The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-16

should prevent and punish as severely
upon one day as another. This is not
true; neither have We ever favored the
opening of theatres, shows or exhibitions on
Sunday. We have believed in trying the expe-
riment of free music in the Central Park on
Sunday evening. Such concerts are given in the
London parks, and are listened to by immense
audiences always orderly, quiet and decorous.
We have urged to the best of our ability still
another system, which prevails in London,
where the Sabbath is even more vigorously OBJ
served than in New York. We refer to the
cheap railway excursion trains, which carry
passengers to all points within fifty miles of
the metropolis, returning the same day. Here
the river steamboats, run on Sundays. The city
railways reap on that day their greatest har-
vest; but these are not sufficient TO accommo-
date the over worked masses, who sigh for
little country air to refresh themselves, their
pale wives and wan children, pent up in pes
tilent city lanes, and crowded into Ill venti-
lated tenement houses We have argued in ia
vor of some innocent recreations for this class,
in order to keep them from being led away to
the grogshops, the gambling hell, and other
vile resorts. As yet the police Of this city,
even with pious Pillsbury at their head, have
not exterminated any of these dens from
the metropolis They are as accessible on
Sunday as on any other day of the
week, and are, of course, more dangerous on
that day. Our position is, therefore, diametri-
cally opposed to that which our quadrilateral
ootomnororv hos uanufactu and assumed
for US. Plainly, we are for equal rights in the
matter of enjoyments for rich and poor. If
Mr.. Coupon in the Fifth avenue has his Sun
day drive in his own carriage, his luxurious
and sensuous music by hired artists in spich-
did church, why shall not his fellow citizen of
the Five Points have his railway ride, his din
ner in the green fields, and his music in the
Central Park! Quite as humanizing, quite as
religious, the latter, we dare say, as the for
mer-perhaps more so.
As to the legal aspect of the question, we
believe that what is good law on Monday is
good law on Sunday, and uice uersa. 1t has
been assumed, however, that the statutes re-
cognized the Sabbath from religious point of
view-an absurdity we have secuted. There
is no warrant of law for the observance
of the Sabbath after the Jewish fashion, nor is
it authorized by the New Testament. That is
labored to dispel. And our position rests upon
the bases that, there being no color Of law,
divine or human, to compel people to observe
the Sabbath after the manner laid down by a
selfconsttuted committee or according to the
dictates of exploded Puritanical prejudices,
the assumption of such power is impudent and
absurd in the highest degree.
That is the plain, common-sense view of the
matter And if the Hon. Jefferson Brick Ray
mond had not been frightened out of his wits
at Sslferino, and the Rev. Caleb Beelzebub
Nelchisedek Hurlbut had not been utterly and
hopelessly muddled in the elbows of the Min
clio, they could understand it, as we fancy our
readers do.
Let US hope that in time they may recover
their wits sufficiently to read understandingly,
however feebly and muddy they may write.
The Now Treaty With Mexico-Necessity
for its Early Conclusion.
We learn from Washington that Mr.. McLane
is likely to use the whole of the two months
en Of sna @ e GRANTED ns% him t0 Sy hG
will lie in the pigeon holes of the State De-
partment during that time, unless Senior Mata,
the Mexican Minister, has received instructions
to continue the negotiations at Washington
II is to be hoped that he has received such
instructions, and that the treaty will be at once
concluded, and made ready to send to the
Senate on the first day Of the opening of Con-
gress. If that is not done, all experience as
sures us that when the next President making
Congress once enters on the discussion of the
qualifications Of candidates and the doyetail-
ing of platforms, it will find no time to take
up the questions bearing on the highest
interests of the country. This question
of the new treaty with Mexico is
one Of the highest practical importance to
every section Of the Union. It secures to us
the opening of the trans-Isthmus route across
Tehuantepec, and right of way to the Gulf
Of California, on conditions that Mexico has
never before been willing to concede, and
which, being now the result Of exceptional cir
cumstances, may be again withdrawn. The
opening of these routes is of far more impor- |
lance to the commercial interests of this c0un- !
try than all the distractions that party non
sence ever contemplated, and Mr. Buchanan |
has given strong proof of his practical saga
city and wisdom in negotiating for them
The accusations against the President that he
is seeking to protect the interest of any par
ticular company, which our correspondent tells
us are circulated in Washington, are pure non
sense Mr.. Buchanan comprehends too we'll
the great merits Of the subject to peril them in
any effort to advance private interests. He has
been liberal with Mexico because he knows
that the best way to secure the safety of
the Cehuantenec transit Ia 10 xlaaa