The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-11-17
The Modern Babylon.

If the city of New York were to be
shaken down to-day by an earthquake,
saws the Richmond Examiner, October
3Oth, and only Niblo's theater left stand
ing, the survivors of the calamity would
flock to see the "Black Crook" to-mor-
row night as if nothing had happened.
The great metropolis may not deserve
the title bestowed npon it, "The World
of New York." but at any rate, the DENT
monde inhabits there, and virtue 1t es-
teemed an entirely provincial quality.
In point of fact, New York has broken
loose from every precedent of the social
system-just as Boston has cast off from
every ordinance of the intellectual sys-
tem-and moves on i'll sphere OF its
own. and to the music of quite original
celestial harmonies. II this sense the
great city is uuqustionably world"
Everything in New York is done son
a margin" and he (or she) is the most
successful metropolitan who can "op-
crate the most extensively upon the
least capital. Thus the daily newspa-
pers are conducted in the sphere of ru-
NOR upon the most surprisingly small
margin of truth; the preachers traverse
the broad realms at society and politics
upon the meagerest imaginable plank
of gospel; fair women sport the fullest
toilet of fashion over scarcely shift of
virtue: and the only undoubted capt.
alist in the place is the devil, who seems
TO own stock in its every institution,
and to have hill of sale of the commu-
nifty i'll general
If worthy John Bunyan could come
to life again. and survive the steeraso OF
an emigrant ship, and the perils OF the
..ru,nsrsr who infast Cnstln Gn"h"- -
would assuredly, after having seen New
York, tear ont the chapter from the mar
rative of his great pilgrimage, and give
us another picture of VANITY Fair"
Dante, were he living, would add a
Wall street CORNER" to the other exqui-
site torturcs of maleJOge; and Jonah,
sent against such i place, would not
seek to hide in whales belly, because
he wonld know that his utmost prophe-
CIV would never be needed.
That New York patronizes the arts Is
fixed fact. Upon every corner you
NAV see the hand bill of q grand "gift
concert" Ristori fails and Jefferson
but the "Black Crook" succeeds; Ear
NUNS Museum opens every day at five
o'clock A. NJ; Harpev's Magazine is sold
by the hundred thousand, and Bier
stadts pictures have made his fortune
That New York is fountain of taste
is beyond question. She has great
park without trees; and Fifth Avenue
without pavement; Mayor without
authority; pretty women without grace
who wear splendid toilettcs without
paying for them; handsome men with
out honesty and-a Bennett, Beecher
n Greeley--and Seventh regiment.
Paris, to be sure, has her Quartet
Breda and her Rue Notre Dame d.
Lorcttes, but she has also her Faubourl
de st. German and her Rue de Rivoli
London is able to offset Saint Giles Will
Saint James; and even Vienna doe
not open her court to questionable
virtue; but, in New York, nous droa'
change foat celia, they say, "MisS" Lucre
tia Borgia is an honored guest
at all the hotels. and Madame" Biche's
palace on Fifth Avenue is next door tt
Madame Prude's institute for yonng
ladies'" If Madame Biche felt like /,
she could rent the best pew in Plymouth
or Grace Church without exciting pop
Mar indignation, and Miss Lurcctia
Guild visit in society" just as she has
her box at the opera and ticket to the
Seventh ball.
In other words, society is totally, in
famously, beyond conception, corrupt in
New York, and if this corruption be
as they tell US it ia, the Legitimate Off
spring of sudden riches, may God con-
,;,,a = N no onr nrasenf noyerfy.