New-York tribune., 1872-12-07

verdict in our favor. And if You dlstrust that
tribunal, to what viii you appeal Oh, you
say. we know that we are right, and we shall
decide the matter iOr ourselves. This OF
course is revolution; and it is a significant
comment upon the condition of affairs in Ala.
bama that 80 radical a proceeding does not
arouse the Indignation Of the whole state.
NORTH EASTERN MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.
Good subjects for books having become
rather scarce, we think that an amusing ana
not uninstructive one might be written upon
types of local character. 1t is admitted that
the Boston differs from the New-YOTk man;
that a Philadolphian is like neither the III
mountameer nor the KnickerbOcker ana
where is the Chicagoese who will for mo-
ment allow that he at all resembles the son OF
ST. Louisf A few of these differences are
decided and well marked. They are to
be observed in public and domestic hab-
its, in commercial notions, In literary
tastes in religious tone and Gus
tom. But apart from usually recognHeu
points like these, are certain shad0wy, unprO-
nounced and yet undenable pecullarIueS,
which none the less exist because 1t would
not be easy to state them with precision. III
il To these chat we owe the badinage and jokes
(usualy good -humored which entertain us
through the medium of the newspapers, Wnlcn
are sharp without a m0rsel of malice, ana re-
semble somewhat the light sparring which not
seldom GOES on in the most aifectionate fan-
lies. OF these jests Boston has naturally had
nor share, and we must say that her chronic
ft.r mn
doing the best things have fafly
provoked rejolnder and sometimes repnsal.
The city frequently makes us think of an OLD
maid from whom all personal graces have not
fed, and who is vibrating between a state OF
yirNnity and a state of confirmed yeJulce'
Sometimes she is gracious and sometimes she
il glum; anon she is saccharine, until her
nature suddenly undergOes an acet0us iermcn-
tation and while she is the kindcst ana most
obliging of all who wear long clothes, 1t often
happens that her curious angularitles OF char
acter, her prim precision, and the pnchiy
character Of her moral epidermis render II rs
hard to live with her as, Heaven knows II
might be to live without her.
We are pleased to notice that Providence
newspaper admits that there are good
"points" about Boston. There's the remains
"of fine woman about Sairey, Poll" re-
| marked Mr.. Bailey to Poll Sweedleppe; and
the Providence admission reminds us OF that
sharp boys guarded criticism. Good points
about Boston We should think there were
Some of them, we allow, may be little too
good. but that's fault in the right direction.
Municipal integrity, Goldfish and potatoes,
Lowell Lectures, baked beans, business enter
prise. and even the East wind, are all
good things in their way. A dlgni-
fled gravity of demeauOr Is good
| thing, and SO is an eye, provided
| it be not oyer-sharp, which, cat-like, watches
for The merest mouse of a main chance. In the
solid and virtuOus parts of the human charac-
ter, Boston undoubtedly su1passes the whole
mob of municipalities. The only difficulty Is
that a solidity may sometimes be so dense as
to interfere with grace, and that virtuousest'
virtue is apt to make us just little enam-
ored of vice. Moreover we suppose that the
men and women of the Three Mountains will
admit that they are a degree or two
cold in their manners, and have not that
hearty way of opening Itheir arms 10
strangers (morally speaking, of course) which
may be noticed elsewhere. The way
farer, unless he chances TO be a British or
Russian or other Prince, an Indian Chief. or a
Celebrated Author, will have no reason to
complain of the warmth of his reception in
Boston, especially if he should happen to ar
rive on Sunday morning Upon that sacred
day, he will find the streets deserted and dull,
save when the procession is vending church
ward looking as if it did not expect TO like
the sermon, or hOmeward looking us If il had
not been agreeably disappointed What then
Upon no spot of earth, We venture to say, within
the same area will be found so many homes so
fall of all domestic gIaces, 50 peopled BY
honest men, by kindly women, by children of
such noble promise and carefully nurtured.
This reflection has kept us tolerably warm,
even when the wind called ~ K. was making
manly frames to shake and womanly noses to
redden. Has the reader ever noticed what is to
be found in most toleribly large families; the
Model Child, the girl or boy who never did
anything wrong, was never late at school,
never told lib or had an unclcan face.
never spoke unless spoken 10, always SAID
"Yes, Marin !" or "YeS, Sir" always wiped
the feet and always shut the door BOstOnis
like the Model Child, not LOrobie, perhaps but
extremely HkeQbIe, and not to be crit
icised without qualms of conscience. The
best way for one alien to those immac-
ulate streets, should any controversy arise
respecting that city, is TO do in the be-
ginning what at any rate he will be- Obliged
to do at last--admit that Boston churches. lee
lures schools magazines, thai, in short, every
thing BostOnian is just the best of it, kind in
the world. This may not be exactly, bur ii is
su naorIv trus that a 1ehpte of tbn t,rttcr IL
hardly worth while. Moreover, upon The point