The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-12
Am ImpOs tant Case CONFERENCE.-The
Ladies' Dresses.

during the coming season.
An Imp0s tant Case Considered-Thc
Ladies' Dresses.
We are not surprised to find that the sup
posed discrepancy of our two correspondents
as to the dresses worn by two distinguished
ladies on the occasion when General Grant
was received by Mr.. Pierrepont has excited
attention and bids fair to provoke an ami
mated ana even energetic discussion. 1t is
a subject of very great importance, rs the
attention given to it by our contemporaries
indicates, and we take this occasion to ac-
knowledge their indirect recognition Of the
deep interest Of our despatch. Our lively
neighbor, the Graphic, says that the differ
ence between the accounts of Kate Field
and Olive Logan is consequence of their
writing for paper that is scare
lessly edited" Are we to understand,
then. that if these ladies had sent
their letters to our neighbor, his conception
Of careful editing would have induced him
to make such changes in the words sent by
cable as would have reconciled the descrip-
tons? That is not our notion Of the duties
of an editor. Perish the thought that we
would tamper with the cable dispatches in
that style and fritter away the fidelity Of a
chronicle! To add or take away words in
such a manner as to make n correspondent
say what he or she does not say is to trife
with the reader in an inexcusable way. Be-
sides, which statement would the Graphic
have changed? It might have modified the
one that was most strictly accurate, and how
would it feel, then, when the inexora.
BILE coming of the papers by mail
should convict it of absolute false state
ment? That plan would never do. It
is better to leave the responsibility with the
correspondent. One correspondent may err
and the world be none the worse; but if the
HERALD is found clearly wrong the faith Of the
American peoplein first principles is Shaken
If the correspondents who have differed
thus were mere men we might account for
the discrepancy by that lapse of observation
which from time to time troubles masculine
humanity as to the number of moons that
figure in the average midnight sky; but in
the case Of ladies that easy explanation is of
course excluded. Several ladies, experts in
problems of the toilet, have written to say
that the variations are not irreconcilable,
and there is some hope, certainly, in that
direction There are, for instance, four varia-
tons. One says cream, the other canary color.
Now, what is the color OF cream? This de-
ponds on the breed Of COWS, the excellence
Of pasture and the time of year, and the
hue may vary from golden yellow in good
samples to that Of dirty white scum in
samples from the Blissville distillery stable.
Canaries vary in color within nearly the
same limits. Here, then, is one discrep-
ancy fairly run down and stamped out.
The next is claret color and brown. If you
take cheap claret there is no brown in it.
If you rise to the glories of Laftte, Pichon
Longueville and Margaux, your man of ac-
complished eye will tell you that you want
to see in your wine the color pedu d'oghon.
Now, an onion skin varies in its red toward
brown. HEaAID correspondents know that
brown. Indeed, it is our opinion, from an
occasional view of their accounts, that
our correspondents never trouble them
selves with cheap claret. Moreover, it
appears that silks which are brown, viewed
directly, dazzle with more brilliant hue in
an oblique aspect. Another difficulty is be-
tween cherry and scarlet. Now what kind
of cherries shall they be? There was man
who sold 'plum-colored coat" and it
proved to be green, and when he produced
his specimens Of ''green cages" in court he
obtained o verdict. There was man who
contracted to furnish cherry-colored cat,
and he brought black, and said he meant
black cherries. Is not the commonest kind
of some cherries the brightest possible
scarlet?