Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-08-26
DIR NEW YORK LETTER.
The Astors-A New Cathedral-The Jews
--PoIitienl-The Trades Unions,


THE AsToRs.
John Jacob AstOr, the son of Will
liam b., il arranging for a monu'
mcnt to his father, or rather the de.
ceased Astors, which will have no
parallel in this country. 1t is moth
inc less than an altar IN old Trinity
Church, the designs tor which are
now being made in Munich, and
which is to cost over $lOO,OOO The
lIpiscopalians have held to Trinity
for reasons other than that Of rev
erence for the old church and its
beauty. The old New Workers went
M town to live very reluctantly,
and with reason, for the area below
the post Office is u thousand times
more pleasant than that above.
They believe that in the course OF u
few years the lower wards VIII De
again filled with a dense populations
and that consequently old Trinity
will again be ~ centre for wealth
and fashion. Consequently they are
spending money lavishly upon her;
and that is why Mr.. Astor selected
it ms the church for his memorial al
tar, in place of one up town.
A GRAND CATHEDRAL.
Speaking of churches, the Epis'
copalians whose interests lie uptown
have determined to build q cathe,
dral thet will eclipse in size anu
They have selected tract of ground
up among the iashionables, (those
who 60 to heaven in purple and fine
linen if they don't break up before
they can get their property in the
name of their wives,) and propose
to raise $4,000, 900 and erect there
on such cathedral as will put the
Catholic even to utter shame and
make the Jewish Synagogue look
small 1t will cover an entire block,
and will have everything known TO
ecclesiastical architecture that mon
ey can buy. The sum necessary to
insure it's erection is now almost
raised, and it is expected to com.
mence 1t next spring.
THE JEWS.
Speaking Of religious denomina.
tons, the Catholics, who are by all
odds the poorest of the denOmina-
tons, can build the biggest church
cs and raise money the easiest. The
vast body of laborers, and servant
girls, the poorest paid and closest
living Of all the labor Of the coun.
try, contribute money to build vast
cathedrals and churches most eX.
pensively fitted and furnished. With
these giving is made a religious du-
ty, and when the priesthood calls,
the money is paid without a muir
muir. The Jews, without being I'M
der the control of a priesthood, nor
subject to any influence aside from
belief in their religion and de-
votion to it, build the most gorge
Gus church edifces of all. Their
new synagogue on 9Th Avenue is
the most honor to them as a people,
and it will be a long time before it
will be eclipsed. They are more
wealthy, per capita, than any race
on the continent, aud the orthodox
jew believes in his religion with all
the fervor of IA Catholic, with the
difference that his belief is one al
ways of intelligent conviction. But
the glory is departing from Israel.
The young Israelites are mingling
and mixing with the Gentiles; they
are adopting their habits and Gus
toms, ard little by little Judaism is
losing it's hold upon them. They
neglect the observances of the
Church, they modify it's doctrines,
and doubt as to whether its usages
have a binding force. In short, the
''hickory Jews" are in the majority,
and the orthodox are grooming in
spirit. The Nathan murder is al.
most forgotten. The murdered man
was an Israelite of the strictest style.
He kept Saturday, and in all the
obServances of the Church was as
strict as IL Rabbi. 1t was the great
grief of his life that his sons were,
every one of them, liberal. They
intelmarried with the Gentiles, they
associated with them, and in every
s ay refused to have any of that ex.
c lusiveness which is necessary to
the perpetuation Of such a system.
The young Israelites of the city are
mostly young Nathans, and one or
two generations will not DESTROY
j Judaism in this country, but it will
modify it so that the difference be.
tween it and Unitarianism will be
very slight.
POLITICAL.
The Tilden Committees have got
their arrangements completed, and
will commence vigorous work at
once. The two States in which the
most work will be done are, of course,
Ohio and Indiana, and their best
speakers aud several barrels of mon
ey will be sent thither. The strong
Congressional nominations made by
[ he Republicans of Ohio have dis |