The New York herald., 1874-12-08
SAINT NICHOLAS FESTIVAL.


Delmonico's Fifth avenue and Fourteenth street.
business meeting was held previous to the din
ner, at which the following were elected officers
OF the soclety:-Mr. A. H Macdonough, President:
william NJ. Vermilyea, Charles r Surd, Carlisle
Norwood and George W. Mclean. Vice Presidents,
and John c. Mills, secretary. The dinner. which
was served in excellent style, was en-
ivened BY the usual Dutch pecu.iarites,
by the burgomaster-appearance OF the
President the orange ne1kties OF many
OF the guests and the almost universal smoking
OF tobacco In long clay pipes. The toast OF the
evening, ..St. Nicholas was eloquently proposed
by the President, and responded to IN q mastery
manner by Mr. BogarL Alter the toasts OF "The
President OF the United states" and 1.-The Cover
nor OF the State or New York." "The City OF New
Yorkn was proposed, and responded to by Mayor
Vance. who, on rising, was received with cheer
ing, all the company standing to give him very
hearty and demonstratiye reception.
SPEECH OF MAYOR VANCE
Mayor Vance SAID
II | had considered, Mr.. President, that my
mad bound me TO 90 justice to the sublect-'f had
even supposed thai your invitation was prompted
by any expectation that l should speak III ade-
quate terms OF the vast and varied activity, OF
the growing wealth and power, OF the
expanding influence and the measureless respon.
sioi1ty for good and for evil OF this great cly,
should certainly nave declined the honor rendered
me- But could not forget that, however accl-
ana e of Ssle, 81 pa Sv
York. am bound 10 the best OF my abilty-as
an rcsoived-to discharge ali ITS duties, whether
naturally and justly you might have called upon
the Mayor elect to discharge The duty assigned
me trust appreciate tnat deilcacy and nber-
ality OF sentiment which your invitation illus
trates. A custom almost as invarlable III Observ-
ance as II is attractive IN results has appropriated
humor and patriotic coDgratulation. would not
willingly Utter one discordant note. But caanot
iorget-it seems TO me II would not become US to
appear unmindiul, even at this festive board-tnar
O worthy representative OF that great race which
nrst reared q Christian nome on TINS island; that
society; tnat Mayor OF New York. greatly hon.
ored oy his fellow citizens. WHO abored unsti the
fua moment at his place OF offlcla duty, rests In
q grave SO fresh tnat the mowers which affection
has laid upon It are yet unladed and the fountains
US, then, remember ana repeat In homo. and
in praise, fact o justice to the dead and Of good
INSPIRATION 70 tne msnn ~ nr gnaen he rs across
that not even the most uDlrlendly critic OF the
late Mayor Havemeyer mas once suggested that =
single Official act vi his was dictated BY any re-
ward or nope Of gain, at the public expense, or
that he ever consciously disregarded tne general
from the past past TO the future, an almost equally
solemn mood comes over me. 1t Is you know
easy enough Tor most men to think that they are
tine most dislnterested OF mortals, the most COM
petent 0i officers. How, then. wHen am only
lew DAYS 10 be be Mayor, when my prlnc,nes are re
expected to be joyful or to speak hopefully OF New
York Was It, Mr.. President, part OF the enter
tainment OF rnls occasion to see what sort OF q
spoDse q republican Mayor could make Tor the
city, when standing on the marrow space between
OF Mr. Wickbam, in iull view OF democrats coming
roliicKlns into power and OF republicans falling
Daex wag 10 nave o grim seor eS
The position is certainly embarrassing. as well as
narrow, and 1t is apparently very gloomy but II IS
not without some wholesome suggestions and con-
solations, The lessons taught III the lew past
years-more emphatcaly than ever before In our
the party coming to power have alike need to
ponder-which apply equally TO cities. 10 States
and to the nauon, trink, are these: Tnat what.
anairs must be guided ~ an honest and sagacious
regard for the general welfare; must be Wiling
and able to put worthy men into ONCE and keep
them in, and to put uniaithiul men out OF on1cc
and to keep them out, and must stand by It's prln-
tisan aggrandisement. Just 10 the extent ihat
sucn Convictions shall continue TO gain
Strength the pSPs viii ,rY ssoa
be in power IN this city. (Cheers) ], BY
no means, regard that political millennium
remain in power IN this city. State, or nation,
which snail hanitually disregard these teachings.
Aside, therefore, from my oiicial relations to the
first OF January next, / 40 not by any means re-
gard the approach OF that PERIOD with dismay. 1t
is cause Tor congratuaion that our Mayor elect is
man OF unstaIned reputation, and tnat tne Gov
ernor's chair IS to be filed by one who ener-
getic against corrupt men, and who may be ex-
Governor DIX has never departed. Appause.)
But may perhaps be expected to say something
more directly about the CITY 81 New fYrk: Cover.
1865 respond TO toast to this city, declared that
mo man had capacity enough 70 answer
tue as can be found WITHIN it's
llrntsn He SAID IT was city more full OF mean
ness and more full OF virtue tnan any other place
OF It's size on the face OF Gods earn" and also,
that at mad spent more money and given more
without complaint than any city on the lace Of tnc
rfh nj U--I
ing-that IL had oeen a long time ''under the con-
troll oil a party winch was opposed 10 that con.
l,O0o, 000 less So 100000 IN the sinking lund.
have no time to inquire whether the vice and the
same fearful ratio as the deot-whicn he certainly
did not exaggerate-oT whether the Recorder was
correct as to the party which Is most responsible
for tnem and iuiy agree with him tnat proDapy
man Is able TO answer aoeQuateiy lor either OF
these elements OF our municipal condition. shall
not make the attempt. The dent Is almost as inde-
Unable and cnangeaDle as the mouths oil the Missls-
sippi and as hard TO reduce, as lhcommens urable,
and as progressive as the coral OF Florida and
whether We are to be wrecked upon 1t depends
mucn upon the navigation oil those coming into
power; and IL VIII not be amss ior us, passengers,
10 watch the new officers OF the snip very care
fully. How can speak adequately OF the virtues,
the CHARITIES, the religious spirit OF self-sacrnce
and devotion which the daily lie OF this city pre-
sents2 Not only line churches along our streets
and avenues. not only the largest and best en-
0owed institutions upon our island and around
our borders, out buildings, large and small, de-
voted to teaching, TO shelter, TO general benev-
olence-in the humble ana gloomy quarters ol the
city-contriDute to that vast mass OF evidence
which may well convince the impartial foreigner,
that In no age and under no form OF government
has tnst sense OF duty which man owes to his
fellows bossomed and ripened into larger or
better Iruit. And not far from these everywhere,
stand our public school buildlngs-those sublime
evidences OF the sense which this generation has
OF Its duty 20 care ior the intelligence and virtue
or the next; and wish especially to congratulate
this society upon the fact that New YORK has
reached the conviction-at the beginning OF ne xt
month to be for the first time expressed IN of1cial
action-tnat 1t Is the duty OF the state to require
and enforce the elementary education OF all its
children Nor is this ali. In oui recent history, OF
which q New Yorker may well be proud, and
for its first settlers, It's venerable tradi-
tons its local history and spirit, may
mas been raised from shame to honor
and confidence; our lower judiciary has been
placed upon q basis OF just Independence and IN
cseased eilciency our Bar has united It's conserv-
attve forces and has spoken and acted with
courage for justice. Noble men and women are