The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-25


employ mcnt henceforth in conspiring ven
geance; and if period Of peace should follow
The present symptoms Of war, and the demo-
cratic element should again acquire strength
in France. we may rest assured that Russian
gold viii once more begin to circulate in Paris.
To Day.
On this day the Christian world will cele
brate the anniversary Of the birth of Him VINO
founded the religion which has civilized and
humanized nearly three-quarters of the globe
Millions of voices will unite in songs of jubi-
lee at the recurrence of the day which has
been set apart to mark the second great epoch
in the history of humanity. From the hardy
and gallant explorers Of the North Pole to the
little English colony in the South Pacific, where
the descendants of the crew of the good ship
Bounty atone for their fathers sins by lives of
patriarchal simplicity, men Of all nations,
speaking all tongues, unite in one grand Christ
mas hymn, the burden of which is Peace on
earth and good will to all men," Hand grasps
hand more firmly than ever-the baser passions
are unseen and unfst for the time-and "out of
the fullness of the heart the mouth speaketh"
the common salutation: right merry Christ
mas. We Join in the universal greeting; and
to-day-the anniversary of the birth Of our
Saviour, and also of the first day when he
arose from the dead-we wish to all our
readers that their Christmas may be as
merry as they can desire-that they may
gather around their festive boards, and that
there be no vacant seats by the ''ingleside"-
that all their adventures may result prosperous
ly. and that they may be blessed in all the rela-
tions of life.
We are not of that school of croakers
who are continually mourning over the
good old times''-who prate of the 'misle-
toe boughs," the ''yule logs" the 'ten-gal-
Ion punch bowls" and the debauchery which
olive believe the old writers) was once con-
sidered as indispensable adjuncts to the proper
celebration of Christmas day. We opine that
people can be merry without getting drunk,
and that potato obs pottle deep" do not prove
of themselves that the drinker is q follower of
Him who was the incarnation Of temperance
and virtue. We would have the festival used.
not abused We would have good Christmas
dinner for every inhabitant of the great
Christian world-we would have Christmas
tree for the children of the poor man. as well as
the costly souvenirs for the sons and daughters
of the rich--we would have good wine and good
cheer on every board. And this is our Christ
mas platform, and one upon which all men and
women may stand. and upon which may be
reared superstructure of good fellowship-a
temple not made with hands," and which
would be eternal.
In America Christmas is generally cslebra-
ted with great deal of zest. The founders of
the colony at Plymouth were opposed to its
giving as reason that all the
forms pertaining to it were Popish mummeries.
Another reason may be found in the severity Of
their habits-they feared that the youth Of the
ted by Indulgence in strong liquors, and that.
old Miles Standish would not
have so many recruits to his army employed in
the shifting and Staying of the 'Amalekites,"
as these gentle souls called, not only the In
dams, but Quakers, Episcopalians, Roman Ca
tholics, and all others who did not believe with
them in disputed points Of faith. The Pilgrim
the celebration of this day as the anniversary
of the birthday of our Lord. They went so far
as to set certain persons in the stocks for
the crime of eating mince pies" on Christmas
day, and spared no Ains to blot its official
character from the calendar. Their descend
ants, however, have no objectionto Christmas
gifts; they rather enjoy the wassail bowl, and
the eating of mince pies" is no longer felony.
In the Eastern States, for the past few years,
the recurrence Of Christmas day has been sig
nalzed by the usual forms pertaining to the
ancient churches. In other temples as well as
Roman Catholic and Episcopalian churches, the
cross is uplifted; the interior is garnished with
evergreens and laurel; the bright holly sheds
a radiance on the fair young faces in the choir
as the Christmas Anthem is pealed forth; aud
the preacher (his prejudices mellowed by the
halo OF good feeling) pronounces the universal
came to save all men.
The artist and the writer may find plenty Of
material for the pencil and the pen in the OBJ
servance of the Christmas holidays in New
York All nations join in the festival-te
staid Hollander-the enthusiastic Frenchm.n
the cold steady Englishman-the hot-headel,
warm hearted Irishman-the phlegmatic Get-
man--tbe American, who frequently is con
posite OF all these qualities-all these meet, fer
once in the year, on our platform. We only
wish that they would stay on it.
In the South, in the West India islands,
and in South America Christmas is enjoyed to
the top of its compass" There is no such
thing as temperance in the tropics, and nobody
expects it.
The custom Of celebrating New Years day is
continental. but that of observing Christmas is
universal 1t therefore forms starting point, and
also one from which we review that which has
past and that which is to come. Perhaps there
never has been Christmas when so many i'm
portant events were expected to grow out o
existing circumstances. In the East, the grea,
IN. =. LII. =