The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-07-09

The WALL STREET AIMS HoUsE.-The GO
vernors of the fashionable wing aims house, down
town, have entered upon the duties of the Office
with great vigor at all events. If Father Richie
were here, his eyes would run fountains of tears,
and his groans would convulse all Manhattan with
a perfect earthquake OF patriotic sorrow. 1t is,
indeed, "regn of terror 10 the pure patriots
who have, for years past, dozed and fatened in the
Wall street asylum for decayed and INDECENT poll
ticans. The political effect of all these move
ments Is hereafter to be developed II is to some
of the moral aspects of the business that we would
direct the attention of poets, philosophers, and
piemen.
In the first place, the alarming augmentation of
our pauper population, consequent upon the whole
sale removals of the inmates of the down town
aims house, presents subject OF very serious con-
sideration Nearly two hundred individuals who
have been the recipients of public bounty, are now
thrown upon the city
"New York is all before them, where to choose
Their place Of rest'-
And it is open to conjecture who is to be their
"guide." Probably, the tremendous moral lesson
conveyed IN the illustrious achievement of our
courageous Mayor and his sapient advisers of the
Corporation, on that night when the pavement Of
Asor Place was watered by the blood of our fell
low citizens, will prevent any regularly organized
assault upon property by this desperate band of
rejected patriots; but, notwithstanding all that,
thoughtful men can hardly resist some serious
forebodings. 1t is true that the Wall street
aims house, like that up town, not particularly
we'll adapted for the cultivation of spirit,o ac
tvlty or energy in its inmates. But necessity IS
the mother of invention, and Satan is always
ready to act the part of accouche~ when the Pc
Rod of CESSATION is complete. The age, too, is
busting, inventive age. What, then, we may ma
turally enough ask, with some degree of appre-
hension--what are these poor, forlorn, destitute,
homeless, houseless, wandering patriots likely to
do in order to obtain the means of existence! In
what pursuits, favorable or untavorabe to the in-
terests, peace and welfare of society, are they
likely to engage! We must not press these specu-
lations Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
On the other hand, what is likely to be the moral
and social influences exercised by the new APP
pontments! Into what new and alarming condi-
tons may not the sudden transit from absolute
wan,-crying want-despairing want-want, to
which fathers, and uncles, and friends
naturally deaf, but for which the alms-house GO
vernors-eternal blessings on their heads had
bowels of compassionate state of pethorc en-
joyment, precpate the new inmates of the gen.
teel aims housed Interesting Old men, and inte-
resting middle aged men, and interesting young
men, who for years past hardly knew where to get
a glass of grog or plug of tobacco, now find
themselves miracuously seated at an overlooking
table, and surrounded by all the Injuries of pub
lie pauper. The shock must be tremendous How
will it be sustained How will the change Of regi
men operate upon different idiosyncracies! What
effects may or may not be produced on the moral
atmosphere of those regions up town from which
many of those new recipients of public bounty
have been selected If the appointment of one
scapegrace out of an eminently aristocratic and
fashionable wing family, equal the efforts of a
dozen bottles of disiniectant fluid, or six cubic
feet of laughing gas, what would likely be the ef-
feet of the appointment Of half a score Of scape-
grsces out of single eminently aristocraiio and
fashionable wing family!
Enough of these philosophical speculations for
the present. We shall soon return to the subject;
for 1t is as full of instruction industrious bee
is of honey, or medical board is of folly, hum
bug and stupidity.