The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-09

What Il te bs Dcse With the Crowds Who I.-
tsnA % Wit the Greet industrial Exhhbi-
sien Of 1861 t-Hew are they % be I'D
IT,. IrrOsn the s:, London Times, Dec. al
that OF persons who have collected large assemb-
lage without adequate preparations for its enter
tslnment, instruction, or good order. II the spec
tacle itself 10 abortive, or the programme incom-
plete. or the performers not at their post or any,
tning else Is wanting to the occasion, the man
WAC mas summoned that audience Is on the edge
OF an abyss fro;a which nothing but fortune or
consummate address can deliver him. To singe,;s
who are hoarse, to balloons that will not oil,
to mounds that cannot find, and to skies that
will not be propitious to pic MICS, the pub
hc can be lndulgent or resigned; but when
excuse can DC !ns nvasr
his control, and yet allows himself to be taken
by surprise, for him there is neither patience nor
pardon. These reflections, which have doubtless
occurred with fearful force to every one who has
invited fifty children on Twelfth Night, or mus.
tered any other mob of human beings, receive an
extraordinary Importance on the eve OF the great
ali the nations Of the earth under its everlasting
canopy OF smoke, and in its ever dlngy walls.
London, renowned neither for luxury, nor for
cheapness, nor for hospitality, nor for amusements.
nor qa NOR for picture nor r
tor anything particularly suited to the wants
OF multitude, has asked the universe to spend
next season on the banks of the Thames
All classes are invited, and all will attend !;
for as there will be something of everything
to be seen, there will be some Of every sort to
behold. There will be the noble, the learned, the
scientific, the fasdious, the gay, the ignorant, the
rank, men of letters, men of fashion, men of plea
sure, and men of every school that exists in the
civilized world. As TO the audience, then, there
can be no doubt. London will be a great theatre,
and there is every promise of an overiowing house
pit, boxes, and galleries, all full. Unless some-
thing very unforeseen should occur, we really do
not expect that ours will be the case of the king
who made great supper and was disappointed OF
his guests. The shorcoming, if any, will be on
our part and should there be any failure il will be
most conspicuous and disgraceful.
Now, there are many points in which Il may be
said, without presumption, that everything has been
done that could be done. The building is nearly
finished, and is the largest ever reared by human
hands The contents are promised, and bid fair to
be worthy of the occasion. The internal arrange
ments appear to be in the best possible hands, and
eve,y thing that transpires shows vigilance and
gacity. So fas as regards the spectacle itself. and
all that can be accomplished within the walls of
Hyde Park, we have every pledge of success. Our
fears, if we have any, are on account of the
vast multitude that will probably be assembled
in this metropolis, AMI which will exist to many
other purposes than an industrial exhibition But
even with regard to them we feel but slight mis-
givings TO their general behaviour. We do not
expect that the 'sWorld's Exhibition will be
made the pretence of a worlds iasurrection, or a
outrageously bad. Till there are better grounds
for apprehension than the seperstitious alarms of
those who think the building Babel, and expect
a year Of confusion, we would rather look on the
approaching assemblage in its passive than in its
active capacity. We will imagine few hundred
thousand provincials and foreigners, as sheep
without shepherd, lost in the endless streets and
inextricable laby rnths of this huge METROPOLIS
We will remember the wolves ready to prey on
this vast flock, and all the other dangers to which
they will inevitably be exposed. One or two of
our contemporaries appear 10 think that confux
of strangers must necessarily lead to some mon
strous and dangerous form Of organization. Union
makes strength, and il is the union of the incon-
gruous host that they dread. For our own part,
it is the utter want of union and the difficulty of
organization that make us fear not for the public
pc ace and the security of our own persons and in
situations, but for the health, the safety the purses
and the morals OF our visers themselves.
The greater part OF these strangers will find them
selves at once in new world, and to their under
standings 4 very strange and inhospitable one. In
the mere matter of hotels. dinners, breakfasts,
coffee, wines, and such triles, the Frenchman and
Of Europe, will find they have great deal to learn.
Where ia the foreigner to get his table dh6fe, his
dinner OF dozen or two courses for two francs and
a half his lunch breakfast, his cup OF coffee, and
his glass of eau de pic Ifhe orders beefste ak or
mutton chop, his teeth will never pierce and his
stomach will never digest these peculiarly English
delicaces Ifhe orders bottle of wine, he will soon
discover that pint of our sherry or our port will
be suti :ient to intoxicate him for week. IL he
enters decent hotel, and orders dinner, simple
enough as he thinks ii, he will not be able to get
down, and will be ruined by the bill II he tries
more economical place. he will fall into very odd
company. Again, we do not possess in this metro.
polls that useful though troublesome that alter
nately guides and exasperates the traveller abroad.
sional guides attached to our hotels, warranted by
the landlords, and ready at moments notice TO
accompany tourist any number OF hours for any
amount ofs'ght seeing. The few persons now availa-
off tod
tice TO the treasures and beauties Of this metropolis
Any one who knows the Oxford guides will probably
be able TO form from them rather faerng estimate
as to the persons who would be commissioned by
any OF our hotel keepers 10 conduct a stranger
through the metropolis. Again, every continental
city contains more places of amusement in which
gentlemen and ladies can occasionally enter with
out loss OF reputation Than our own. Unless our
visiters have some little warning, they will be
liable to stray into places where the company is
almost exclusively of one kind, and that the worst
form strange idea of English society. There is
another lamenable feature Of this metropolis,
in which II stands in disgraceful sngulariy among
the capitals OF Europe. Other countries hide their
vice. London parades IL. We may be more
moral than Paris, but we are not 80 decorous. A
Partisan is astonisbed at the spectacle presented by
our principal thoroughiares, and asks where are
our morals, our religion, and above all our police J
Now, on this point we conceive that either some
improvement should be attempted or, that IL things
are allowed TO remain as they are, foreigners should
be warned, and the national morals to some extent
indicated These are some of the points in which
our apprehensions have been moved in behalf Of
our visiters IL our readers will only put them
selves in the position ofa simple foreigner, launched
in streets for fortniahts lionizng, they will at
osce perceive that every step he takes he is beset
with new dangers.
We beg to suggest that for such matters as the
sights of London, lodging, board, cabs, and the
like, Il might be desirable that the Royal Com
missioners OF the Exhibition should publish simple
guide 10 the principal European languages. BY the
help Of Murray, the veriest cockney, the greenest
schoolboy, and the meekes. country clergy man, may
and make his way through all Europe comic rtably,
cheaply, and expeditiousy We are not aware Of any
London guides that would give the foreigner such
entire command Of this metropolis as Galg nani's,
for exsmplt, gives 10 the Engishman in Paris.
What we want, however, is some thug more COM
pendious. Such a manual would be useful means