New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-14


csc ms natural enough. The succession OF ideas,
which philosophers tell is only another name for
Time, has been so much faster Of late years that
has carried us on beyoEd the inseinat1on oil TIE
lat generation even. The iron OF the railways
Ia. entered into cur sous, and the steam oil the
locomotive hiss given lew speed to our IDEAS and
eooduess knows where We shall bring up. Steam,
indeed has much 10 answer for in tnis matter fDr
il is main sgeut il these revolutions, BY tee way
in which il has eilsced the boundaries OF kingdoms
and thrown down the walls of cities, sud begun st
least to make the whole world acquaintance, II not
kin.
Then Her Msjesty has Just issued her Royal
Warrant cashieriDg the Fifth Of November, the
Thirteth of January AID the Twenty-ninsh OF
Nay, and reduced them to the rauks as private and
vulgar dsys again. The celebration of the frst OF
these days will iirger for few years, as holiday
amorg the street boys of London, BY virtue OF
tradition stronger than the warrant OF Majesty
itself but, as the constituted authorities decline
making Guys Of themselves any longer the COULTER
felt presentment Of Guido Faux will gradually
cease from On the streets and be RENTED, with the
Lord ofMsrule and the Abbott of unreason tothe
domain of the antiquarian. But We imagine fe"
will be found TO fast on the anniversary OF the day
when Kings made the discovery, IS old Lord Auch-
inclecb, Boswell's father, told DR.. johnson, when
be demanded to know the use Of the operation
Charles underwent in front Of whitehall that
",hey had III. (joint) in their necks :" And fewer
yet to illuminate TIER windows, and oil their faces
and make their hearts glad with wine on the day
that will remind them Of the Restoration of that
Most Religious King Charles IL During the
reign of that Merry Monarch, the malignant Puri-
tans used TO celebrate the day Of his fathers mar
tyrdom By having calls head for dinner, as Butler
has let Us know, as yotiye Offering properly tyPl-
cal Of the commemoration. A practical jest not
without its grain of humor worthy the round heads
from which 1t came.
And these mutations in the customs of from two
hundred to two hundred snd fifty years standing
we're made in answer 10 Addresses from both
Houses of Psrlisment, asking Der Majesty TO COM
plete them. SO Guy Faux and the two Charleses
20 out of the Prayer-BOOk together, without
word being said in their behalf. And as soon as
the necessary acts are passed, repeating the laws
establishing them as Fasts or Feasts, of which
Mr.. Spencer Wa'poe has given notice, they will no
more come across tie path of daily life, but be
relegated to their proper place In history Nearly
ninety years sgo Gin l772) Dr. Novel; having
preached furiou,ly Church and State sermon on
the 3Oth of January, and the House of Commons
having pissed the usual vote Of thanks, Tommy
Townshend-to get the loan Of a vote from whom
Burke used to strain his throat according to
Goldsmith-moved that the vote Of thanks be
eIpunged from the Journals, which, after debate,
was done-an example to the EGpupgiDgs OF our
own land and times. Soon afterSard Mr..
Frederick Montsgu moved for leave to bring in
bill for the repeal of the observance of that day
altogether, which was rejected by vote
of l25 TO 81. So it seems thai there
was, even then, pretty large minority
in favor of striking Charles 1. out of the
calendar Of English Martyrs. DR.. johnson him.
self said that be WAS sorry tbst it had not been
temporary act TO have expired with the century.
81 am against aboshing it," said he, "because
"that would be declaring it wrong to establish it;
"but l should have no objection to make an act
continuing it for another century, and then
"lettpg it expire" 1t is proof of the in
yeteracy of English hsbitudes that this CON-
memoratiou has been endured for almost the pre-
else time which would have suited the great
Doctors notions of the fitness of things. But it
has received its coup de grace at last, while the
same blow has cut down its two equ.lly absurd
companion holidays. And there is general feel
ing of satisfaction that common sense has finally
triumphed over these remains of old bigotries and
TOpisms AS signs, such things as these have an
interest which raises them to the Importance OF
events.