The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-08-20


We give, to-day, fun report of the great event
of this century-the grand fancy ball at Saratoga
Springs. Words cannot express the delght-the
ecstatic deght-with which we give this article to
the world. Our country is safe. The glory ofthe
republic Is more respondent than We are
decidedly the most fashionable-the most elegant
the most polite-the most cheerful-the most
tasteful-the most accomplished-the most intel
lectual-the most graceful-the most recherche peo-
ple-that's the term-on this side Of Styx. Wehave
positively outdone ourselves, this time, at Saratoga.
What a tremendous shit" we have made. to be
sure Let us take breath, and speak Of all this
calmly and cody, as becomes follower Of fashion
and fulbelows.
It was with no ordinary degree OF anxiety, we
confess, that we awaited this grand fancy ball.
The heroic struggle of the Hungarian people
the throes and agonies of oppressed millions in
other parts of Europe-the sullen murmurs of the
pestilental storm, which even now sweeps around
alike the huts fpoverty and the palaces of the rich
in our land-what were all these, to the great
fashionable movement ofthls Christian age in Chris
tian Amerca-the fancy ball at Saratoga Springs
Nay, to come to smaller matter, who could spend
a thought or prayer on the poor President, drag
ged from place to place, now half dead from drugs,
and now at deaths door from diarrh1a, while this
stupendous affair was on the tapis? Then, there
was Harry Of the West" too, sinking, faint
ing, exhausted, almost giving up the ghost, under
the strong doses Of Bishop Hughes but who, of
all that gay throng, acted the good Samaritan to
him, while this weightier matter was, as yet, all
undecided! What to that brilliant assembage of
the intellect, patriotism, virtue, beauty, elegance
and genius of the land, was the fate of Hungary, or
the death of nation, or the pangs of President,
or the suferngs Of a Clay, or the yawning pits of
Potter's Field, receiving every day hundreds and
hundreds of poor and wretched outcasts, compared
with the transcendent glory of the grand fancy bali
at Saratoga Springs! We admire beyond all pow
Of expressing our admiration, this heroic deve-
ton to the sacred cause Of fashion. Poets and
philosophers, doctors and divines, saints and sau-
sage-makers, rogues and routs, milionaries and
mantuamakers, gamblers and grocers, bankrupts
and bankers, clerks and clergymen, lawyers and
loafers, BARRIERS and billiard-markers waters and
wine merchants, all mingled in this grand obla-
ton to the goddess Of fashion, and, unquestion-
ably, it was glorious, superb, magnificent,
splendid, oblation. Heaven help us What will
Europe say Of us now1
~
hanging in the branches of the trees in the lawn
of the United States Hotel and they had three
bands of music and they had all the walters,
with clean shirts and Jackets, as white as snow ;
and they had the most elegant blue, and scarlet,
and white rosettes for the managers, that you
saw IN your lite; and they had Eve hundred
quarts of ice cream and they had oceans Of
brandy and water; and they had pretty, convenient
E.sl. Il e.
and they had, altogether, perfect paradse-the
incest, sweetest, pleasantest Garden of Eden, "ior
one night only" that the most sentimental board
ing sheol miss ever painted in the whole course Of
her bondage to French, music, and the use of the
globes. And all for the small charge Of ten dollars
a ticket! There was one drawback to the bound
less enjoyment Of the occasion. Henry Clay was
not there. He left a few days before the grand
fancy ball. Alas he left in displeasure. He was
greatly offended because he was put down as enc
of the managers. Mr.. Clay bade a final adeu, a
year or two ago, to all the pomp and vanities Of
this wicked world. He fed to the bosom of the
Church. never more TO mingle in the dance. A
little innocent Irritation s'piazza or balcony, is,
however, allowed him. He may still refresh him
self by occasionally snufing the incenoe Of the
drawing room. But rs for the gay salon de danse,
that is an abomination TO be summed and avoided.
SO the gallant old Harry Of the West" the fine
old Harry of the West" the idolized old "Hary
Of the West" the pious old " Harry Of the West"
did not grace the ball room with his presence.
What was still worse, the great belle Of all the
hotels and pet OF the penny a-liners compelled
to waste her sweetness the desert air. Of the
drawing room. Some old man or woman, related
to her, had just died, and etiquette forbade her at
tendance at the grand fancy ball. How provoking
Her costume had been all prepared it fitted ad-
mirably. She looked her very best-so the mirror
! had Just assured her-not a rnglet, not roseate
hue, not a grace, that was not mole fascinating
than ever and yet she could no, 90 TO the ball.
And then again, as IL to verify the sayings Of the
poet
20, Gertrude. Gertrude,
when sorrows come, they come not single spies
But In battalions''-
Governor Fish was not there He, too, had left
left in high dudgeon, because the committee had
not sent him invitation Shocking, positively
shocking
But il was grand affair. The lights were bril-
liant-thc eyes OF the ladies' were dazxng-the
costumes were superb-the music was delicious
the woodcock were cooked to a niceiy-the cham
payne plenty and cheap-the polkss were rs
free and easy as any one could desire-and the
new German cotllon was inexpressbly loose and
bewitching. Terrible, indeed. had been the con-
Aict in committee about this German cotillon-this
new march in the scale Of decency and social re-
fnement. For weeks, whole weeks, weeks made
up Of long. anxious auguing hours, the real Simon
Pures Of the fashionable world-the genuine de-
voices Of fashion, the true virgin California gold Of
the aristocra,c circles, and none Of your trumpey
Chatham street prnchbeck-had been practising the
bewildering and bewitohing movements Of this
delicious dance. Were they to be deprived Of this
glorious opportunity Of public display The very
idea was blasphemously absurd. so, at last,
compromise was effected. II was agreed that the
waltz and polka, now grown old, stale, and without
any piqusncy, should occupy the hours before sup
per- and that afterwards the last saltatory mporta-
=. .l...il $4,000. H. d. A. .......x H.,