The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-26

pog markell NOTWITHSTANDING the light receipts TOR the
year. has ruled dull and prices have receded fully 1c
1c per pound packers refusing 10 opeAte excepting 1t
further concession About 5000 head on sale but
quite number wsrs lsfs unsolA the market closing
heavy a ec. aSssc for best quality, exc Skc for
fair 70 good and 5xc &c. for common The total rs
ceips were $3.50 beeyss 81 mich cows, b5S veal
calves, 2keA6 sheep aad lambs and u.s. eas swira 30
Csrissma. In Or cl,y aressss-Pr.sress ~
a = lsf spIeudid Cerensnials, sass
Christmas has this, year been kept In New
York. not only as holiday but also as holy
day. Evergreens and flowers have decorated
not only rarlors and bathrooms, and even MILL,
ners' shops, lager beer saloons, concert halls
and theatres; but they have been most pro-
fusely lavished in the decoration Of houses of
worship, thronged by Christians of almost
every denomination. Bells have ctmed, the
organ and the human voice-that finest of ell
instruments-have blended their tones In the
music of prayer and praise, and the Gospel Of
"Peace on earth and good will to men" has
been read in all the churches. The HERAID
has given full and minute accounts of the i'm
pressive services in our city churches, and none
can fail to have been struck by the unwonted
splendors Of the ceremonies on this occasion.
We are thus reminded Of the fact that in the
United States and Great Britain decided
reaction has followed the excuses of the mate
rialism and atheism of this nineteenth century.
In Great Britain the strides in quite an oppo-
site direction have been immense, from the
iconoclasm Of the times Of John Knox-when
monasteries and cathedrals were sacked by
zsalots, who smashed gorgeously stained
windows, tore down frescoes, destroyed pic
lures and overturned affairs, deeming all which
they saw in the old ecclesiastical edifces
with their architectural pomp and their splendor
of marvellous painting and sculpture to be
idolatry-to the prevalent and increasing
ritualism of large numbers of the Anglican |
clergy Of the present day, and to Mr.. Pugin's
chapel at Chaplain, with its carmined little
cherubs, velvet hangings, artificial flowers and
other limitations of modern ultramontane art.
taken place since the Pilgrim Fathers landed at
Plymouth. Their firstlog meeting house was
q very different structure from any which now
lifts its tall spire near the seeple Of Park Street
Church in Boston. Even in New England Christ
mas was celebrated yesterday, and the ancient
Puritans, who mathematical mince pie as the
diet Of damnation, ate it without fear and
alone their Catholic churches 0hey have these
now), but most Of their Episcopal, and even
some Of their Baptist and Unitarian houses Of
worship are surmounted by the holy cross.
Methodists no longer prohibit steeples and
organs any more than bonnet ribbons. The
interior Of Trinity, the Episcopal cathedral Of
New York, differed but little yesterday at the
first glance from that Of a fine old Catholic
church in some continental city. In every
large city, and at miny remote point in the
country, throughout North and South America,
Christmas was yesterday celebrated with the
same impressive rites as in the days ofPizarro
in the oldest church of the two Americas,
which is now crumbling to ruins on the island
of Chloe, between Chile and Patagonia. A
physician Of this city, lately q surgeon in our
navy, has brought home a bill Of the curl
ously carved woodwork whitfield out by the
patient monks, who helped build this first
Christian church in the western hemisphere.
An eloquent preacher Of the liberal school in
Boston, the late DR.. Charming, philosophicslly
admitted the want felt by individuals Of GER
tain constitution and temperament for more
imposing religious ceremonials than Puritan.
ism imposes. The same Thoughtful philanthro-
pist believed that the millennium would
not arrive until Ethiopia had stretched
out her hands to God-in other words,
until the negro had been enlightened and
the fully developed wealth of his emo
tional nature, as well as the superior intellect
of other races, had been consecrated to re-
ligion. Al the recent Plelary Council in
Baltimore the dgnitaries Of the Catholic
Church, fully aware of the Susceptibility OF
the colored race to the regensyeHng and ssiwu-
lating influences OF the solemn, impressive
rites of Christianity. made special provision
for the religious education of the emancipsted
slaves Of the South
The fact 10 that all races in every age and
cline have exhibited the religious element by
outward manifestations. Human nature Il
essentially the same, however modified by bar
barism or by civilization. IL longs to bridge
the chasm between the finite and tn 10 infinite
and this religion offers to do. Rob espierre
found that even IL there were no God God
must be created by decree. Not long ago the
late Auguste Comte, founder Of the positive
philosophy, recognized the necessity of recon
structing religion with it, ritual on the ruins
Of the one which he had aimed TO destroy.
Although few high souls dwelling apart from
their race may commune with the Great Spirit,
or think they may, without the help Of those
appeals which Christianity makes, through the
senses and the imagination, to the heart and
she understanding, this is far from being the
ease with The majority o. mankind. The
masses need all the aid that symbolism and