The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-23

The One TAing Needral for the City.
Nature has gifted this metropolis With re-
markable facilities for maintaining cleanliness
and health, and art has, of late years, contri-
buted her share towards the same purpose. A
gradual declension from the back bone of the
Broadway to the east and the west
affords excellent opportunity for complete
sewerage. At each side we have river Of
abundant and rapid waters while the introduce
ton of the Croton has furnished third river,
running directly through the Streets suai-
cient supply between the three rivers to keep
us well washed and perfectly clean, if We are
inclined towards cleanliness at all.
Then, again, as most important auxiliary
to health, we have the splendid Central Park
with its open plain admitting plenty of fresh
air to the city, and affording means for exer
else of all kinds-walking, riding, skating,
cricket and base ball playing, and military
drill. But with all these advantages, the one
thing needful yet remains to be supplied, and
that is some mode of keeping the streets clean.
five could accomplish this with the same GER
tainty that we can count upon the supply Of
Croton water, or a good airing place, good
roads for driving good ramble for pedes-
TRANS, and available exercise grounds which
the Central Park insures us, this metropolis
would be perfect. If we could only calculate
upon traversing the streets without danger Of
being drowned in slush, or trampled to death
by omnibuses and carts, there would be no city
in Io1sUh{f,1 70 1;ya in {ho,
New York. The filthy condition of the streets
at the present time is almost unparalleled
outside of New York certainly there is no
thjng in the universe which can compare
with it. To those who have to move round
the city, or to those who see the spectacle
which the draperies of their wives and daugh-
tiers and female friends generally present after
walking few blocks in Broadway, there is no
difficulty in realizing what the condition Of the
streets is; but for the benefit of those abroad
who have not the delightful experience which
these parties enjoy, we sent a reporter yester
day through the principal parts of the city,
whose description will be found in another
column.
AAS NV va viz SptulSl ID plONCiUlully uuIu,
the perils of battle, the discomforts of the
camp, the heavy march, the rough bed, with
no canopy but the skies, and often weeping
skies at that-these make up the sum of it; but
we opine that few Of the military gentlemen
who participated in the celebration of Wash
ington's birthday would feel disposed, after
the experience of yesterday in our Streets
to endorse very heartily the sentiment of the
soDg-"I'd be soldier still"
Seriously, it's absurd to say that there is no
remedy for this abominable nuisance. 1t is
only after snow storm that the streets can pos.
sibly present such spectacle as they do now;
and If the snow was removed after it ceased to
fall, just as it is in the yards of our dwellings,
or before the doors of many of our citizens for
their own convenience, such state Of things
could never exist. But the truth is, we have
no government to carry out such simple mea-
sure, nor a police force willing to do their
duty in this respect. Ten millions a year are
nominally for the government of the
city-an essential part Of which is to keep it
healthy and clean, and to maintain an efficient
police to secure protection to life and proper
ty; and the people would not complain even at
this vast expenditure if they got any value for
it. But the health and comfort of our citizens
receive no attention from the authorities; and
as for protection to life and property, people
have now come to the point of protecting
themse1ves-indeed, they have to take care of
the police in many cases, instead of the police
taking care of them.
We perceive by the returns made at the last
meeting of the Ten Governors, that they have
now under their charge in the different public
institutions 1927 persons. Out of this number
there are probably $500 able bodied men. Why
cannot these men be put to work to clean the
streets for their maintenance, if the City In
spector canot move in the matter, as is alleged,
until the Legislature acts upon the tax levy?
Something certainly should be done to render
the streets passable.
IMPORTANT IF TRUE.-Thurlow Weed says, in
the Albany Erening Journal, that, with the
advantage of good many years experience,
we are quite unable to form, at this time, any
opinion as to whom we should nominate for
President The policy and action of our Con-
vention is not unlikely to be affected by that of
our opponents. Other conditions and cir
cumstances may occur to render what may