The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-07
The Capital Of n Continent.

The Capital Of n Continent.
The American who travels among the capt.
tails of old Europe oftentimes comes back to
his native land with feeling not exactly of
reverence for the architectural progress Of his
own land. He finds solace in the idea that if
this great, young republican giant possesses
not the splendor in shrines and monuments of
the hoary old Continent from which we sprung,
it has within it more than the germs Of a
greatness destined to eclipse the efforts OF all
the older world. Outside Of this the average
mind that leaves the young towns Of America
for the civic growths of an older civilization,
and seeing there the huger, statelier piles Of
masonry that sit like gray old stone epics of the
buried centuries, he turns back with some
thing of regret to the more modest structures
that we, at home, are accustomed to regard
with pride. There Is natural but great
mistake in this. 1t is the looking at
results instead of causes. BY this we
mean that the American traveller for
gets that these great "sermons in stone"
were raised by the will of individual men who
fellow men. Here in Ameri ca the voluntary
principle replaces all this. 1t is the effort of
men as nation, as state, as a municipality,
as religious sect, and philanthropic, edu-
cational or social body that accomplshes what
has been already achieved. With the limited
resources in the hands of orr fathers the sue.
cess was wonderful. 1t has always been a
question of resources. The awe that is said
to overcome men in presence Of mighty nature
to such an extent as to dwarf the idealty of
man has never counted for much with Ameri-
cans, because in the oldest settlements on the
Continent, which formed the nucleus of our
nation, the influence Of nature could scarcely
be felt in the one impressive point of awe
which depends entirely on q coup dGH and
does not extend beyond the apparent horizon.
As our communities have grown they have de-
veloped artistic and architectural taste in the
same proportion. New York, the empress in
wealth, is equally SO in architectural munif-
cence. The peculiar bent of its develop
ment should be matter Of pride with
us, in that it exhibits none of the hackneyed
curbing lines Of European cities. In point of
private effort it surpasses any city in the
world. When the newcomer wanders uptown
and sees the stately brown stone and marble
mansions at every step his longing to see one
huge palace must be checked in the idea that
we own no kings or princes here; that the
wealth he sees is that Of individual citizens of
| great nation, with just vote like their
poorer neghbors. The variety in style of our
churches proclaims the supremacy of the
public conscience, which imposes no belief on
any man, but lets the congregations of any
creed build as they list, If they can pay for it.
If there be unique street INTELLECTUALLY it ia
Broadway. The perfect disregard of unity,
the competition in costly and massive build
ings, the diversity of material, as well as
adornment combine to make it highway Of
commerce, the paragon of the world, and in
every pillar, facade and cornice proclaim il
the proud result of the energy and enterprise
Of free, thriving people.
In another part Of to-day's HERALD will be
found history of some Of the public build
| ings in course of construction in the metropo.
| lis. It will be found of special interest in
| every one of its details, demonstrating the
widespread truth of what we have indicated.
Foremost on the list is the great Free Library,
the princely gift of Mr.. Lenox to New York.
From the bare description given 1t will be seer
that our wealthy citizens do not lack the spirit
| Of love to help onward their fellow man. The
Masonic Temple is grand specimen of wha
such powerful bodies can achieve in united
effort; the Homes for the old and INDECENT arc
not forgotten, nor the noble work OF our
Hebrew brethren in providing for the young
and needy If their olden faith and blood.
Cont houses, hospitals and Catholic schools
and churches are there included. Even by
the standard OF this article New York's prog
ress should not be entirely judged. Our grow
| ing Post Office, our unfortunate but grand
| Court House, the new white marble Catholic
Cathedral Of st. Patrick s-the finest church
building on the Continent when finished--are
not included, lengthy descriptions of them
having been given heretofore Enough, how.
ever, will be gathered from its perusal &c
satisfy the reader Of how rapidly New York,
by it's individual effort is intellectually fitting
itself for the position which is its natural des.
| tiny-the metropolis Of o continent.