Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1839-07-26

announced - its author. Many of the attempts at
wit are NEST melancholy; the descriptions are COM
mon place. and majority of the jokes asd anecdotes
are mere reprints Of newspaper paragraphs which
are worn threadbare badly arranged and Connected.
We can only afford room to-day for the following ex.
tracts from this Diary in American
visit to make it agreeable to both parties, should
be well timed. My appearance .t New York was
very much like bursting into friends house with
merry face when there is death in it-with the
sudden change from levity to coincidence. 6 Any
other time most happy to see you. You find US. in
very unfortunate situation" Af M&
"'Indeed I'm very-very sorry" ntr v@M
Two hundred and sixty houses have already failed,
and one knows where itsto end. Suspicion fear,
and misfortune have taken possession of the city.
Had not been aware Of the cause, should have
imagined that the plague was raging, and had the
description Of Defoe before me-
Not a smile on one countenance among the crowd
who pass and repass hurried steps, care-wOrn faces,
rapid exchanges of salutation, or hasty communca-
ton of anticipated ruin before the goes down.
Here two or three gathered on side, whisper
ing and watching that they not overheard there
solitary, with his folded and his hat slouched,
breeding over departed affluence Mechanics,
thrown out Of employment, are pacing up and down
with the air Of famshed wolves. The violent shock
through the country to distance of hundreds of
miles Canals, railroads, and all pablo works, have
been discontinued, and the Irish emigrant leans
against his shanty with his spade idle in his hand,
Emerald Isle.
The Americans delight in the hyperbole; in fact
they hardly have metaphor withoutit During this
crash, when every day fifteen or twenty merchants
appeared in the newspapers as bankrupts, one
party, not in a very good humor Fastening down
Broadway when he was run against by another whose
temper was equally unamiabie. This collision
reused the choler OF both.
''What the devil do you mean, sir - cried one
"Ive great mind to knock you into the middle Of
nert tceek - la of
This occurring on a Saturday, the wrath of the
other was checked by the recollection Of how very
favorable such blow would be to his present cir
cumstances.
will you by heavens, then pray do; It's just the
day and the acceptances must take up, il more thar
l can tell "
All the banks have stopped payment in specie, and
there is not dollar to be had. walked down Wall
street. and had convincing proof of the great de-
mand for money, for somebody picked my pocket.
The militia under arms, as riots are expected
The banks in the country and other towns have fol-
lowed the example OF New York, and thus has Gen.
Jackson's currency bill been repealed without the
aid of Congress. Affairs now at their worst. and
now that such is the case, the New Workers appear
humorously Observes" All Broadway is like unto
new made widow, and don't know whether to laugh
or cry" There certainly is very remarkable en-
ergy in the American disposition; II they fall, they
bound up again. Somebody has observed that the
New York merchants of that elastic naure that,
when fit for nothing else, they might be converted
into coach springs, and such really appears to be
their character.
Nobody refuses to take the paper Of the New York
banks, although they virtually have stopped pay
ment;-they never refuse any thing in New York; :
but nobody will give specie in change and great dis
tress is occasoned by this want Of circulating me-
dunn. Some of the shopkeepers told me that they
had been obliged to turn away hundred dollars
day, and many southerner who has come up with
a large supply OF southern notes, has found himself
pauper, and has been indebted to friend for few
dollars in specie to get home again.
The radicals here, fer there radicals, IT APP
pears, in democracy
:" In the lowest depth, lower deep
are very loud in their complaints. / was watching
the swarmiDg multitude in w all street this morning
when one Of these fellows de claiming against the
banks for stopping specie payments, and robbing
poor man in such tcillanous Manner" when one Of
the me chants, who appeared to know his customer
said to him" Well as you say, il is hard for poor
fellow like you not to be able to get dsllars for has
notes; hand them out, and I'll give you specie for
them myself"' The blackguard had not cent in
his pocket, and walked away looking very foolish
He reminded me of little chimney sweeper at the
Tower Hamets election, asking" Vot vos my no.
pinions about primag initurp-ave very important point
TO him certainly, he havipg no parents, and having
been brought up by the parish
/ was in a store when a thoroughbred democrat
walked in: he talked loud, and voluntarily gave il
his opinion that all this distress the very best
thsg that could have happesed to the country, as
America would now keep all the specie and pay her
English creaitors with bankruptcies. There always
appears to to be a great want Of moral prime pe
in all radicals; indeed, the levelling principles OF
radicalism adverse to the sacred rights Of
ct uum. At Philadel hia the ultra. democrats have
held large public meeting, at which Of the first
resolutions brought forward and agreed to was
"That they did not owe one farthng to the English
people,"
"Thev may say the times are bad said a young
American to me, but think that they excel
lent A twenty dollar note used to last but a
week, but now il is good as Fortunatus' purse,
which was empty. eat my dinner at the ho-
tel, and show them my twenty dollar note. The
landlord away from IL, if il the head Of
Medusa, and begs that will pay another time
buy every thing that want and have only to offer
nv twenty dollar note in payment, and my credit 10
rnbounded-that is, for any SAN under twenty dol
lars. IL they ever do give change again in New
York, II will make very unfortunate change in my
affairs -
A government circular, enforcing the act Of Con-
.ress which obliges all those who have to pay
tom-hoase duties postage to do so in specie has
created great dissatisfaction, and added much to the
distress asd difficulty. At the same time that they
1.-THE governmont) refuse to take from their debtors
the notes Of the banks upon the ground that they
no longer legal tenders, they compel their creditors
to take those very noes-havins had large quantity
in their possession az the time that the banks
pended specie paymeats--an act Of despotism which
the English government would not venture upon.
Miss Martincaus work il before me. How dan
gerous il is to prophecy Speaking Of the merchants
Of New York, and their recovering after the heavy
losses they sustained by the caamitous fire OF 1885,
she taat although eighteen millions of property