Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1838-02-10

versation happened to fall upon what called good
society in this goodly city, its airs And assumpusn'
its pretensens and their futily, so strangely con-
asted with the lnsgmfcance OF the pretenders, and
the humbleness of their mushroom origin An old
friend of mine who was present. gave 9s some sngu-
lar dealls this topic, few OF when VIII disclose,
as the revelation will be curious IN ITSELF ana amusing
to my readers besides showing coxcombs that Their
stock is well known, and that although nne feathers
make fine BIRDS yet all the gaudy tram of the osten-
tatious peacock cannot conceal his anyanly spindle
shanks or give harmony to the discordant tones OF
his hoarsc throat
One of my guests was speaking of the high charac-
ter of the "Pnks" one of whom edits the paper that
owned and controlled by the Bangup ciiqme of ia
shOn and finance and who acted as At the
late Webster feed at the Astsr House 1hls family
was quoted as one of the best specimens OF New
York arstocracy and as being superior 20 nose par
venus who had scarcely yet shaken Of all traces OF
the mire from which they had emerged. 80,
81 was in Boston," said ne, I'm the year ioOo, and
dned in Charlestown, on one occasion, In an MOTEL
which was formerly inhabited by Thomas Russell,
the richest merchant Boston before the revolution
The conversation then, as now, happened 10 turn
on the fortunate rise OF some persons WITHOUT any
talents above the common level, and the msfortunes
and obscurty OF others possessing the highest order
of mind, and the most brilliant cndowments Oh genus
An old gentleman, who was then present, gave as
instance Of the former, that an American minister,
then in Europe had waited on him al Mr., Russells
table in that very room; had stood behind his coach,
and done all the offices Of domestic servant lie
was afterwards sent school, and his expences de-
frayed there by Mr. Russell. Subsequently he came
to New York as member OF Congress; and, IN 1850,
married an only child, with whom he got what IN
those days was looked upon as handsome fortune.
"Well-that is something new, indeed. 1 mad al
ways thought they deduced their descent from WI
ham Rufus at least. But who knows any thing about
Colonel Rodomont ?-he is not nulius ftius, at all
events"
ellis father was Colonel in the revolutionary
army; and like his son and our anusing friend, was
never considered fighting character except IN the
of Venus. His mother was OF TINS state, wnerc
her father kept tavern"
"Worse and worse why, this is stripping of
jackdaws with a vengeanee-but there Is one person
who would stand the ola German heralds search
ing into his genealoey, and could prove ms sixteen
quarterincs to the satisfaction of the Baron OF Thun-
dcr.ten- tronckh himself alude 10 Mr.. Ochone."
"All IS not gold that gltters, my friend-and
very fine looking half.doar sometimes rings most
basely. Ocaones father was bought German serv-
ant, what was then called Redemptlonlst, whe was
sold to pay for his passage 10 this country-served
his time 10 carpenter, and afterwards worked at thai
trade One of his brothers was baker, and anoth-
er kept little dry goods store IN William street, near
Fulton"
"They then were the ornament of the family, and
entitled to infinitely more respect than the naughty
purse proud pdrrcnus, who affect to be ashamed OF
honest industry, and would deny their origin from
pains taking and Woodworking mechanic. The pre-
sent fashionable pretenders in New York are mere
rabble and smell strongly Of the dunghill, notwith-
standing the essences with which they try TO deaden
the scent. But the Whippoorwllls were coopers and
tubm makers before the rcyolutions these people are
geRerally looked upon as belonging to the Dutch ar
lstocracy. Nothing of the kind"
81 have one veneraied name which will come ont
brightly from the ancestral scrutiny. What DO You
say 10 the Topclins ~
IOld George Tonclins father was an Irish sur.
veyor. who settled in Little Britain in the rear OF
Newburgh-and from him sprung the soldiers and
Legislators who have since illustrated the family"
"when did yos see Lady Mary lastl
Pass the bottle. Bennett, here's success TO the He
raid. How does that interesting bantling go en- u
"Beyond my expectation" replied, "and ahead
Of every thing. Indeed nothing can affect the posi-
ton of the Herald new, and II has become an inds-
pensable ingredient in every domestic circle.
Blu, have not the difficulties Of the times affected
its circulation? y
"Not al ALL AT this moment sell about two
thousand more than did at the corresponding period
Well-rm heartily glad Of ,hat-frst, because
like the Herald-nexi because l respect you-and
lastly because you have bsfflcd the mean, dastardly
and NAL gnant attempts TO put you down by your
Wall street rivals
aPu, me down and they do it! Oh, never am
like the palm tree in Xenophon's Anabasls; the
more IL is trodden down, and pressed upon, the more
vigorous il rises from the effort
dangerous is its reco 10 those who endeavor 10 bend
H. The course Of the Herald is like that OF one oil our
gallant packet shpsthe faster goes the more does
dash the about It's Prov, which glide up It's
bows and then scatter IN foam. SO IS the ciamor
that has been raised against me, empty as the wind
and harmless as the foam that only accelerates the
course Of the gallant vessel.
"Then you are confident of success, and that your
onward progress cannot be impcdcdT
al am morally certain Of H. and all my arrange
ments have been made in that convection. The
bowling Of the manned, impoten and dwelling
Wall street presses has been excited because they
saw in me the originator of n new impulse of mind
the inspirer Of new epoch in philosophy, science
literature and arts which they had not the wit TO an
icipate or the grace follow. Instead OF ackno NJ
edgng the true spirit Of journalism as exemplihed IN
the Herald they have vainy attempted to quench u
and instead OF trying TO make their prints capable
OF satisfying the ucreaslnE wants OF the age, their en-
ergles have been directed TO remove the man whose
ress,less power has made their insuihency 80 mani,
fest This is emphaucally the age OF journalism; and
competent editor fll the station IN thepuohc eye
which he ought TO occupy, should be living and
breathing encyclopedias, ievylng Contributors nom
the acquisitions Of past ages and culne rom the IN.
tellectua resources Of the past and present. TO hold
up lanihorn on the dusky and mysterious road OF
the future But my contemporary minds are Ike
white sheet OF their own paper before the types are
impressed upon IT, or rather like case oil types IN IT.
reparable pi blank, disIolnted and confused win
out an original idea, the mental power TO nppre-
ciate one when presented TO them. They hate re.
ferm-as owls shrink from the blessed light OF
day in the natural world do these poor creatures
detcst the bright luminary that dazzles Their weak
vision by the sores OF the past tho resisiess ener-
ees OF the present. and the daring prospects OF the i-