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accomplished so little, but that they achieved so much. Our sole superiority consists in our ampler basis of facts, knowledge of the source of error, and the application at every step of the test of verification.

Until we are assured that we shall leave posterity no statements to be corrected, no theories to be adjusted, no truths to be realized, let us not imagine that we have given "the last word in science," or be in haste to forget the labors of the past. The search for the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life the desire for riches and health-is older than the alchemists, as universal as man, and as lasting as human

nature.

ART. VI.-1. The New Charter for the Reformation of the Government of the City of New York.

2. Message and other Documents, Speeches, Interviews, etc., etc., of his Honor Mayor Havemeyer.

3. Articles, Letters, etc., in praise of Hon. Andrew H. Green.

THE new reformation in our City Government reminds us, not of one fable, but of a dozen. The mountain in labor is, however, the first that suggests itself. But the result of a mountainous parturition was not always a mouse. Hesiod tells us that formerly it was scmetimes a goose, sometimes a donkey, and sometimes a jackal. What it will prove to be in the present case remains to be seen. Even the accoucheurs called in, or who have called in themselves, and secured handsome fees for their services, seem to have serious misgivings. True they praise the animal, as a whole, without stint. They declare him immensely superior in honesty and integrity to all his ancestors; but as they rank the latter in general only among the beasts of prey, their admiration cannot be regarded as of a very high type after all, especially when it is borne in mind

that they admit he has some very ugly spots on his vital parts. These, it is said, may yield to nitrate of silver and sulphuric acid. Then the animal would be as perfect and good as Dryden's Hind, and as beautiful and brave as his Panther.

But, judging from the results thus far obtained, the spots alluded to will only become more and more ugly and more and more offensive, both to olfactories and eyes, the more carefully they are dressed; for having no tendency to heal, but a very decided tendency to degenerate into gangrene, even those scarifying remedies that have proved so wonderfully efficacious in so many recent cases only make bad worse. Complete excision of them, root and branch, seems to be the only sure remedy, but unfortunately the guardian, or step-father of the long heralded bantling labors under an obliquity of vision which causes him to regard a certain species, even of the most fetid and repulsive ulcers, as things rather to be encouraged in their growth than exterminated.

The next fable we are reminded of by our present "collective wisdom" is that alluded to in Plato's dialogue of the Statesman, in which monkeys are spoken of as "a race the most generous and the most handy of existing animals." This is supposed to be based upon the fact that once upon a time the monkeys held a meeting to consult about the necessity of fixing their dwelling in a city. After they had passed resolutions to that effect, and set their hands to the work, an old monkey stopped them by saying that they would be caught still easier should they shut themselves up within enclosures, for then there was no city without a wall. That is, first they intended to do great things; they would surpass all their ancestors; and big with this idea, they did an enormous amount of chattering. But the patriarch of the tribe had vast experience and skill in the art of government, and had learned from the fate of other illustrious statesmen of his race, caught in their own nets, to be shrewd and cautious withal. He would, therefore, have no walls but mud walls, and even these should be in charge only of those members of the tribe whose chief guide was their stomach !

But let us discard metaphor for the present, and come

We

to the plain facts. And when we do so, none are more willing to give the new government a fair trial. Our object in the present article is not to make any onslaught upon it. We merely want to remind our readers that it is a very different thing from what we were so long promised with such an immense flourish of trumpets, and to warn those who expect anything very great or good from it that the probability is they will be as much disappointed as they ever were. do not mean that our present government will rob or plunder on so large a scale as its predecessor. This it were impossible for it to do if ever so well inclined; for it will be too closely watched. But there are some of its members-three or four perhaps—who, had they come into power under more favorable circumstances, when there was less suspicion and less scrutiny, would have had as little scruple to steal a million or two as the most greedy and least scrupulous of the late infamous Ring. It is not necessary for us to indicate those who would be likely to pursue this course if a convenient and safe opportunity presented itself—if there are any of our readers who do not know them they need not make any extensive researches for that purpose. A few brief inquiries where the parties are best known will be sufficient. But, as the matter stands, even these will doubtless prove very honest men, so far as downright stealing is concerned, and as none know better than they how to make a virtue of necessity, we should not be surprised to see them become highly popular in time for their honesty and integrity; especially as there are no people in the world in whose eyes it is easier to throw dust, or who have a larger faith, or a shorter memory, than our good citizens.

Far be it from us to deny that there are honest, good men among the functionaries of our present municipal government —men also who are abundantly qualified for the positions they occupy. But they are nearly as few as angel's visits in modern times. They, however, should not be the less honored on this account. Those having the appointing power are entitled to no praise for the reappointment of Colonel Stebbins to the presidency of the department of Parks; they have merely

saved themselves from additional discredit in his case, for what he has contributed, by his intelligence, taste and perseverance, to make our great Park the attractive and delightful retreat it has now become, is too universally known and appreciated to render it prudent or safe for any clique or party to set him aside and appoint another in his place. There is scarcely an intelligent, disinterested man or woman in New York that knows anything of the management, or mismanagement, of the Central Park during the last decade who would not regard it as an unjust and unwise proceeding to give the place of that gentleman to any one as long as he can be induced to retain it, and to perform its duties faithfully and efficiently as he has always done.

Two or three others have been retained whom it would have been also glaringly unjust to supersede. This is true, for example, of Mr. George H. Andrews of the department of Taxes and Assessments. When there was most corruption, and most temptation to be corrupt, Mr. Andrews, like Mr. Stebbins, continued faithful to his trust. There seems no just objection to the retention of Commissioner Van Nort. Thus far he appears to have performed his duties as head of the department of Public Works without committing any very serious blunders, or exhibiting any obvious tendency to fraud or dishonesty. This, we know, is but a negative recom. mendation. But what better can justly be given? It cannot be pretended that he has evinced any remarkable talent or aptitude for public improvements; still less can it be pretended that he has any clear knowledge of the science of government further than it relates to the government of such of the working classes as recognize a certain relation between their wages and their votes, and may, therefore, be made useful in other ways than digging, pruning, quarrying, blasting, etc., for the improvement of the metropolis.

But Mr. Van Nort has one qualification for a public functionary which, in our opinion, ought to be regarded as indispensable-namely, common sense. If he has an ambition to be considered an "honest man," he evidently does not deem it necessary to that end to make a buffoon of himself by emu

lating the fondness of George Francis Train for law suits, or otherwise. In short, Mr. Van Nort has been at some school or seminary where he has learned that a public functionary may be coarse and insolent, even to an extreme degree, to all who are not submissive to his will, without being either honest or honorable. Nay, it seems that our Commissioner of Public Works does not deem civility, and even some degree of courtesy, to the humblest of those who are obliged to have intercourse with him altogether inconsistent with "honesty." We are quite aware that no part of this would be very high praise even of a public door-keeper or bell-ringer, yet it is vastly more than could be said of certain other functionaries-at least of one-retained with Mr. Van Nort for the purpose of securing for New York an "honest " government and enabling our good people to enjoy the fruits of the great reform which has resulted from the discovery of so many thieves!

Of those newly appointed some have a good name, some a very bad name. But the former are untried as public men; they are, however, highly praised as honest and honorable. We hope they will prove the praise is deserved; but which of those justly denounced as robbers and thieves were not once the objects of quite as much laudation and admiration as the new functionaries are now? Accordingly, we will pursue our usual course in regard to the latter. We will not praise them as public officials until we have some evidence that they deserve it; then none will be more willing to do ample justice to all their merits and accomplishments.. None of our readers forget how much Peter B. Sweeny was eulogized as the "brains" of the late Ring. For at least a year there was nobody like him; his great talents were exceeded only by his great virtues.

Still more highly praised, if possible, was Andrew H. Green for his "honesty." Brains were not dreamt of in his case. We do not remember that even his most enthusiastic admirers have ventured to give him any credit on that fragile ground. In this respect, indeed, he has been regarded by common consent as very much like Wordsworth's country housewife, who had "little understanding and no wit." But his "honesty," that

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