The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-10-29

our citizens to the impure state of the social at
mospbere in the neighborhood of Wall street and
Of the fashionable quarters where mushroom CAPT
talists reside, then they are wilfully blind and
deserve to be periodically made the victims Of
Jeremy Diddlers of every grade.
Take this case Of Huntington alone. See him,
within the last four years. arrested, committed,
and indicted for an ingenious swindle, carried
into execution ny the connivance of note shavers,
in the issuance of bills of bank which never
had existence. All due publicity was given to
the facts in that case. The swindle was fully ex-
posed in our columns and one would suppose
that the name of Chas. B. Huntington would not,
within decade at least, command any credit in
financial circles in this city. But as the bank
rupt trader who resumes business can always OBJ
tain as much credit as he pleases, on the assump-
ton that he has made money by the operation, SO
Mr.. Huntington, having by some unexplained con-
trivance escaped prosecution and punishment, sets
up his single anew in Wall street, and having
given satisfactory evidence of his qualifications
for that locality, is taken into full fellowship and
obtains the unlimited confidence of his brother
sharpers.
Being thus once more on the full tide Of
imaginary prosperity, he Thunderstorm into that
course Of extravaganza and dissipation which
distinguishes, par excellence, our Goldfish aris-
tocracy. He rides in the most superb carriages,
drives the finest span of snowy horses, gives the
most recherche dinners and parties, and squanders
money as if he were an incarnation of the tabled
Plutus. His wife tries to outshine all her rivals
in the costliness of her silks, the splendor of her
diamonds, and the magni6cence Of her drawing
rooms The hotel keepers at Saratoga, Newport
and Niagara reverence her, for she is most pro-
fuse in her expenditures, as the wife of the
millionaire Huntington ought to be; and all this
time the broker Huntington is calmly and coOly,
as it appears, raising money on forged ac-.
ceptances of firms with which he had never, in
any other way, the slightest business transaction.
And thus, with the combination of note shavers,
who care for nothing but their usurious discounts,
the credit of our city is sacrificed and the
morality of the respectable portion Of our citi-
zens shocked, that this gentleman may indulge
his tastes for fine living and fashy jewelry.
We have said that this is an indication of a lax
tone of public morals
This affair of Huntingtons is not by any means
an isolated case. We have had, within. the last
day or two, reports Of another forgery by note
broker in this city, of forgeries in Albany said to
have been committed by one of that famous gang
OF swindlers who were concerned in the burning
of the steamer Martha Washington on the West
ern waters, Cat the very period when Huntington
was last under arrest) and Of other forgeries and
frauds in one of the New England States
These unfavorable symptoms in the body social
are directly traceable, in the first place, to that
morbid desire for show and parade, the prevalence
of which among all classes Of society, none can
fail to notice; and, in the second place. to the lax
administration OF the laws, which allows rogues
TO go at large unwhipt of justice" Everybody
wants to get rich in a hurry, and is not very par
ticular as to the means Of doing 30. "Put money
in your purse-honestly, if you can; if not, put
money in your purse" seems to be the motto ON
which far too many are acting. The female taste
for costly dress, fine jewelry and extravaganza
living has much to do in stimulating men 10 the
wild hunt for gold. And until these extrava-
gancies give place to simpler and more moderate
tastes, we may reasonably look for many such
denouaaents as that which now bids fair to close
the career Of Chas. b. Huntington