The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-05

A Peril 70 che City's Credit tho Peril
Of the Nation.
New York is to America what Paris once
was to the world. We have on this little
Island of Manhattan city with great trade,
a great population and unrivalled interests
Its growth has not been the growth of n day,
| but the steady progress of many years.
When Western Pennsylvania was the back
woods the population of this city was extend
ing from the Bowling Green to Maiden lane.
When Ohio aud the Western Reserve were
opening up TO settlement the City Hall Park
was just inside of the city. When Illinois
spread out its vast prairies to the emigrant
| Canal street still bordered on fields almost as
wild as those which lay on either side of the
Mississippi. What is now up town, en-
bracing Murray Hill, the magnificent avenues,
| intersected by some of the finest streets in
the world, and the squares, around
which cluster the wealth and Gull
| ture and fashion of the metropolis,
was reclaimed as slowly and almost as re-
| Gently as that part of the West which is be-
yond the Missouri. The residences about the
4
| of Colorado and Nevada. The city has grown
| with the country. AS States were added to
the Union its limits were expanded. AS in
dustry was developed in every part OF the
Continent New York drew the fruits of that
industry together and irrigated the land with
gold while it freighted the seas with rich
cargOes. Other cities commended with it in
vain, and its progress was SO complete and its
estiny 80 certain that they fell behind in the
race, and could only admire where they could
not compete. To-day the city is great, rich
and powerful: but not proud Of its wealth,
not vain because of it's greatness and not
AFRO CANT in the use Of its power. The whole
country regards it as master, and when it
speaks through Its eminent citizens and through
the press it ia heard with that respectful
attention which no other city, not even Lon
don or Paris, can command. But, great as it
is, New York is only in the beginning of its
career of greatness and glory. The triumphs
of the past are TO be constantly eclpsed by the
triumpbs of the future, till the hundred vii
| lagos which now surround it are hundred
cities, taking from and giving to the life of the
! metropolis, and till all the waters which sweep
past 1t from away up the Hudson to Sandy
Hook and through the East River and He'll
Gate to Montauk Point, are only roadbed for
its shipping.
| But New York has moral grandeur more
| significant even than its material prosperity in
| the past or the brightness of its promise for
! the future. In nothing is that moral gran
deur more fully and gloriously illustrated
than in the proud position occupied 10y the
| city in the early days Of the rebellion. 1t was
New York which made war against South
! Carolina. 1t was New York which gave the
country heart to save the Union. Boston had
| its little fever of excitement and its Wendell
Phillips harangues in Faneuil Hall, and Phila-
delphia its charity fairs and slow-go ing Union
League; but New York possessed the ear of
the country and was able to inspire confidence
among the people. In that hour the metropO-
lis poured out from its immense wealth only
less abundantly than it gave of its best and
brightest sous for the salvation of the repub-
lie. Rich and poor marched out shoulder to
shoulder and slept together on the bare
ground night after night that the flag which
bad been trailed in the dust might again be
lifted up Twenty thousand of her children
barred their bosoms in an instant to the
bullets Of the traitors as they are ever ready
| TO bare them in defence of liberty. 1t was
| New York-democratic New York-which
rescued the country and put the republic on
safe and sure foundation.
| And New York is not only great and rich
and strong, commanding the trade of the
world, holding in its care the confidence of
the country, and standing up at all times in
defence of American freedom-it is the door
| which opens up an asylum for the oppressed
of every land. Irishmen of every creed; Ger
mans and Frenchmen, full of the fiery hate
engendered by wars and triumphs and defeats;
| Spaniards looking wistfully back toward mis-
governed Spain; and Italians, praying that the
unity of Italy may be maintained, are all at
home here, having over them the same panoply
of stars which are over u.s. and being protected
by the same protecting folds of the banner of
the free which protect the children Of America.
| New York is city as free as it is great,
where every man thinks his own thoughts
| utters his own words and goes bis own way 10
| peace.
| The only thing to mar q picture so grand
! and to dim promise so brilliant is the demon
of misgovernment, whether it shows itself in
/ enormous frauds on the one hand or unwise
| counsel on the other. Men accused of crimes,
and especially fathless public servants, ought
| to be tried and punished according TO the
laws. But accusation is not proof. Angry
and popular appeals cannot rightfully take the
| place of calm and cautious judicial investiga-
| ton. Tempestuous public demonstrations,