Year: 1867

4 I

 (Wich Is Postmaster

 BRASS BUTTONS OR B1AcK!-We are glad to see fewer conspicuous iveries in the streets of New York than have been dis played during the past few years It is an excellent sign, and we may begin perhaps to hope for the days when New York socie- ty shall settle down into propriety and true elegance. If fiashy liveries are in reality going out of fashion, there may be some chance for republican simplicity ao= return from its long banishment. It has been the disgrace of the metropolis that it's citizens should initiate foreign affectations; or rath- CT that they should affect in Republican America the customs which are the legiti- mate and natural results of aristocracy. What is afectation here is not affectation 1 ill England or on the Continent. We cer- talnly notice fewer brass buttons and cock ades than has been usual in the avenue and in the park. There has been tendency, for one or two a5ons past, to quiet colors and nothing more showy than silver but tons. Even this is inelegant, and the more truly refined have limited their ambition to black buttons The extravaganza which threatened to overwhelm decency in sea of vulgarity, just at the close of the war, and which even had the impudence to put American citizens into top boots and knee brooches, has passed away. The tendency is towards quietness, elegance and respect ability in this regard. How long it will be before men who dress their servants in gaudy apparel are laughed at by every newsboy upon the street, as they ought to be, it is difficult to say. The sooner that f1 %1,o1 1,44 and not till then, we can congratulate the metropolis upon having some respect for the institutions of it's own country, and on being independent, in measure, of for eign fashions and aristocratic absurdities. An American citizen should as soon think of appearing in the streets himself in a marked costume, with cockade and brass buttons, as to ask servant to doso.

 We do not object to servant being dressed plainly and neatly, in such Q manner that his employers friends will not be con- tinually mistaking him for personal friend of the family He ought on the other hand to be dressed neatly, so as to be an ornament rather than the reverse to hand some establishments. But every true citi- zen of republic ought to object to seeing men conspicuously marked with the badge of social inequality. Few Americans are ever induced to don another mans livery, and rich men ought to have too much re- gard for the personal pride which makes us a great nation, to ask any man, foreign or native. willing or unwilling, to adopt a liv- cry which will mark him coacpicuously as a servant, Whether the apparent recedence from the vulgarity of the past few years is a substantial evidence of returning refine ment or not, it is difficult to determine; it may be nothing more than temporary fashion which will pass away, like other fashions and give place perhaps to an in- definite amount of display and vulgarity. We trust this is not the case. The tenden- cy of fashion is good at present, and seems to indicate better things for social elegance in the future than we have had in the past I-N Y. Foe. lfaM

 The New Haven Journal says:-A frisky farmer from the rural districts of yNo1oof&v;l1o rro1-o a how at tba hoa6 nf th a