifeisthatthebestmenaredrivenindisgustfrompolitics，andthusoneofthenoblestfieldsforthecultureofthewholemanisgivenovertobeworkedbyswindlersandcharlatans。ToanAtheniansuchaseveranceofthehighestculturefrompoliticallifewouldhavebeenutterlyinconceivable。Obviouslythedeepestexplanationofallthisliesinourlackofbeliefinthenecessityforhighandthoroughtraining。Wedonotvaluecultureenoughtokeepitinouremployortopayitforitsservices；andwhatisthisshort-sightednegligencebuttheoutcomeoftheuniversalshiftlessnessbegottenofthehabitofdoingeverythinginahurry？Oneveryhandwemayseethefruitsofthisshiftlessness，frombuildingsthattumblein，switchesthataremisplaced，furnacesthatareill-protected，fire-brigadesthatarewithoutdiscipline，uptounauthorizedmeddlingswiththecurrency，andrevenuelawswhichdefeattheirownpurpose。