The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-08-20


But Love--its swordputs all those wrongs to flight
Which make the face the tomb of its own smite.
London AthenGum.
------------
Suggestions and Reflections on the New
York Park.
From the august number of Mr. DO,onings Horti-
cultnTiSt.
QUESTION OF SIZE.
Thanking Mayor Kingsland most heartily for
his proposed new park, the only objection we make
to it is that il is too small. One hundred and sixty
acres Of park for city that will soon contain
three quarters of million of people 1t is only
child's play ground Why London has over SIX
thousand acres either within its own limits or III
the accessible suburbs, open to the enjoyment OF
its populations; and six thousand acres composed'
too either of the grandest and most lovely park
scenery, like Kensington and Richmond, or oil
ldEuTiant gardens, filled with rare plants, hot
houses, and hardy shrubs and trees, like the Ma
tional Garden at Kew. Paris has its garden OF the
Tuilleries, whose alleys lined with orange
trees two hundred years old, whose parterres are
gay with the brightest flowers, whose cool groves
of horse chestnuts, stretching out to the Elysian
Fields, in the very midst OF the city. Yes, and
on it's outskirts Versailles, (tbree thousand
acres of imperial groves and gardens there also,)
and Fontainbleau, and st. Cloud, with all the
rural, scenic, and palatial beauty that the opu-
lence of the most profuse OF French monarchs could
create, all open to the people OF Paris Vienna has
its great Prater, TO make which would swallow up
most of the ''unimproyed" part OF New Y ork city.
Munich has superb pleasure ground OF i've hun
bred acres, which makes the Arcadia OF her citi-
zens. Even the smaller towns are provided with
public grounds to an extent that would beggar
the imagination OF our shorts sighted economists
who would deny ''a greenery' to New York;
Frankfort, for example, is skirted by the most
beautiful gardens, formed upon the platform
which made the old ramparts of the city-gardens
filled with the lovelest plants and shrubs, taste
fully grouped along walks over too miles in ex-
tent
Tool,;no a. iba preaenf rovernment of the city
as about 10 provide, in the Peoples Park breath
ing Zone and healhful place for exercise for city
of half million of souls, we trust they Will not be
content with the limited number of acres already
proposed Eive hundred acres is the smallest
that should be reserved for the future wants OF
such city, notp, while 1t may be obtained Five
hundred acres may be selected between 39th street
and the Harlem river, including varied surface
of land, good deal of which Is yet waste area, so
that the whole may be purchased at some
thing like a million OF dollars. In that area
there would be space enough to have broad reaches
of park and pleasure grounds, with real feeling
of the breadth and beauty of green fields, the per-
fume and freshness of nature. In its midst would
be located the great distributing reservoirs OF the
Croton aqueduct formed into lovely lakes of impid
water, covering many acres, and frightening the
charm of the sylvan accessories by the finest natural
contrast. In such park the citizens who would
take excursions in carriages or on horseback could
have the substantial delights Of country roads and
country scenery and forget for time the rattle OF
the pavements and the glare of brick walls Pc
destrians would find quiet and secluded walks
when they wished TO be solitary, and broad alleys
filled with thousands of happy faces, when they
would be gay. The thoughtful denizen of the town
would go out there in the morning to hold converse
with the whispering trees, and the wearied trades
man in the evening TO enjoy an hour of happiness
by mngling in the open space with call the world"
CONSEQUENT BEAUTIES AND UTILITIES.
The many beauties and utilities which would
gradually grow out of great park like this, in a
great city ike New York, suggest themselves i'm
inediately and forcibly. Where would be found 30
fitting position for noble works OF art the statues,
monuments, and buildings commemorative at
once of the great men OF the nation, of the history
of the age and country, and the genius OF our high
est artistsi In the broad of such verdant
zone would gradually grow up, as the wealth OF
the city increases winter gardens OF glass; like the
great Crystal Palace where the whole people could
fuxuriate in groves of the palm and spice trees OF
the tropics, at the same moment that sleighing
parties glided swiftly and noiselessly over the
snow. covered surface of the Countrywide avenues
OF the wintry park without. Geological gardens,
like those of London and Paris, would gradually
be formed, by private subscription or public funds,
where thousands of old and young would find daily
pleasure in studying natural history, illustrated
by all the widest and strangest animals of the
globe, almost as much at home in their paddocks
and iungles as if in their native forests and bor
ticuiural and industrial societies would hold their
annual shows there, and great expositions OF the
arts would take place in spacious buildings within
the park far more fittingly than in the noise and
SOCIAL INFLUENCES.
We have said nothing of the social influence o.
such great park in New York But this is really
tho most interesting phase of the whole matter. II
is fact not little remarkable that ultra demo
cratic the political tendencies of America, its
most intelligent social tendencies are almost wholly
in q contrary direction. And among the topics
discussed by the advocates and opponents of the
New York park, none poorly understood
the social aspect of the thing 1t is, indeed, both
curious and amusing to see the stand taken on the
one hand by the million, that the park is made for
the 'upper ten, who ride in fine carriages, and
on the other hand, by the wealthy and refined, that
park in this country would be "usurped by row
dies and low people," Shame upon our republican
compatriots who so little understand the elevating
influences of the beautiful in nature and art, when
enjoyed in common by thousands and hundreds Of
classes without distinction! They can
never have seen how all over France and German y
the whole population of the cities pass their after
moons and evenings together in the beautiful pub
lie parks and gardens. How they enjoy together
the same music, breathe the came atmosphere OF
art, enjoy the same scenery, and grow into socia
freedom by the very influences of easy intercourse
space, and beauty that surround them. In Ger
many especially they have never seen how the
highest and the lowest partake alike of the com
mon cnjoyment-the prince seated beneath the
trees rush bottomed chair, before little
wooden table, slipping his coffee his ice, with the
same freedom from state and prctension as the
simplest subject Drawing room conventionalit1cs
are too narrow for mile two of spacious garden
landscape, and one be happy with ten thou
sand in the social freedom OF community of genia
influences without the unutterable paug of not
having been introduced TO the company present.
The social doubters who thus entrench themselves
in the sole citadel of srciusiDeness in republican
America, mistake our people and their destiny. II
we would but have listened to them, our magnih
cent river and lake steamers, those real palaces OIL
the million, would have had no velvet couches, nc
splendid mirrors, no luxurious carpets. Such cost
ly and rare appliances OF civilization, they would
.l.~ tl--, hryt rarfy
ileged families of wealth, and would be trampled
upon and utterly ruined by the democracy of the
country, who travel ono hundred miles for half a
dollar. And yet these, floating palaces and ouT
monster hotels, with their purple and fine linen
are they not respected by the majority who use
them, as truly as other palaces by their rightfu
sovereigns? Alas for the faithlessness of the few
whe possess, regarding the capacity for culture Of
the many who are wanting. Even upon the lower
platform of liberty and education that the masses
rtand in Europe, we see the elevatng influences o
a wide popular enjoyment of galleries of art, pub
lie libraries, parks, and gardens, which have raisec
he neoDle in socnl civilization and social cutur,