The New York herald., 1865-02-18

L
Reforms Sadly Needed.
New York city Is certainly destined TO be the
emporium Of the world, as il Is now the me-
tropols OF this country. Sooner or later, unless
miraculous objections interpose, the State and
the national Capitols will be removed to this en-
porium. The Legislature has already appointed
Q committee to receive proposals from the
various cities for the location Of the capital OF
the State, and everybody admits that no other
city can compete with New York, if our advan-
tages be fairly presented and our authorities
are as liberal in their proposals as our citizens
wish them to be- Yet, in spite Of all this, there
are at least two reforms which must be tho
roughly and promptly made before this me-
tropolis can do itself Justice
Our streets are in terrible condition. One
day we wade knee deep In mud, and the next
day we are calling for canoes instead OF cars,
and refeoting upon the best means Of trans
forming our omnibuses into gondolas. II
cold snap comes the thoroughfares are filed
| with hills and mountains Of ice, over which
vehicles tumble and toss at snail's pace, like
the baggage wagons Of Napoleon crossing the
Alps Not even the crosswalks are cleared of
ice, and in sloppy weather we have to pay toll
to ragged little boys and girls If we wish to
cross the streets dryshod. These nusances
can be easily reformed. If private citizens can
clean their sidewalks, certainly the Corporation
can clear the crosswalks. AS for the carriage
ways, they ought to be cleaned in oil weathers.
There is no more sense in leaving the ice and
snow for rains to wash away than there is in
leaving the mud for the winds and sun to dry
up. There is no want Of money; but there is a
great lack Of executive ability. The citizens
pay their high taxes, and would pay them
willingly if they saw the city kept
neat and clean. Other cities are 80 kept
without half of our natural facilities and at less
than our annual expenditures. Why should
New York be so far behind the agea
The second reform to which we direct atten-
ton is the sewerage. The sewers below
ground, like the streets above ground, are in
a horrible mess. They are not graded properly,
or they are in some way obstructed, and the
result is that they breed disease and render
certain districts almost uninhabitable. The
HERALD Office has long suffered from this sewer
age nuisance, and we have spent much time
and money in vain attempts to abate it The
evil is where we cannot get at It, and where
the proper authorities ought to get at it and
correct it. This offence is rank; it smells to
heaven; and the offence of our dirty streets is
equally within the cognizance Of every citizen. 1t
is shame and disgrace that these matters are
not otimmediately reformed. We do not care at this
time to attempt to fasten the responsibility
upon any official or any department, nor do we
| believe in investigating committees as remedy
| for the nuisances of which we complain. We
simply state the broad, glaring, apparent facts
that our streets are now very dirty, when they
ought to be clean, and that our sewers now
conduce to disease when they ought to conduce
to health If these statements are not regarded,
and these nuisances continue to disgrace the
city, we shall see if somebody or some board
cannot be held to account for such delinquen-
cies. Like the farmer in the childrens story,
we first employ good words; then, if they fail,
we try the virtue of sticks and stones
OLD ABE ON THE FINE ARrs-"WAnNa
FOR THE HoUR."-"Last summer" says that
ancient radical abolitionist, William Lloyd
Garrison, in his Liberator of the 17th in
stant "after the public exhibition in this
city (Boston) of Mr.. w. T. Cartoons very
meritorious painting, entitled watch Meet
ing, December 81, 1862; or, Waiting for
the Hour'-the hour Of emancipation under
the Presidents proclamation of January l,
ls63-it was thought emnently fitting that
1t should be purchased by subscription and
presented to President Lincoln as q mark Of
personal respect and warm appreciation Of his
act whereby more than three millions of fetters
were broken, and death-dealing blow was
virtually given to the entire system Of chattel
slavery. The list of subscribers was beaded
by Governor Andrew, and composed of some
Of our most respected citizens-the sum raised
amounting to five hundred dollars. The paint
ing was duly forwarded to Washington" with
an accompanying letter and this is the Presi-
dents reply
| Executive MANSION,
WASHINGTON, Feb 7, 1885. I
Ny DEAR Mn. GARRsos-I have your kind. letter OF
don the seeming neglect occasioned by my constant
pagements When ! received the spirited and admirable
painting, "Wang for the Hour" directed my
ary not to acknowledge its arrival once preferrng to
| make my personal acknowledgment OF the thoughtful
Kindness Of tho donors; and waiting for some leisure
hour have committed the dscourtesy Of not replying
at all
Ihope you win believe tha, my thanks, though late
cordial and request that You will convey them
70 those associated with you in this hstterng and gone
rous gift.
| am, very truly, your friend and servant,
WIN. LLOYD GARRISON Esq. A. LINCOLN
A handsome acknowledgment, and embodying
neat little joke withal. Old Abe was SO well
pleased with this picture Of "Waiting for the
Hour" that in waiting for some leisure hour"
to do justice to the subject, he came very near
forgetting it entirely He describes his present
as "a spirited and admirable painting" which
is, perhaps, all that the artist could desire; but
as critic on the art, we are sorry that Old
Abe did not enter into some specifications Of
| the peculiar merits Of the work-a few little