The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-10-26
A Judges Estimate of NeW.YOrk Society
And Government.

Judge Edmonds lately declined the repub-
lican nomination for recorder of New-York,
chiefly because he did not believe he could
accomplish in three years the reforms needed
in that department, and because he could not
expect reelection, unless he would go into
the dirty work Of the canvass, against which
he had scruples. Judge Pierrepont has fol-
lowed in resigning the judseship of the supe-
rior court, because the city does not furnish
suitable room for the court, and he sees no
prospect that one will be furnished for some
time to come. He says of the government
of New-iork, 'no man or body of men in
this municipal government has any power to
do anything, except to stay the action of eve
ry other man, or body of men," He then
proceeds to expose the faults of government
and society in the metropolis with an unspar-
irg hand:
! 1.-The present is not government; it is
but the mocking ghost of an attempted gov
ernment. The structure was built on NOV
ing sand, and no repairs or proppns will
save it. 1t must be taken down to the very
foundation, or it will continue to settle and
crack, until it tumbles in with much ruin.
The more intelligent portion of our citizens
give this subj no united attention; they
are intent on wealth-the moment the gloomy
cloud gathered from the panic-vapors of 1857
lifts little in the west, we are all madly has
tening again to be rich-leaving Justice, Or
der and Government to the care of themselves
or to be cared for by those who will trample
them in the dust. If the wise, the wealthy,
the honest, and the intelligent will not COM
bine for good government, the wicked, the
idle and the dishonest, will combine for bad
governments and they will govern; and
through the forms of law. IN the shape of
taxation and other lesalized lobbery, they
will strip the children of the industrious rich
of their carefully conserved estates. leaving
them in poverty the more hopeless from the
very wealth in which their childhood was
pampered. Government will be administered
by somebody; that may be relied upon; if
the wise and good will not attend to it, fools
and knaves will. Bad government and false
notions of what is worthy, always so togeth-
or, and act and react upon each other as
they do here. Hence this unpromising fea-
ture in our civilization glarins y presents it
self; namely the insane passion for outward
grandeur and the meretriclous display which
everywhere prevails.
1t is easy to demonstrate, that in the Yet
discovered world, there is not such an extrav-
asant people. in proportion to its real wealth
as that which inhabits this city. TO accumc-
late fortune by honest industry. economy, sa-
gacity, and the self denial of long years, with
Il view to found a family or to erdow an in
stitution, has virtue; that is uot what VI
see; but instead. a frantic determination t.
get in some immediate way. the means Of
appearing t. be r;ci.. !, is muninE har!ot>
of your women ana rosurs of your men. Ii
is all iile to eNpec, that individuals will 10,
he Influenced by ii, general tone of the com
munity N which they Eve. Tie young ma.
!; of good character and industrious habits
making his ,oilsomc way up through tn,
thorny road to honorable distinction in thu
great wilderness Of men, cannot marry, be
cause society imposes upon him expense,
which he cannot meet: his pride revolts a
an alliance which deprives him of manly in
dependence, or desrades his position among
men. We all know the consequences. Al
ready the success of a lawyer is determined
by the money he ma hes; already the success.
Of minister Of Christ is in some degree es-
timated BY the salary which he receives; ant
the time is fastening when the success of ;
Judge on TIE bench will be measured by th,
!, money which he shall there accumulate.
our wise, and good, rich, intelligent, and ho
nest citizens thiEk these thing of no momen
they will let them alone, as they have hereto
: fore done but they may rely upon it, thes
, things will not let them alone"