The New York herald., 1864-09-12

the most formidable navy Ia the world. we
shall haze the power and the will to take
charge Of the affairs of this continent, and shall
compel the retreat OF those hortes Of European
dlibusters who have, agalast the well known
desires Of this people, intruied or this side OF
the Atlantic. Spain aud France mast not
count us out before the game closes, as they
sha soon learn 10 their cost.
Tne Metropolis More tSsan TSrr Bril-
linnf and Es,rswn-In..
Far away the dull boom oil cannon, the
shrill. sharp report Of ,nusketry, the sbrie.s
ana g.oars Of the dying. may be heard There
tie brave soldiers OF she North are battling TO |
preserve our glorious UaioR. We hear none |
Of those direiul sosnds here--take no heed OF
them il THE gay and crowded metropolis
| Here fashion ana pleasure, not grim war
reign supreme Here music and fessivity are
the order Of the day, not carnage ard strife !
Never was New York so brilliant, SO capti-
waiting. We never be ore made such active
preparations for u season OF enjoyment and
gayety. Oar elite, our aristocracy of money, |
our shoddy people, have run their mad race Of
extravaganza and show at the fashionable wa
tering places. aud are returning to commence
in The city season Of unparalleled display.
All classes are taiug advantage of the reck-
lessness and extravagance OF the day. Now
that pleasure, fashion and expenditure rule
our people, those who cater to this spirit OF
extravaganza have become as daring and rsck
less "a the crowds they serve, ana are playing
| a game Of follow the leader which would have
driven the past generation wild with dismay.
Our theatres and other places OF amusement
have increased their prices fifty per
| cent: bat this has had no edeot upon
| the masses. On the contrary, it is
| noticeable fact sign Of the times, that since
| the increase Of prices the audiences have in
! creased in number. In short, increase is the
order of tue day. Once upon time people
| were coa.ent to drive two horses, aud
even one, before their carriages. This sum-
mer nothing short OF four in hand
| was considered the ton at Newport and
! such places, where some OF the extra refined
shoddy gentlemen drove as many as ten or
twelve magnificent horses at a time. The ladies'
! in spirit OF emulation, got up pony teams
| but were not content to drive q pair They
1
| postillons and outriders, and made show
| which grew greater as the season lasted. The
| mind becomes bewildered when rejecting upon
what would have occurred had the season not
| drawn to close.
| Taking its cue from the extravaganza of the
I summer season, the city is preparing to out
| shine itself during the fall and winter. Tue
| theatres have adj frightened up and reftted,
and have, as we have said above, raised their
prices The Opera will be more than usually
| attractive and brilliant, and has also raised its
! price. The negro minstrels have been seized
by this contagious spirit of increase, aud their
prices have been raised. Our fashionable
shops milliner and such like-hayc given
themselves up to the mania of high prices with
an abandon which is fearfuly admirable. A
lady's bonnet--a little piece Of velvet and
. f0wer-+O cap the climax, now costs
| one huAdred dollars, and cannot be manu-
factured fast enough to supply the de-
| Vand. Silks, satins and laces now cost
their weight in grccnbacks. Gloves are worth
what was formerly considered weeks salary
| for many people, while other styles Of dress
haye increased in like ratio. The wonder o!
i al is that, spite Of these high prices, the con-
| sumption is greater than ever. But never be-
fore was tie general expenditure of the citizens
| Of this metropolis so liberal so extravagant
Ne are decidedly on a general raise See
the bills and posters all over The .own--tbe
| gigantic posters-and yet we know that paper
is excessively dear. The German Opera, 10
keep pace with the spirit OF eytravagant dis
| play, has obtained the whole side OF a square
10 paste up huge bill in sight OF all New
| Yofk. Otier places Of amusement emulate
this reckless display. From one end Of the
| city to the other we constantly have before
our eyes the evidences Of an unusual and ex-
travagaut expenditure. We have kept pace
| with this spirit--were forced 10 do so in self
preservation. To drive away the crowds who
besiege our office for more papers than we cau
| possibly publish--there is limit to human
| energy and euterprise-we raised the price OF
The HERALD. More people came than ever.
| We were overun with advertisements, and
raised our prices. We now have go many ad-
! vertisements that we don't know what to do
| with them, and would like to make the for
| tunes Of three or four other journals by hand
| ing them over our surplus were it not that the
| public desire no other medium than the HERALD.
We have no desire to check the extrava-
gance we have been depicting-are well aware
that it cannot be stopped. We simply wish to
call the attention of the world in general to
our great prosperity, and ask it collective
ly whether such a people can be foiled
or could fail in putting down even more
formidable revolt than that Of Davis and his
misguided followers. This, and nothing else, is
the point OF our article, and we recommend it
TO the careful consideration Of all our neutral