, 1873-01-02
rllp d. Etat"-Its inner
History.
gupposed-to- be-Deal Authors Still Alive
..-Past and Present Criticism.
From Our O,1n Correspondent.

From Our Oun Correspondent.
NEW YonK, Doe. a. 1919.
Tho Christmas just passed has boon genorally
celebrated lcro thoologionlly, oooiatly, gantro-
notnically, and yinouBly. Au lnpponn OIL NIL holi-
days, oon,moroo of oyory BORT was ontfro1y ncg-
1octod h1on wl,o aro supposed to bo immersed
In onoy-making dsnissod tho aub1ect for
twonty-four hours; turnod tholr attention 10
their own homes, md the pleasure Of conlomplat.
ing themso1yoa from domestic point Of Wow.
Tho roal business Of
o1In1sragAs-
dining and preaent-naking was oonsciontionsly
puisuod. Tho markets. wore ranBacked, md
wiue-col]ars explored for tho oldest and rarost
vintngea. All Now York that had any homo
dinod at homo. uoads Of families occupied thHt
position on that day; connubtal loyalty and
parental affections wore refreshed by indul-
CONGO; and ovon tho most fashionable circlos
bccamc, for tho ANIMAL occaaion what thoy should
bo alwnyp. Christmas ID ono OF the timoH whom
merchant, and bankor, aud professional mon
mako tho acauantauccs Of thoirifamilies; agcer-
tain tho number Of thoir children; examine thoir
own rotations aa"husbauds and fathors,-n O
word, do all kinds OF novel and unlookod-for
!luys.
"Wednesday Was cold enough for indoor COM
fort. i blazing hoarth WAS tho 1ttost symbol Of
tho day, and vell-sproad tabo the natural sign
OF wolcomo. (Whcn tho temperature is low, our
nppctitcB arc usually high; aud food within ia
tho complement Of freezing without). Wednos-
day was gracious and becoming Christmas to
thoBo in easy circumstances, aud moro excellent
dinners wore probably oaten horo than in my
city under the aun. But there ia
TIE REVERSE srpE,
too. How many thousands on this Island lad
tho meagorost fare, wont oven hungry to bod,
lin tho midst Of tho largest md most luxurious
supernuity! Nowhere olao in tllia Republic. Ia
there 80 much poverty; and yet, the
poverty belongs not to ns by right. Our
poor are tho poor Of tho whole world, who Tow
atcadily to us year aftor year, and, instead Of
distributing themselves throughout tho land,
utay in the port where they arrive. Soson-oiglths
Of ali tho 'retchodnoas, ignorance, and crimo
charged to nur account shonld DO laid 10 i1nmi-
grafton. We arc IN aomo sort tho aowor OF the
Elobo, and arc likely to DO for generations.
Tnkng our native population hot immediately
and it is NJ Intelligent upright, law-abaing, aud
conscientious as any population in tho Union.
This IL well enough, understood; but it IL 30
enay and convonient to abuse Now York-an.l wo
hard for ont-of-town people and paPora to forogo
tho Satisfaction that The habit gives thotn.
pnEsENr-MAKlNa
this aenBon has boen moro gororal than over bo-
fore. III tho past four Or five weeks, all tho
shops have bean 30 crowded that purchasers lad
boon obliged to wait for hours for their turn.
Tradesnlen Say thoy baye never known ouch
rush that it exceeded MI their auticipations.
In groator quantity, than at any previous tlme.
Dry goods dealers have sold the coBtliost shawls,
laces, md ombroiderics, which they had import
cd rather for sample than with tho hopo Of dis
~ f,oy1
for diamonds and other precious atunos whch
they had had long Oh hand, and held at fabulous
prices. Articles Of apparel, braceolu, rnga. and
nscklaces worth thousands oil dollars oach, have
boen bestowed as triQes; mud, iu some instances,
houses and lots have been dooded to Bons mud
daughters just sotting out in life. 1t ia eBtimat
cd that all tho Christmas gifts mado this year
must have value Of fully $4,000, ,00U; aud
worth from s10,001 to s25, 100.
Present-making is conlmeudab!o; tho custom
ts pretty and graceful in and OF itself. But it
should DO done informally tEEog9larly, and spon,-
matter Of moro routine, au exchange OF mate
rial things, as it ia at proBent. AZ now managed,
presents arc regarded as inevitable, md Christ
nlaR ia uolected as the timo for their giving.
There is ITO aupriso in them,-no spontancity of
feeling,-no genuine pleasure. 4 gtyos1 i be-
Gauss lie knows that 3 will give Linn something;
sc that this ls merely m o1clsange Ut goods, in
etoad Of Kindly froo-will Offering; How much
Nv 49,
Esn Soroa ''nE Eersp pf0sa so f"a Ss % sppSan ea y
reciprocity connected with thon,-no power Of
.nntioiration,--no thought Of data. but, In these
EXCESSIVE, miscellaneous, vulgar preHent-mak-
ingB, all that is dosicato and Desirable is worse
than lost. Tho gifts aro valued largely for thoir
cost; and thus 1nonoy bocomos thcir chief ainl
md Indirect purpose. It il very much as If
men, instead OF lnnhing presents, mud putting d
Gne complexion Oh sclIihh acts, weio simply to
exchange checks and Charge tho d,t1eloaco to
lIoiit alad LuHa.
Tho last movement in The Tribune oillco was
glolly unal,ticipatcd by Tho public, though 1t
Fas received with delight by tho friends Of tho
paper. WHO had made up their minds that its past
record would bu coutrallctcd. Very fow poraona
understand how tho recent changos aud counter
,hangos woro brought about, and aro surprised i
hint Mr. William Orton after buying control
fne}a arc supposed to 10 these: Samuel sincalrr
thought, aftor tho oyorwheming dofoat and
death Of MIR. Qroeoy, that tho solo safety OF tho
Tribune was to ro-onter tho ranks Of the Admin
tstration, and. oosdo. any Of tho ne- ne
party. IIo was aware that tho greater part Of
tho Stockholders wore intonRo1y opposed to this
programme, and tint, to carry out his project,
Ing money enough to buy controlling interest,
al,d being rathor afraid 10 increano bis Bharol
anyhow, ho deemed ii prudent to soil the twenty
sllares liz held. Tho other stockholders would
sold to them, that thoy would romovo him from
the publshorship. Consequently, he mado Il
combination to acl to Mr. Orton tltty-ono shares,
which the Inter was anxious to purchaao,-no
moro and no less. Ortun WAS Binclair'a friend
and very likely to rolain lin iu oGce.
Tic transaction WIS closed, and tho Tribune
being practically In tho hanas Of 0rton, many
Of tic old atockholdora aold out, aud several
mombers OF the H!a!l, including Whitelaw Reid
resigned. Orton had intended to mal;o schuylul
ColfAx editor, but found, OH inquiry, that ho was
ous thngH with tho Tribune, without any shoH
Of succeau, mud, finally. ho discovered that his
al,nun nftu 1aairnl1ln lla Gh[} i'm