new york-第2章

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to　place　themselves　in　positions　perhaps　that　they　are　not　always

exactly　qualified　to　fill。　Of　all　social　usurpations；　that　of

mere　money　is　the　least　tolerableas　one　may　have　a　very　full

purse　with　empty　brains　and　vulgar　tastes　and　habits。　The　wisdom

of　thus　throwing　the　control　of　a　feature　of　society；　that　is　of

much　more　moment　than　is　commonly　supposed；　into　the　chapter　of

commercial　accidents　may　well　he　questioned



Some　crude　attempts　have　been　made　to　bring　the　circles　of　New

York　within　the　control　of　a　code　prepared　and　promulgated

through　the　public　press。　They　who　have　made　these　abortive

attempts　have　been　little　aware　of　the　power　with　which　they　have

to　contend。　Napoleon　himself；　who　could　cause　the　conscription　to

enter　every　man's　dwelling；　could　not　bring　the　coteries　of　the

Faubourg　under　his　influence。　In　this　respect；　society　will　make

its　own　laws；　appeal　to　its　own　opinions；　and　submit　only　to　its

own　edicts。　Association　is　beyond　the　control　of　any　regular　and

peaceful　government；　resting　on　influences　that　seem；　in　a　great

measure；　to　be　founded　in　naturethe　most　inflexible　of　all

rulers。　Tastes；　conditions；　connections；　habits；　and　even

prejudices；　unite　to　form　a　dynasty　that　never　has　yet　been

dethroned。　New　York　is　nearer　to　a　state　of　nature；　probably；　as

regards　all　its　customs　and　associations；　than　any　other

well…established　place　that　could　be　named。　With　six　hundred

thousand　souls；　collected　from　all　parts　of　Christendomwith　no

upper　class　recognized　by；　or　in　any　manner　connected　with；　the

institutions；　it　would　seem　that　the　circles　might　enact　their

own　laws；　and　the　popular　principle　be　brought　to　bear　socially

on　the　usages　of　the　townreferring　fashion　and　opinion

altogether　to　a　sort　of　popular　will。　The　result　is　not　exactly

what　might　be　expected　under　the　circumstances；　the　past　being

intermingled　with　the　present　time；　in　spite　of　theories　and

various　opposing　interests；　and；　in　many　instances；　caprice　is

found　to　be　stronger　than　reason。



｛conscription　=　the　military　draft；　the　Faubourg　=　the

fashionable　neighborhoods　of　Paris；　the　popular　principle　=

democracy｝



We　have　no　desire　to　exaggerate；　or　to　color　beyond　their　claims；

the　importance　of　the　towns　of　Manhattan。　No　one　can　better

understand　the　vast　chasm　which　still　exists　between　London　and

New　York；　and　how　much　the　latter　has　to　achieve　before　she　can

lay　claim　to　be　the　counterpart　of　that　metropolis　of

Christendom。　It　is　not　so　much　our　intention　to　dilate　on

existing　facts；　as　to　offer　a　general　picture；　including　the

past；　the　present；　and　the　future；　that　may　aid　the　mind　in

forming　something　like　a　just　estimate　of　the　real　importance　and

probable　destinies　of　this　emporium　of　the　New　World。



It　is　now　just　three…and…twenty　years　since；　that；　in　another

work；　we　ventured　to　predict　the　great　fortunes　that　were　in

reserve　for　this　American　mart；　giving　some　of　the　reasons　that

then　occurred　to　us　that　had　a　tendency　to　produce　such　a　result。

These　predictions　drew　down　upon　us　sneers；　not　to　say　derision；

in　certain　quarters；　where　nothing　that　shadows　forth　the　growing

power　of　this　republic　is　ever　received　with　favor。　The

intervening　period　has　more　than　fulfilled　our　expectations。　In

this　short　interval；　the　population　of　the　Manhattan　towns　has

more　than　trebled；　while　their　wealth　and　importance　have

probably　increased　in　a　greatly　magnified　proportion。　Should　the

next　quarter　of　a　century　see　this　ratio　in　growth　continued；

London　would　be　very　closely　approached　in　its　leading　element　of

superioritynumbers。　We　have　little　doubt　that　the　present

century　will　bring　about　changes　that　will　place　the　emporium　of

the　Old　World　and　that　of　the　New　nearly　on　a　level。　This　opinion

is　given　with　a　perfect　knowledge　of　the　vast　increase　of　the

English　capital　itself；　and　with　a　due　allowance　for　its

continuance。　We　propose；　in　the　body　of　this　work；　to　furnish　the

reasons　justifying　these　anticipations。



｛another　work　=　James　Fenimore　Cooper；　〃Notions　of　the　Americans：

Picked　up　by　a　Travelling　Bachelor〃　（Philadelphia：　Carey；　Lea　and

Carey；　1828）a　detailed　description；　in　the　guise　of　letters

written　by　a　fictitious　Belgian　traveler；　of　the　geography；

history；　economy；　government；　and　culture　of　the　United　States｝



Seventeen　years　since；　the　writer　returned　home　from　a　long

residence　in　Europe；　during　which　he　had　dwelt　for　years　in　many

of　the　largest　towns　of　that　quarter　of　the　world。　At　a　convivial

party　in　one　of　the　most　considerable　dwellings　in　Broadway；　the

conversation　turned　on　the　great　improvements　that　had　then　been

made　in　the　town；　with　sundry　allusions　that　were　intended　to

draw　out　the　opinions　of　a　traveller　on　a　subject　that　justly

ever　has　an　interest　with　the　Manhattanese。　In　that　conversation

the　writerhis　memory　impressed　with　the　objects　with　which　he

had　been　familiar　in　London　and　Paris；　and　Rome；　Venice；　Naples；

etc。；　and　feeling　how　very　provincial　was　the　place　where　he　was；

as　well　as　its　great　need　of　change　to　raise　it　to　the　level　of

European　improvementventured　to　say　that；　in　his　opinion；

speaking　of　Broadway；　〃There　was　not　a　building　in　the　whole

street；　a　few　special　cases　excepted；　that　would　probably　be

standing　thirty　years　hence。〃　The　writer　has　reason　to　know　that

this　opinion　was　deemed　extravagant；　and　was　regarded　as　a

consequence　of　European　rather　than　of　American　reasoning。　If　the

same　opinion　were　uttered　to…day；　it　would　meet　with　more

respect。　Buildings　now　stand　in　Broadway　that　may　go　down　to

another　century；　for　they　are　on　a　level　with　the　wants　and

tastes　of　a　capital；　but　none　such；　with　a　single　exception；

existed　at　the　time　of　which　we　are　writing。



｛seventeen　years　since　=　Cooper　had　returned　to　New　York　in

November　1833；　after　a　seven　year　sojourn　in　Europe｝



In　these　facts　are　to　be　found　the　explanation　of　the　want　of

ancient　edifices　in　America。　Two　centuries　and　a　half　are　no　very

remote　antiquity；　but　we　should　regard　buildings　of　that；　or　even

of　a　much　less　age；　with　greater　interest；　did　the　country

possess　them。　But　nothing　was　constructed　a　century　since　that

was　worth　preserving　on　account　of　its　intrinsic　merits；　and；

before　time　can　throw　its　interest　around　them；　edifice　after

edifice　comes　down；　to　make　way　for　a　successor　better　suited　to

the　wants　and　tastes　of　the　age。　In　this　respect　New　York　is　even

worse　off　than　the　other　ancient　places　of　the　countryancient

as　things　can　be　regarded　in　Americaits　great　growth　and

commercial　spirit　demanding　sacrifices　that　Philadelphia　and

Boston　have　as　yet　escaped。　It　is　quite　within　the　scope　of

probable　things；　that；　in　a　very　few　years；　there　should　not　be

standing　in　the　old　town　a　single　structure　of　any　sort；　that　was

there　previously　to　the　Revolution。　As　for　the　new　towns；

Brooklyn；　Williamsburgh；　etc。；　they　had　no　existence　worth

alluding　to　anterior　to　the　commencement　of　the　present　century。

If　any　dwelling　is　to　be　found　within　the　limits　of　either；　that

can　claim　a　more　remote　origin；　it　is　some　farmhouse　that　has

been　swallowed　up　by　the　modern　improvements。



That　which　is　true　of　the　towns；　in　this　respect；　is　equally　true

of　the　whole　country。　A　dwelling　that　has　stood　half　a　century　is

regarded　as　a　sort　of　specimen　of　antiquity；　and　one　that　has

seen　twice　that　number　of　years；　of　which　a　few　are　to　be　found；

especially　among　the　descendants　of　the　Dutch；　is　looked　upon

with　some　such　reverence　as　is　felt　by　the　modern　traveller　in

gazing　at　the　tomb　of　Cecilia　Metella；　or　the　amphitheatre　of

Verona。



｛tomb　of　Cecilia　Metella　=　the　most　famous　monument　on　the　Appian

Way　outside　Rome；　commemorating　the　wife　of　Crassus　（d。　53　BC）；

who　as　member　of　the　First　Triumvirate；　joined　with　Caesar　and

Pompey　to　end　the　Roman　Republic；　amphitheatre　of　Verona　=　built

by　the　Emperor　Diocl