The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-05

.fETY.-The recent fancy balls at Saratoga and |
Newport, and The movements of the fashionable
world In other watering places, have created
considerable sensation throughout the whole
country IN all our large cities, among the
fashionable coteries, as well as the outside barba-
rians To reader of these glowing accounts,
situated at distance, the society at Saratoga,
Newport, and the other summer resorts, would
appear to be the most amiable the most graceful,
the most delightful, the most beautiful and the
most innocent, that ever frolcked on this earth
since the first day in Paradise, before the willy
serpent entered that bhssful retreat, IN the garb
of fashionable dandy, with elegantly twisted
moustaches, and other equally captivating appen-
dages. The credulous assent, however, of the
outside barbarians, to these magniloquent des-
cnphons, would be as erroneous as that OF the
man who would place implicit confidence in the
statements of those politicians, OF the various
| parties, who are now FORMULATING the country,
hawking about the praises of their respective
ddates, and claiming credit for the purest patri-
otsm, while it is well known their sole motive is,
to subserve their own personal and mercenary
| ends.
| The reports of the Saratoga and Newport balls,
which have appeared in the various journalistic
| N,c York Herald lncluded-make them appear
very splendid and If the heart be not edited,
| the Imagination must be dazzed, by the
heightened, minute, and brilliant descrip-
lions which were given of the dresses
and the iewelery-the forms and the fashions
the feathers and the fooleries, of those who fgur-
ed SO gracefully on these occasions. 1t would al
most seem pity to spoil these beautiful Illusions
these kaleidoscope views and splendid fctions Of
| the nd no ptryo &c fon
| We cannot help it, however. We have been en-
deavoring for the last twenty-five years to organ
Use the higher classes of this country upon an in
teectua and rational system, in which their cha
racter might shine as conspicuous above the othei
nations of the world, as their country does in its
immense resources and capabilities, and in which
they would exhibit themselves to postenty as too
refined and too proud to copy the manners and the
customs of the faded and worn out salons of the
old coteries Of Europe But the squaring of the
circle is far easier task and the discovery of it
would be mere trife compared to such an un-
| dertaking.
| At Saratoga and at Newport society appears all
smiles and sunshine; but if the surface is penetra
ted, and one dives little DEEPER it will be found
to be great Buffalo convention, composed of the
most discordant elements that the late " confusion
worse confounded" of parties, brought together.
Every little coterie is marshalled under distinct
banner; and though outwardly protesting the most
cordial and amicable relations, makes war upon
another with as much petty SANDER malignity, ca
lumny and viruence, as to give an exact and truth
full representaion-though "not by particular de-
sire of Sheridans admirable comedy of the
"School for Scandal"
Our fashionable circles, although arrayed in the
most splendid garments, and ornamented with the
most costly bVoutiere, are, however, DESTROYS to
make you believe the contrary, simply the sons
and daughters of our butchers, and our bakers,
and our tailors; and they still RETAIN In the saloons
of Saratoga and Newport, a great deal of the
Jrusre manners of their worthy parents, which
all their af1ectaon Of the refined polish of foreign
society, cannot entirely remove
The accounts in all the newspapers, of these
balls and fashionable demonstrations, are greatly
overcharged, partially fictitious, and generally very
unreliable. We except no paper-not one, not
even our own-from this Judgment. We have
sinned, are a sinner, and possibly may sin again,
in the same way; but we shall always tell the
truth, and shame the devil though we would not,
for the world, that our honest confession would
mantle, with crimson hue, the cheek of single
belle or whiskered dandy who was present on |
these occasions.
So much for fashionable society IN this great
metropolis, and the surrounding country. We are
preparing a series of very curious and spicy arti-
Giles on the fashionable movements and proceed
lngs which have taken place during the present
summer, at Saratoga, Newport, and the ether
watering places. We shall give full and correct
history of the origin, progress and character of
the various coterles and cques, with all the pro-
mlnent fools and actors of which they were COM
posed-from New York, Boston, Philadelphia,
Baltimore and New Oreens. We think thus
duty we owe to truth and TO the pub
lie, whose imaginatons have been so shame
fully filled with phantasmagoria Of ina
ges which have no existence in the heavens
above, the earth below, nor the waters under the
earth; and it is duty we also owe to the unfor-
tunate scape goats who have been made the VIC |
Tins of these celestial delusions. For this highly
interesting and arduous undertaking, we expect
when our mortal career has closed, and we are |
called before the angel of judgment. that we shall
find large portion of our bye gone transgre sslons
bo,ted out from the records, and considerable
balance coming to us on the contra side, in con.
sequence OF the services we shall have rendered /
by this searching exposure of the vices and foies.
vanes and afft Citations, of the fashionable socie
ty of our day.
FREE Soil MovEaENTs.-To-day's Herald con-
tains report of the proceedings of tree soil
meeting, heldast evening, in Abingdon Square. at
which John Van Buren, delivered speech, in his
usual eloquent style, but in which, however. he
advanced nothing new or startling. 1t was, IN
fact, only repetition or re-hash of what he has
stated IN former speeches m
We should really like to know what John Van
Buren, has in view. He is shrewd, sharp. talented,
polite and amiable. He is accomplished and gen.
.lemaply. In whatever society he is placed, he is
at home; whether IN the ball room among the