New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-07

;ncsra;srv method seems to be unavoidable. At
sny rate, in city like this, while the timid, tho
peace.l wing and the nervous minority ayby ral'
wav and steamboat into the rural districts, 70
escape the predestinate and intoerable hubbub the
bold. the turbulent and the unterrifed majority
surrender themselves to the deusion that true
eujoyment is to be found only in making an intense
and terrible racket Without any aggravation the
clangor of bells, the booming of cannon and the
blaring Of brass bands might be thought, BY those
whose cars are sensitive to declare with sufficient
noise the countrys happiness. But in this strong
hold Of Democracy very few are modest enough 20
leave the sonorous labor to the authorities, and
most would consider themselves deficient in love
of their land did they fail to make their pri-
vate contribution TO the turmoil. The result OF
this feeling is that through the hdeOus day tender
infants discharge squibs and crackers half grown
boys, like sucking brigands, rush through the
streets begirt with pewder-horns and blazing away
with their beloved pistols; while children Of larger
growth, aiming at nothing but the establishment OF
universal Bedlam, are continually firing blank
cartridges from their rifles. From morn to eve,
the widespread explosion is incessant; while all
through the preceding and the succeeding night 1t
is continued driving sleep from the pillows OF the
sick and filling the air with the noisome fumes OF
villainous s,ltpeter
1t must not be thought that We have any cynica
objections to holidays themselves, because we OBJ
ect to their abuse. So far from entertaining this
we are of an opinion quite its opposite. We do
not think that the people a the United States have
holidays enough, and we are quite certain that it
our opportunities of relaxation from constant and
exhaustive toll were multiplied the chances OF rea
improvement would be proportionately increased
Perhaps it is because we so seldom give ourselves
up TO pleasure-seeking, that when we do so at al
il is with such limited success and with so little
grace. We have learned to work diligently and
faithfully but in doing we have forgotten how to
play. We disport ourselves clumsily, and hardly
consider that to be recreation which is not shared
by jostliDg crowd. We expect to be very weary
at the end Of our merry-making, and are most
heartily glad when it is over. Calm delights are
our absolute aversion. We know nothing of the
quiet enjoyment with which Frenchman or Ger
man escapes from civic chatter and from the mar
rowness of his home, to pass long day with his
family r.some woody retreat or pleasant garden,
to partake of a repast distinguished by some small
but unwonted luxury, or to join in the hearty and
frolicsome dance. We know very little of the gen.
tie joy which all through. the Christmas holidays
fills the homes of England When we are not
grave and sullen we are boisterous and unman-
I'll IN fat L., pofu ika
many people who are usually regarded as barbarOus
and uncivized. There are too many points of re-
sembance, we fear, between the war-feast of the
American Indian and our own feast of the Fourth.
Upon high days in the dominons of his M:jesty the
King of Dahomey, there is a prodgiOus blowing of
cor chs and humping of tOm-toms. The Chinese
not only furnish us with crackers, but our custom
of using them upon holidays is borrowed directly
from the Flowery Kingdom.
We wish that the gunpOwder style of merriment
had no worse result than the annoyance of the
sober. minded But it is notorious that it causes,
throughout the country, an annual loss of life and
limb frgbtfn to contemplate. To this in the large
cities ard @owns must be added the immense
destruction of property by fire occasioned by an
must we fail to speak ofther wasteful expenditure
We believe that We keep within reasonable
limits when We cay that, OD Saturday last
money enough was spent in fireworks in the
United States to endOw most literally dozen
Universities, or to establish in every principal city
Of the Union a Museum of Art and Science or a
Public Garden. At the same time we need not
point out how, in places like New-York, this folly
lie certain to BE- accompanied by coarse and
savage rowdy sm--how whisky -maddened wretches
patrol our streets, making every public place
unsafe, soaring women and children, aud with
weapons always ready either for an act of assassi
nation or for general riot. 1t is very hard, nay
more, it is shamefally unjust, that those whose
means will not permit them to fly from this hurry
burly, should be thwarted in all their little schemes
of pleasure, upon one of the very few days set
apart for rest from labor, by band of bipedal
bulldogs, from whom almost the last traces Of
original humanity have vanished. In this license,
there is crimnality of higher and more solemn
import than any matter Of mere taste. Better, a
Thousand times better, that the celebration Of the
Fourth of July should be forever abandoned, than
that it should be desecrated into an occasion Of I'M
bridled license of unlimited debauchTy, and Of un-
restrained crime.
Some of our City journals, which do not like to