The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-03-24

SUPPRESSION OF THE MODEL ARTISTS AT length
public opinion and moral sentiment have carried
the day. The model artists are suppressed for
the present. The Grand Jury have indicted all
these exhibitions. They are all shut up, with
the exception Of one or two, which resisted, and
the propretors of them have been arrested and
imprisoned, and will be tried, and convicted,
and exposed, and rardoned, and patroniz d, and
start again fresh and clean.
The rise, growth, progress, and extreme H.
ceniiousness, ]etterly, of those exhibitions.
would form curious history in the domestic
manners and morals of this magnificent and
audacious metropolis. For years these exhibi
lions have'existed in Paris, London, and other
large cities in Europe; but they have always been
under the excellent control of the police, and
were never allowed to extend themselves hey ond
a certain degree of decency and proprlety. The
petticoat was cut by the police. In this free
land, however, where the laws affecting social
liberty are extremely lax, it takes come time u
work on the moral sentiment Of the community
IN order to bring it to act on our manners, and
bring about decency after it is departed from
We are glad, however, that at length it has &C
complished its purpose in peace and quiet.
But while we express these feelings on the
suppression Of the model artists, we must sepa
rate that class Of exhibitions from those really
connected with the higher ranks OF the fine arts
The Greek Slave of Powers preceded these ex-
hibitions, and many fastidious persons denounced
that sublime and ETHEREAL work of art, without
cause, and without reason. Next followed
COllyer's model artists, which were certainly
beautiful, and marked with propriety during
their first engagement. Then commenced the
deplorable and lamentable lcentous move
ment, which has ended in their suppression
We are constrained, however, to say, that
the decentralization of those exhibitions has
been aided and assisted by many of those old
sEectable scoundrels, who exist in every large
city, and whose mag inations are the most cor.
rupt and atrocious that can possibly be mag ined;
while at the same time they pass before the rest
of the community as pious5 religious, philosophi-
cal thinkers-members of temperance societies,
patrons of pious institutions, and other societies
| of a like kind. At many of those exhibitions re-
cently-and in their wors, ch,rao .er too--we are
informed that ex-mayors, ex-aldermen, ex. bank
ers, and many Of those who may be considered
ex-clergymen and ex parsons, have actually been
seen to enter, pay their money at the door, and
take away the worth Of their money by looking
at those hcentious sights. The trial which is to
take place will, probably, bring forth as wit
nesses, some of those highly reverend scoun-
drels, who to crafty their passions for the mo.
ment, would pay<her money for such sights
and then raise hue and cry about morality and
religion.
These exhibitions may be classed with the
shocking generalization which grew up about
twenty years ago in this city, when the first al
tempt was made to give masquerades at the the
tres. In one winter these masquerades, which
commenced modes,ly and with great propriety,
were run into all kinds of extravaganza, SO that
they had to be suppressed by the Legislature
| Now, however, private masquerades are given,
and are conducted with great propriety; and we
| have heard OF several, the present season, which
have been marked with as much elegance and
refinement as the choicest masquerades given
| in the first circles of London and Paris.
/
SINGULAR ACT OF THE AssEMBLY.-The tee-
| graph ofyesterday brought US news OF the pas.
/ sage (by the Assembly, Of an act nOminally to
re-organize the ward courts of THE city; but in
| effect calculated to destroy them This is q