Press enter after choosing selection

Things In New York: Appearance Of The City--concerts--trinit...

Things In New York: Appearance Of The City--concerts--trinit... image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
May
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

New York, April 22, 1846. Fkiend Fostk k', - The rnpid ncrcnsc and extensión of this mammolli Ci'y. is doubtleea woll known to mnny of your readers. It is, however, more strikinglv cppnrenl to those wljo liko tnyself havo apent tlicir boyhood hero, and rnnrked i ts onward progresa tho past 20 yoars. I can well remernber many a boyish gnmbol upon the hill then imhe upper part of tho city, whero tiioro wns at tha, time bul hcre and tlierc a solitary house. .Now ihc hilla havo disnppcared, nnd upon the same pot, and for miles bcyond, solid blocks of bcantiful brick dwellings graco tho acenc. Tho rapidity with wln'ch tho "wasie places," caused by desolatirg fires, ano rebuilt, ia also remarka ble. Whilc upon u visit hcro somo 8 or 9 months sincc. Iwas paincd to witnefs the ravngesof oneoí ino.se ureaaiui cnnuagrations which n a few hours rcduced hundreds of buildings in the very hcart of the business part of die Cily to oslies. causing an immediutc deslruction of somc C or .$8,000,000 of propcriy, and so uttorly devastating ü large part of the city below Wall St. thai it was scrfously proposed bcforo rebuiiding to have it laid out ancw. Sorno of the streets wc re ütcrally oblitcrated, and tlio wholo scène presenting onn mass of ruina. Now in pnnsing over the same spot, the visitor will bchold denso blnekfl of stores, arisen as it wcro by magie, lar suipaK3Íng in bc.iuiy and eiegance thosc which at thnt timo foll a prey to the devourfng elemente Thcrc seeins to bc in ihis respect a buoyance and activiiy aboitt the inhabitants of this city to recover from the efiecls of 8uch calamiiies almosi incrediblc. Ötrolling through tho cily to observo the IA ons, Ientcred tho City Hall. and nfier passing into sevcral of the Coun rooms, Common Coun cil Chambers, &c, was politoly shown into wha; are called the Govcrnqrs rooms. lloro I found a most splcndid collcction of paimings, cmbracing the full Icngih Portraiia of tho greal men ol ihc State and Natiot, and nlöo of the diflèreiu Mayorsof tho City, from tho tiaio immediately aubsequent to the Ruvolulion to the present.- AlsoaJJrunzo Slatuto. large ns lifo of Tho'e. Jcíloráon, represented as holding in one hanJ a scroll, upon which -was inscribcd tho Immortal- .. w ■ ■ ■ j ■■ i i . ■ ( i .. . IIUIU 1ÏU tl lo O two microbio relies of (hosc memorable times one ihe i.-ible upóti wliicli tho Declnration ofln(Jopeiirler.ee was eigned- and anotlier the writing tnble of Washington used dtiring (he timo ofjiis public service. These, logethcr wiib the splcndíd'coHectíon of pafnUn&i rcmlers it a place ol somo interest to tho visilor. 1'hc pnintingy. (probably about 100) 1 wr.s informed liad doulxless cost over $100,000- as yno of tliem, (that of Com. Decatur) cost some $2,5)0. Aniony ihc hfnny interesting exercises whicli are being beld almost evory evening ot thia sea son of the year in thie grent city, it was my privilege to attend ono laot week at the Broadway Tabernacle of peculiar interest- tho Animal Mu.icinl festival of Mr. radbury- a gentleman who devotos his entiro timo in teaching vocal MUÍAIS In rlilrïrn ti.. mii -...I A_„_: itgivèa a Concert from tlio pVoceeds of whicli he dirivca tlie rcmuncrntion for bia ecfviccs. Bcing advised that it was an cxcicíhü so popular tliai iri order to obtain n good eoat t would bc necessary to go vcry early, we went at least au hour before the caminen cement oí' tlie exercisos, and nlthough il wnst jnst the time onnounced for door to opon, yct we found that immense room nlrcndy ncarly iilled, altliough compntod to liold comfortably rising 3.000 adults, nnd crowd aller crowd came pouriiig iii utjtil overy liole and corner of it was litorally cranimcd. Tlio choir consisled of about One Thouaand cliildrcn and youiUbctwccn tlicugcs of G and 11 yon is. Tv any onu who had tlie least epark of social fecl'm or lovo forchiklrcn in his soul, il wa3 a fca3t jiibt to look upon them. About two thirds of thuni wero girls, all tieaily nnd hniformly ciad in white, aha presenting ono of the BWoeieflt and möflt iiAcrcsiing picture the eyo could beliold- ahhough tliey sccmeJ to bo under adiniiable disciüde yètn lur ilie huur picced ng ihee.ercis ihe luiinol tlie liitTebusy whisperers - over and non hushcd by the bcll of tho Teacher- rose and swcllcd upon ihe e ir, swect and cnlivcning as the rush u( muny waters. I shall not altetnpi any particular description of ihc perfornuuicee.only rcmnrking thai ihey were in evcry respect such as io. rt'ik-ct cicdit upon ihemeelvcs, nnd nlso upon the tact and skill of thcir accomplished teacher. Two or three of ïhe piecen wure admirably pciTornied, considering ihe agc nnd circunistance8 of the porfoniers. One of thèru (a solo) w.is y a littlo gtil about G ye;in old and Ijarely as high as iho Piano beforo whicH eliè stood to perform. Tnking it aliogtthei-thc perfect sea of honda vvhich c.owded ihat Bpacioua tdilicc - the delightful appcaranco of (hc youlhM clioir, and ihuir admirable períormauco renderèd ii an nnimatinc nnd novel scenc. l'jiseingdown Broadwny, létèppcd in to take brief suivcy of Trinity Cliurch. Tina apleodid building, wliich Un alrcady occupied some 3 or 4 yuars in iu oruction, is not yct complctcd. but I am itjforniod is to bo opent-d for worship in about a inontli. It evidences a yrcat display of weallh, nnd i8 probnbly tho most expensive churcli cdifict; in tho Union. Jt is truly a most magnificent specimen of aichitrciurc- plcasing to iho eye, nnd wóuld awaken feelingsof dclighT in tlie rhiiid of the hcholder,. were it i.ot for thethought that wliilc eo many thonsands have bec luvished uppn it, without stint, multitudes o hutuon beinge within tho sound of ia chimjn bells nro almost liicrally fomishing for want o' both temporal and spiritual food. Many of th cliurchcs crocted in the city within the past iet ycarscxhüm n lavishncss of expendituro wh.c it secins to mo doca not wcll compnrt with th (spirit of simpiicity with the Gospel seems to en jom. A noúceabla fnct with regard to ',e duirch 68 bero ia ihü roniova] uf ,1Kmy of iliein within fow ycard past quite to the upper suburbs of th city. This isowing io tho fact oftho icniovu ol 80 m.my dwolüngs irom the lowcr lo the nppe pirt of (hé city within ihnt linie. Jt waa iv privilege n ftw evenings since lo attend rcüaiuu Bcrviccs upon the occasion o orgnniziny n , jwv Con?.cgation.-.IChurcli to bc loented in the up per part of Broudwuy t0 bear the signifleant nam of the "Cnurch of the Puiitune." j know nt how far thcy adopt iho faith and. ... ,-, „v Kwvvn.uu [y ni0 principia of hoeo wbosc name they have cl.oscn to bcar, bui of dus 1 om confidbnt, il ibóy manjf.st nny ;o degree oí tbc stern unU.ndi.ig oiegiity o'l .rinc:p!e which chnmclerized mnny of lliai ,aml uf worilues, (hey will bo osicemed n very frange otol mor.ala o the days of rtfintmcnl, and n iIhh n.odoin A.lylls. For a ípirit w devo1 Ihié tl.at of l'aul can iwt but weop t boold.ng ,his city almost "whuljy givon to IdoJnry. Uui, sftór al!, n lw„l4 ls ,lotlinC( md ,a. too (,,, profetaipitt of ,.,,,, reéót forthoprincipies nnd sclf-eacrificing examplo ofoncim reform er3,Í8 no eecurity that thoaeprofcBBingeuch regard would noi he found nmong ihe foroinost in opposing and even persecuting thoso who oxinblt like intogritj' and moral heroism in their own day. What a transforming infltience tho lapse of a iow ages worksupon tho characterand principies of intrepid reformers n ihe cstimntion of many of llic present day! Thoso who, lí nosv living and acting as thcy onco did, vtouldbo cstcenicd tho veriest inadmen, fools and u'inis the world ever aaw, ore now praised and culogizcd for their Btern unhending adhorence to principie. Thcse remaré are of coursc not designed to apply to the individuáis compoaingthe orgai)iz;ition to which lliave just referred, as I nm not ptrsonnily nequainted with a single one of thcm, and trust they wili 30 act in the support of every righteous principie as to reflect honor pon tho worthy iiamo they bear. and never lall under the wcepirig denunciaron of the Savioiir wUen rebukfng a certain class. as in Matt. 23: 2'J: Slc. Hut it is n painful fact that the conduct lo which I have referred is too common with many ofour Modern Panegyrists of ihc worthics of former daya. And in tho light of this fact I greatly mig-judgc tlio futuro, if there are not nien nowupon tlio singo of a'ction whosc pfiociples and lives havo been irntluced, and thcir cliaractcrs vilifiedand slundercd, wlio n coming generntioriü will bc lookcd back upon, as iho truo I'hilarnhropistsof the age- solf-sacrilicing nien - devuting thcir cnergies in ihe niidst oí dislrust, perecenlion and abuse, to tlic ndvnncomcni of thc grcat principies ofhumanity and ihe glory of God- who8o ñames will tb.cn bo cherislied witli eaered venoinlion, & be a lower uf strongth to those who may be left to combat tome new devico jf Salan to opprcssourgmlfy race. Tho exerciaes upon tho occasion lo which I havo referred wcrc exccedingly interesting, and somo of the caiilions addregscd to the new organi.alion timcly and nppropriale, not only for ihein, butnll thc churclios tliroughout our land, viz: "ihat thcy should bè cautiousand eec that they did not rob tho gospel of Christ of its peculiar glory, which was thai the "i-oor"' had it prcached unió tliem." Thcre is noihin particularly new or slar;ling in the Ciiy at the present time. Thc inont-y market is still considorably agitated upon lbo mat ler of the Sub Trcasury, and probably will noi be quieied uniil ii te known what action the Senute design to take pon thnt suNjcct. The wnr fever has very muc.b subsided and the news by the last bteamer is regarded as dccidcdly pacific. It ie to bo hoped ihat thc War trunipcts or" our l'aliwtic (save the mark) tícnators. mny romain silcnt i'or a scason, nnd dtoiibllesa all npj.iehcn íion of Buch a calamity will boon pata away. Yours uuly.