The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-20

| knowledges that his only claim to the Presi.
dency is that he 'avows himself, for veal or
for woe, for life or for death, soldier in its
pulse in every American heart ponder upon
the awful import of these confessions, and
guard bis hand from giving support, through
the traitorous Massachusetts school," to the
| designs of the worst enemies of his country.
rHE CENTRAL PARKS THE RESULT PRoPoR-
| roNATE TO THE Massive have been con-
sistent and undertaking friends of the Central
Park. We have appreciated the advantages
which such breathing ground, tastefully laid
out and carefully kept, would confer upon our
teeming population. We have, therefore, given
to the enterprise, from its inception to the pre-
sent day, the support Of our influence. Three
years have elapsed since the work was COM
menced, and it Is full time to examine whether
the results obtained are proportioued to the
means employed and the moneys expended.
The third annual report of the Commissioners
not being very Ineligible or satisfactory, We
commissioned one of our reporters to visit the
Park, examine it carefully, and give full and
impartial account of all that has been done and
is being done toward making ii an agreeable,
pleasant and popular resort for our citizens.
The result Of bis Investigations and inquiries
will be found in another part of todays He
RAID.
We cannot congratulate our readers on the
very favorable features presented by this re-
Tba d. ho.o 10 l. rhox -
year ago, an attraction for equestrians or pro-
menaders, and is fast heing sivon over TO that
condition of neglect into which one by one all
our public grounds, from the Battery up, have
fallen.
There are several reasons for this. One of
them is the disagreeableness of the approach,
through dusty region where pigs and porter
houses are the chief features. This is beyond
the power of the Commissioners to cause or
cure. Our city authorities might do something
in the matter, but they will not Time and
the rapid growth Of the city will be found the
only remedies fer this If, however, the I'M
pleasantness Of the approach we're compen-
Gated for by the attractiveness of the Park
itself, our citizens would still flock there in ia
vorable weather But II is not.
The interior is not much more attractive than
the exterior. Broad avenues there are indeed,
but the leaHess trees that border them afford
no shelter from the scorching rays Of the sun;
pleasant walks, but no cool and shady resting
places. The eye takes in a large expanse of
ground within the rude enclosure, aud the
mind suggests that in future years all the ap-
piances Of taste and art will be brought to
bear upon IT; but its beauties are only IN pros
pecttt, and 1t may be that with time as with
space
It's distance lends euchantment 10 the view.
We must confess that the results obtain
ed are not proportionate TO the means en-
ployed. Over ten thousand workmen have
been at work on the Park for some three
years, and about two millions of dollars have
been expended. And what has been effected
The drainage Of the ground, the opening of
three and one.third miles of road and seven
miles Of walk, and the building Of half dozen
bridges That Is all. Tell an English noble
man that 10 convert 76S acres Of wild land
the extent Of the Central Park-into q charm.
ing demesne, such as stretches before many an
ancestral hall in that country would cost half
q million Of pounds sterling. and he would
laugh with incredulity at the assertion. Aud
yet that Is the sum which the Park Commits
sioners are authorized TO expend, and have al
most expended, with such mean results.
We are afraid there must be some terrible
laundering somewhere. II Is not easy to point
out where The fault lies Our reporter, how
ever, very properly remarks that instead of the
plan being made to conform to the natural fea-
lures of the location the ground has been made
to conform TO the architects plan; swampy
hollows, fitted for artificial lakes have been
filed up, and lakes have been excavated where
nature never intended them to be; rocks have
been blasted, eminences levelled, and valleys
filed up, all OF which would have better re-
NAMED untouched: and instead Of using the
material quarried on the ground for the erec.
ton Of bridges, expensive stone has been i'm
ported from Nova Scotia for the purpose. On
the whole we are a little apprehensive that
this grea, Central Park to which our citizens
have looked forward with such pleasant antici
pations, and for which they have so literally
contributed, will not realize the expectations
we had formed OF it, To the next generation
II may be delight, bat according 10 all up
pearances, the present viii derive little benefi,
or advantage from Il.