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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　Diocletian　about　290　A。D。　to　stage　gladiator

combats；　it　is　one　of　the　largest　surviving　Roman　amphitheaters｝



The　world　has　had　a　striking　example　of　the　potency　of　commerce

as　opposed　to　that　of　even　the　sword；　in　the　abortive　policy　of

Napoleon　to　exclude　England　from　the　trade　of　the　Continent。　At

the　very　moment　that　this　potentate　of　unequalled　means　and　iron

rule　was　doing　all　he　could　to　achieve　his　object；　the　goods　of

Manchester　found　their　way　into　half　of　his　dependent　provinces；

and　the　Thames　was　crowded　with　shipping　which　belonged　to　states

that　the　emperor　supposed　to　be　under　his　control。



｛abortive　policy　=　in　the　early　years　of　the　19th　century　the

French　Emperor　Napoleon　had　sought；　largely　unsuccessfully；　to

blockade　England　from　trade　with　Europe｝



As　to　the　notion　of　there　arising　any　rival　ports；　south；　to

compete　with　New　York；　it　strikes　us　as　a　chimera。　New　Orleans

will　always　maintain　a　qualified　competition　with　every　place　not

washed　by　the　waters　of　the　great　valley；　but　New　Orleans　is

nothing　but　a　local　port；　after　allof　great　wealth　and

importance；　beyond　a　doubt；　but　not　the　mart　of　America。



New　York　is　essentially　national　in　interests；　position；　and

pursuits。　No　one　thinks　of　the　place　as　belonging　to　a　particular

State；　but　to　the　United　States。　The　revenue　paid　into　the

treasury；　at　this　point；　comes　in　reality；　from　the　pockets　of

the　whole　country；　and　belongs　to　the　whole　country。　The　same　is

true　of　her　sales　and　their　proceeds。　Indeed；　there　is　very

little　political　sympathy　between　the　places　at　the　mouth　of　the

Hudson；　and　the　interiorthe　vulgar　prejudice　of　envy；　and　the

jealousy　of　the　power　of　collected　capital；　causing　the　country

to　distrust　the　town。



We　are　aware　that　the　governing　motive　of　commerce；　all　over　the

world；　is　the　love　of　gain。　It　differs　from　the　love　of　gain　in

its　lower　aspects；　merely　in　its　greater　importance　and　its

greater　activity。　These　cause　it　to　be　more　engrossing　among

merchants　than　among　the　tillers　of　the　soil：　still；　facts　prove

that　this　state　of　things　has　many　relieving　shades。　The　man　who

is　accustomed　to　deal　in　large　sums　is　usually　raised　above　the

more　sordid　vices　of　covetousness　and　avarice　in　detail。　There

are　rich　misers；　certainly；　but　they　are　exceptions。　We　do　not

believe　that　the　merchant　is　one　tittle　more　mercenary　than　the

husbandman　in　his　motives；　while　he　is　certainly　much　more

liberal　of　his　gains。　One　deals　in　thousands；　the　other　in　tens

and　twenties。　It　is　seldom；　however；　that　a　failing　market；　or　a

sterile　season；　drives　the　owner　of　the　plough　to　desperation；

and　his　principles；　if　he　have　any；　may　be　preserved；　while　the

losses　or　risks　of　an　investment　involving　more　than　the　merchant

really　owns；　suspend　him　for　a　time　on　the　tenter…hooks　of

commercial　doubt。　The　man　thus　placed　must　have　more　than　a

common　share　of　integrity；　to　reason　right　when　interest　tempts

him　to　do　wrong。



Notwithstanding　the　generally　fallacious　character　of　the

governing　motive　of　all　commercial　communities；　there　is　much　to

mitigate　its　selfishness。　The　habit　of　regarding　the　entire

country　and　its　interests　with　a　friendly　eye；　and　of　associating

themselves　with　its　fortunes；　liberalizes　its　mind　and　wishes；

and　confers　a　catholic　spirit　that　the　capital　of　a　mere　province

does　not　possess。　Boston；　for　instance；　is　leagued　with　Lowell；

and　Lawrence；　and　Cambridge；　and　seldom　acts　collectively　without

betraying　its　provincial　mood；　while　New　York　receives　her　goods

and　her　boasted　learning　by　large　tran｛s｝shipments；　without　any

special　consciousness　of　the　transactions。　This　habit　of

generalizing　in　interests　encourages　the　catholic　spirit

mentioned；　and　will　account　for　the　nationality　of　the　great　mart

of　a　great　and　much　extended　country。　The　feeling　would　be　apt　to

endure　through　many　changes；　and　keep　alive　the　connection　of

commerce　even　after　that　of　the　p