The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-24

is sadly deficient in means and appliances to
refine educate and humanize its people. We
have no galleries ofpaintings or sculptures; no
public library and DO park. We may have feeble
limitations of these things; but New York is
rich enough to do better. New York intends
to improve in this respect.
The germ of this improvement has appeared
in the efforts which are now being made for the
permanent establishment of the Central Park,
to include seven hundred and fifty acres of
land in the best portion of the island Notwith-
standing the factious opposition of a petty
clique, it is fact that the work is going forward
with spirit. The commissioners, Messrs. us
hoefer, Kent, Bradish, Brady ard Towle, have
addressed memorial to the Common Council,
in which they state that they .have progressed
with their labors to an extent which warrants
the expectation that the proceedings to acquire
the law for this park may be completed within
the present year" The commissioners re-
quest that the Common Council will arrest the
fulflment of certain contracts now pending,
for work to be performed within the Central
Park, such as grading, paving and macadam-
izing streets and avenues, until the proceedings
in which they are now engaged shall be ter
minated. 1t appears that these contracts con
template the grading and paving of streets
within the park, as if no park were intended
to be established there. The commissioners
very Justly say
Park by filing and leyeiling the land for purpose
of streets and avenues ii will be necessary either to
grade the entire surface TO level at great expense
the earth and other materials being deposited
there to be removed at greater expense than that
now being incurred in placing them there.
Your memorialsts respectfully submit that it Il most
expedient to have the Land contemplated to be acquired
for the Park its present condition Of nature until the
plan for It's improvement as park shall be fully deter
mined
The arrangement of this ground as park viii evolyc
upon your honorable body those whom you may
point for that purpose, and will doubt receive the
most careful and deliberate consideration. This will be
elaborate and responsible duty. involving the most
matnred examination Of the many plans which viii no
doubt be proposed Tor the purpose.
If the contracts referred TO allowed to be com
expended; the surface of the ground will be broken up
and destroyed the natural advantages for
the Park will be lost and it will be almost impossible to
improve and beautify the ground so as to accomplish
the great end sought OF having park which will be- ia
all respects commensurate with the wants and worthy
the position of our city
Now. the public have q right to demand from
the Common Council that the fulflment Of these
contracts shall be arrested, for the present, at
least. The people want the park, aud the
people will have it. They also desire that it
shall seem natural-not laid out with the pre-
cision of q flower garden. Its natural aspect,
undulating with hills and hollows, should be
preserved, and the proposed dimensions of the
park shopld not be curtailed. There should be
win ing carriage roads and footpaths so ar
ranged that the smoke dried citizen could i'm
agine himself for short time separated from the
din and dust of the city, and enjoying the deli
cious enchantments Of rural existence. Such a
park will be an honor to the city, and a source
Of never-failing enjoyment TO US and our de-
scendants.