The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-02-18

New Movement In Fashionable Society-rhe
Grand Ball at the Academy.
All the clques of what is called fashionable
society in this city are profoundly stirred by the
preparations for the grand ball which is to take
place at the Academy of Music tomorrow night
All the fashionable milners, costumers and
to1tws are up to their eyes in work for the grand
event. The interior of the Academy is in the
process Of decoration, and no expense is to be
spared to make the affair outshine anything of
the kind ever seen here. Some of our unso-
phsticated readers may ask why all this is done
just at this particular juncture? 1t is because
this ball is an experiment, and if success should
crown it-that is if its result should msst the ex-
pectatiors of all its projectors-it WI be the
first ola series affairs the same kind 10 be given
every season, monthly or semi-monthly, and to give
all the cliques of New York society an opportu-
nifty to meet, interchange ideas, criticise each
others apparel fire off their stock of small talk,
and dance iDnumerable polkas, schottisches and
mazourkas on common ground 1t must be gene
rally known that while our city has been pro-
crossing in wealth, commerce and population, to
an extent hitherto unprecedented in the history
Of the world, fashionable society has been stand
ing still. Anterior to the Revolution good So
ciety was confined to few Knickerbocker fami-
lies holding large landed estates, and mixing only
with each other The men smoked their pipes
and played their rubber of whist-the women
talked about their babies and their household
affairs. There were little social parties which
began at eight or nine in the evening, and were
over at midnight Well, after the Revolution, the
increased in value that trade was no longer ne
cessary to them. Their descendants lived upon
their rent rolls, and kept mp the clique Of society,
into which no profane foot could enter Then
came sundry sharp fellows from Boston, Nan
tucket, New Bedford, Cape Cod, and all along
New England shore, who bought and sold and
traded and dickered-sent New York ships to
the farthest ends Of the eartb-made great
wealth for themselves and great commercial
name for the city of their adoption. But they
could not 60 into society with the Knickerbock-
ers; 80 they made another clique for themselves,
money being the only passport into their circle.
With commerce and wealth came art and ltera-
either of the old cliques and with some recu-
SAINTS from the other sets they made
third order of society. Politics now be-
came trade, and so there was
clique of professional politicians, recruited
by few merchants, who found the funds to
cary on the war. Now it has become tiresome
to 60 TO parties at the same houses-to talk,
p;,t ,,l J,;p ,La
and, worse than ALL to hear the same wretcbed
attempts at wit So some of the leaders Of all
the cliques have combined together, with the in
tent TO amalgamate all the coteries, and see
what they look like under the same gaslight
ard that is the intention Of the ball tomorrow
night If it is successful il will break down all the
old cliques, and open society 10 all well bred well
hammered, well informed well born, well behaved
people, whether they are mercantile, literary
artistic or Observation-Disclosures provided they
have money. No person without money can
profsne the sacred temple where Fashion is en-
shrinod as the principal deity. Our readers can
now understand what a terrible excitement this
ball has created in all the boudoys about town.
The movement is very important one. Next
TO the new Cabinet and the Bond street murder
il is the topic of the day. Heretofore, New York
society has been like that of villagesplit up into
little family cliques and coteries each confined to
its narrow circle. Now, as the city takes rank 10
other respects with London, Paris and Vienna, it
is purposed TO make its social life equally as
liberal and cosmopolitan as that of the great
European capitals. These grand reunions, COM
mencing to morrow night, are the enterin wedges
which are to bring about this contamination 20