The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-23

was got up under the supervision of the illustrious
Soyer; there plates for two hundred and forty
hive guests, and il is stated with considerable
tentation that the feast cost six hundred pounds!
Considerably less than that of the private supper Of
a New York young gentleman to dozen Of his
friends
should hardly be guilty of commenting on such
strictly personal matters private supper party,
but that the whole affair was made public by
brother law of MIR. Langdon's, the Baron de
lrobriand who gave particular account of it, the
cammelias and all, in his semi monthly magazine
the Reoue du Nouoeau Monde. II is an illustration
OF national manners, and may serve to point good
many excellent morals, and few years hence may
ndorn a tale. distinguished Englishman,
travelling in this country, expressed great aston
ishment, soon after his landing in New York, at
the extravaganza of luxury he had met in all the
houses to which he had been invited; and to avoid
the righteousness of the hotels he was compelled to
hire house that he might live in the plain manner
to which he had been accustomed at home.
When Colonel Thornc lived in Paris in the palmy
days OF Louis Philippe, when that city the
centre OF gaiety wealth, and spendor his brilliant
dinner parties, and liberal style Of living, made
| him one OF its most noticed lions. He WAS famous
| man for the time, and hardly ever opened
French or English periodical of the fashionable
class without meeting the name of the American
| millionaire, Colonel Thorne. The munifcent Yam
kee, having gained reputation in Europe by his
splendid extravaganza returns to his native soil to
| achieve new triumphs here. He has built himself
| a really magnificent house, gives most exquisite
dinners, is the same liberal and agreeable gentle
man that he was in Paris; but he is little talked
about, or known now, when he was a humble
purser in the navy. He could shine in the gay
capital of EurODe. Int his me potau
! to enable him to shine here, because wealthy men
of his class too common to be talked about. To
be rich and extrayagant is no longer sufficient to
| make one distinguished to be known, in New
York to be talked about, and noticed, you must
do something worthy of commentator. A mere
man OF wealth Is, happily, mere nobody; and, as
no one now has the Stiffness to claim distinction on
the score of BIRTH the only arstocracy that gains
recognition is the aristocracy of talent Mr. Web
| ster said yesterday at the Astor House. in allud-
| ing to the growth Of New York, that it could not
| be very bad government under which such re-
| suits could be accomplished. So we may say in
reference to the condition of society in New York,
| at this time, which almost realizes the golden
dreams of Plato that it cannot be very bad gov
| eminent which produces such result in short
| period has elapsed since our Constitution was
adopted.
|
in which wealth confcrs social distinction or po-
| itical influence ID that men are not ashamed Of
being poor, and are consequently saved from the
degrading expedients to keep up appearances, that
are the cause of SO much misery and suffering in
| English society.
The Hon. Samuel b. Ruggles gives a semi-pub-
lie reception to night at the Clarendon Hotel,
on the corner of Eighteenth street. to Washington
1 Hunt.
On Friday night Jenny Lind gives her last con-
cert in New York previous to her southern tour,
and on Monday. Jenny and her suite, together with
her fellow passengers, give grand entertainment
at the Irving House, to Captain West, of the Allan
tic, when the splendid articles of gold and silver,
of which descriptions have already been given in
the papers, will be presented to the popular and
accomplished sailor.
This morning the United States store ship Erie
sold at auction, at the Brooklyn navy yard, for
$4,000. The purchaser Mr. Swift,
chant of New Bedford. S. X. S.