The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-09


his abrupt departure as in satisfactory treaty
for the preservation of peace. To this extent
the destinies of this country and of this con-
tinent are now awaiting the action of Secretary
Marcy. Great country this-great country.
The New POSTAGE ENvELOPEs-Our readers
generally must have been struck with the
ready recognition by Mr. George F. Nesbitt of
the very natural discomfort ELECTED among our
| mercantile classes by the stamp of that gentle
| mans name and business address on the flap Of
the new Post Office envelopes; and they must
at the same time have admired the promptness
| with which he acknowledged the justice of the
| complaint and made the ansende honorable, by
requesting permission from the department to
dispense with the offensive seal. That permits
| sion was of course given as soon as asked for;
| or rather indeed, we might more correctly say
that the Postmaster General notified Mr..
| George F. Nesbitt that no more envelopes would
| be received from him bearing such a stamp on
the flap So, by this unanimity Of feeling on
all sides, the obnoxious seal has been banished,
| henceforth relieved Of the duty Of doing such a
monopoly of advertisement for the one house
| We have procured and have now before us
copy of the contract entered into by Samuel D.
Hubbard, late Postmaster General. on the one
part, and Mr. George F. Nesbitt on the other
part-the latter having for sureties Messrs.
James Kelly and Robert 7. Haws. This COM
pact, in which all the contracting parties are
wings, does not, as far as we can see bind Mr.
Nesbitt in express terms to supply envelopes
having his own name and place of business
stamped on the flap. 1t merely contains this
clause in relation thereto.
And it is further agreed, on the part of the said
George F. Nesbitt, that each envelope shall have
and cdored device, similar 70 the envelope marked
&c. No. l."
There is nothing in this binding the con-
| tractor to use the business stamp Of his own
house. which our merchants so justly COM
planned Of, except indeed, it may have been
| that the sample marked &c. No. l" bore that
device. And this we are constrained to think
was the case, or Mr.. Nesbitt would not have
had occasion to apply to be released from that
part of his engagement. So that if this be so,
we have none to thank for the attempt to infict
| this humiliation on our merchants but our late
Postmaster-G Hubbard. The commu-
nifty at large must therefore be gratefully SEN
sible of the very admirable manner in which
that official discharged his public duties, par
ticularly in the matter Of envelopes and can
not fail at all events, to recognise in him the
existence of a most extraordinary talent for
advertising.
The envelope excitement of the last few days
had caused dozen opponents to Mr.. Nesbitt
| to start into business. Stamped envelopes can
now be purchased at the stationers at five per
cent below the government price. But the "Four
Cent Man" has been driven from the field, or
else he has gone to Newport or Saratoga to
spend the warm season.
The Industry OF all Nations.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE FAIRS AND COMMERCE.
| OF THE ANCIENTs.
The opening of the Crystal Palace in this city, on
Thursday the l4th inst, for the exhibition of the
products and arts of the nations of the EARTH forms
new era in the history of mankind. This is the
first exhibition of the kind which has ever taken
place on the continent of America inasmuch as the
producers and artists of all nations have been in
vited to contribute to the exhibition. Hitherto
our fairs to which the public have been invited have
been made up from the products of our own SOIL
the work Of our own mechanics and manufacturers,
and the displays Of American genius, skill and enter
prise exclusively. On the coming occasion we, for
the first time, practically acknowledge all mankind
as belonging to the great brotherhood Of nations by
asking them to exhibit before wealthy, luxurious,
and industrious community the peculiar products Of
their own soil and industry, well as those which
may come in friendly competition with the products
Of American skill and industry.
The effect of taste for luxury is to stimulate in.
dustry. AS the enjoyment of Injuries is attended
with pleasure, people are willing to undergo some
degree Of labor in order to obtain them. The supply
Of Injuries furnishes employment to large number
Of laborers who would otherwise be idle The class
who supply Injuries become usually more wealthy
than those who supply bare necessaries, and form
middle class in society, who equally distant from
the owners and from the cutivators of the soil. We
cannot observe the effects of uxures better than by
contrasting the present state Of Europe and the
United States with the state Of Europe during the
middle ages. At that period the food the clothing,
and the lodgings Of the population were Of the
painest kind The owners Of the soil were the only
wealthy men; and the surplus produce which was
paid to them as rents. was employed in main
| tanning in idleness a number Of retainers, who
were ready to obey their orders, and to fight their
battles. Upon the introduction of learning, the
| landowner employed his rent not in maintaining
retaners but in purchasing those articles Of luxury
| or fnery for which he had taste. The retain
ers could now support themselves only by
| producing those commodities for which the new
taste of the landowner created demand. From
idle dependents they became industrious artisans.
The landowners We'd with each other, not in bring
| ing into the field number of men to kill one
another, but in the elegance of their dress, their
houses, or their equpages; in their taste for the
fine arts or in their literary and intellectual attain.
| ments. There other advantages arising from
luxury. When the mass of the people enjoy
variety Of luxuries they have resource in seasons
Of scarcity. II they live on the lowest kind of food