The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-23

FAsHrosABLK ISrKLLIo KncE-THs RECENT GRAND
FANCY BALI-The fashionable world are already
aware of the great failure that was perpetrated in
he recent attempt that was made TO get up grand
larcy ball, by Mr.. Fry and his committee, at the
Astor Place Opera House. Before the night ca |
which the ball was announced to come of, some |
journals Of this city, which in the interest Of
the manager and of the committee, gave most |
splendid and picturesque descriptions of what it |
was intended to be, and asserted most unequ,vocal-
ly that it would rival any OF the balls which were
gwen last summer at Newport and Saratoga. II
seeme, however, that those beautiful descriptions
were " nothing but leather and prunella," for |
greater failure never followed any attempt to got
upa ball among fashionable society in this city or
country. an
the character and composition Of this grand fancy
dress ball, we have extracted from the Sunday
journals, and also from some of the third rate daily
papers, all the reports and items descriptive In any
way Of this great fate. From those descriptions,
which are headed by one from daily cotempora-
ry which has made its first dive into fashionable
subjects, it appears that the principal characters
which made display at that ball, were the
highly respectable reporters Of some of the Sun
day and Saturday weekly journals, some Of the
musicians from the opera orchestra, one or
two of the artists of the establishment, with
a few Of the musical critics attached to the
opera, and who have been making great noise
during the winter In favor OF Mr. Fy's profound
genius. We do not see in those accounts that any
of those people, who reported to be fashionable
or leaders Of the haut ton, made their appearance
there at all, or mingled in the dance or polkas.
No doubt those accounts make the best show pos
sibe, under the circumstances, for they were writ
ten probably by some OF the characters; but, on
the whole, 1t was rather I" lame and impotent
concuslon," after the great noise and note of pre-
paration before the night on which 1t took place.
Hoy singular all this ls! What has become OF
fashionable society? Where was the haut tor ?
The ball committee was got up under the manage
ment and selection of the Opera Committee and
Mr.. Fry. They seem to have treated the rest of
the world in peculiar manner-to call them to
grand fancy ball, and not themselves to make their
appearance there; or, If they did, to look on In
GOODNESS, and then return to their homes, after
turning up their noses for half an hour.
There is, however, another and more singular
charge brought against the Committee of Manage
ment; we mean those who had the control of the
ticket department. We are credibly informed
that a great number Of those sporting gentlemen,
who, IN common parlance, are called genteel
gamblers and polite black-legs with their female
associates, were actually admitted to this ball, in
various fancy characters, and that they took POSI-
tons, side by side. with the few respectable
people who were there. II this be so, it must
have been caused by the ignorance of the
committee, or something worse. Such commit
tee were unfit for the Office which they held II such
characters could purchase tickets, and obtain en-
trance into such place, with the connivance of
any member of the committee, it certainly ought
to be known A search should be made for the
cause, and cOndign punishment should be melted
out to those who would attempt thus to offer an
insult to the respectable ladies and gentlemen who
had the courage to appear the night in question,
and who certainly never expected to meet on the
same floor and dance In the same dance with
those characters who frequent the gambling
houses, as well as their male and female asso
ciates scattered through such city as New York.
On the whole, this ball, and the circumstances
attending it, furnish most singular commentary
on the confused and chaotic state of fashiona-
bic society In New York. At the splendid fancy
balls given at Newport and Saratoga, last sum-
mer we heard much OF the quarrels among cliques
about the absurd pretensions of one "set" and the
ridiculous claims OF another-all, however, aim
ing at the frat position, and none admitting to
others such right The squabbes and quarrels
which characterized the cliques at Newport, were
re-opened, 1t seems, at the grand fancy ball,
at the Astor Place Opera House, with ad-
ditional pepper and sauce and, certainly,
if those cliques, through their managers,
have endeavored to show their want of respect to
other respectable portions of society, not actually
IN fashionable life, and have gone so far as to ad
NIT such questionable characters as we have al
luded to the night in question, it was a gross
insult to those who were present. We think there
ought to be public meeting of fashionable So
eiety called, and measures taken to inquire by
what stratagem, through whose ignorance,
these dIsreputable characters, who frequent gam
bling houses and other places of bad repute, pur-
chased tickets, and showed themselves IN fancy
dresses at a highly respectable fets at the Aston
Place Theatre, which was believed to be got up
under the auspices Of the haut to~-the very elite
and some OF the most respectable people of this
city.
CoURTKsrEs THE PRxss.-There are two or
three (perhaps more) newspapers in this city that
make 1t a constant practice to charge every i'm
porant correspondence, and every interesting
piece of news, which appears exclusively IN the |
Herald, as forgey-a fabrication manufactured |
in our Office in this city In these envlous and |
spiteful attacks on us, our contemporaries of the |
E1psA, True Sw~, Globe, and one or two others, |
are conspicuous. The intelligence which we first
published from Madrid, in Spain, shadowing forth
the commencement Of overtures by our govern
ment for the purchase Of the Island of Cuba, was
denounced by Master. Brooks, Of the Express, as
false, as forgery, fabrication; and 1t has been
persisted In to this day, while ofhls Washington
admits the facts before his own
eyes, and in his swn coumns-which, however,
perhaps he never reads This might be excusable
in some OF the disreputable journals; but Master