THE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY. 731 



Thus we have the Academy pandering to the popular feeling. The 

 ebullitions of a patriotic sentiment which it is the misfortune of France 

 to possess, in too great a degree, are not checked by the Academy, but 

 encouraged by it, even at the expense of good taste. 



And then, lastly, observe that some of the most cultivated French- 

 men, not so well satisfied with institutions of the Academy-type as 

 Mr. Arnold seems to be, have recently established, on an English 

 model, a French Association for the Advancement of the Sciences. 

 Here are passages from their prospectus, published in La Revue Sci- 

 entifique, 20 Janvier, 1872 ; commencing with an account of the 

 founding of the Royal Institution : 



"There were at this meeting fifty-eight members. Each one of these put 

 down his name without more ado for fifty guineas, or nearly 1,300 francs of our 

 money equal to 2,000 francs at the present day. On the morrow the Royal 

 Institution of London was established. "We know what it came to be after- 

 ward. 



"What Englishmen did, in 1799, some eminent savants of our own country 

 would repeat to-day in France. Like Rumford, in the last century, they thought 

 that the ancient supremacy of the French name in all branches of science was 

 beginning to decay, and threatened one day to fall. 



" God forbid that they should charge this decay upon the French Academy, 

 of which they are themselves nearly all members ! But the Academy, though 

 it maintains the prestige of its name in Europe, is growing weak in the majesty 

 of its greatness. It neither possesses sufficient means of action, nor is its energy 

 sufficiently active to use those it has. The sinews of war money are lacking, 

 but, what the Academy lacks still more, is bold and intelligent enterprise. It 

 has fallen asleep upon the honors secured to it in the traditions of centuries." 



Thus, curiously enough, we find another contrast parallel to that 

 noted above. While Mr. Arnold is lauding French institutions, French- 

 men, recognizing their shortcomings, are adopting English institutions. 

 From which we may fairly infer that, great as is Mr. Arnold's desire 

 " to see the object as in itself it really is," he has not in this case suc- 

 ceeded ; and that, endeavoring to escape the bias of patriotism, he 

 has been carried too far the other way by the bias of anti-patriotism. 



* 



One more illustration of the effect of this bias on Mr. Arnold calls 

 for brief comment. Along with his over-valuation of foreign regula- 

 tive institutions, there goes an under-valuation of institutions at home 

 which do not exhibit the kind of regulation he thinks desirable, and 

 stand in the way of authoritative control. I refer to those numerous 

 Dissenting organizations characterizing this " anarchy " of ours, which 

 Mr. Arnold curiously makes the antithesis to " culture." 



Mr. Arnold thinks that, as a nation, we show undue faith in ma- 

 chinery 



"Faith in machinery is, I said, our besetting danger. . . . "What is free- 

 dom but machinery? what is population hut machinery? what is coal but ma- 



