Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-08-14


mences with my arrival at New Orleans,
where | remained about two months, an
idle though not disinterested spectator
Of every thing that was passing around
me, in that most singular and most I'M
portant city. / shall now give you
particular description of it, because
think it will doubtless afford you some
little amusement. 1t was founded and
laid out in the year l7l7, and named
after the then Regent of France, New
Orleans. You will probably recollect
that the country of Louisiana, was then
under the government Of France and at
forwards ceded to the king OF SPAN,
during the reign of Louis XIV.
The city OF New Orleans, as you will
see by the map, is on the left bank OF
the Mississippi river, about 100 miles
from the sea. The situation of it very
low and unpleasant. By the last census
taken in 1910, it contained 1922 in
habitants but it may be presumed now to
contain about $4,000, who are mostly
French. Since the purchase of Loui-
siana by the American government, the
Spanish part of its population has been
gradually diminishing, many OF whom
have gone to the island of Cuba, and
other places under the jurisdiction of
the Spanish government, unwilling, |
suppose, to breathe the pure air of
American liberty, SO that but few now
remain; while the American part Of its
population has been rapidly increasing.
The city is very well laid out, though
the streets are not paved, and are other
wise narrow, and dirty, and the houses
very poor-the greater part OF them but
one story high and plastered on the out
side, presenting at once gloomy, I'M
pleasant appearance, compared with the
grandeur and magnihcence of our north
ern cities. You who have often wan
dered delightfully."- through the streets of
Boston, New-York, and Philadelphia,
adniring their beauty and regularity,
would be most wretchedly Disguised
with the appearance Of New-Orleans.
The levee between the city and the river,
which might be made very delightful
and pleasant with but very little expense,
is now literally complete thoroughfare
for every thing in the world, calculated
to render it obnoxious and disagreeable.
The police regulations of the city are,
indeed, outrageousiy miserable. A few
scattered lamps, in the absence of the
moon, affording but faint and feeble
light, are all that you see to light your
footsteps through the dark and muddy
streets. In addition to this, not watch
mans voice ever greets the ear, an
nouncing the cheering declaration of
your safety from the prowling footsteps
of the midnight robber or the murderous
assassin. If you walk the streets after
dark, you must be sure to take with you,
in addition to good cane, brace of
pistols, or dirk concealed under your
waistcoat, or in your bosom, as a neces-
sary means of defence. And you must |
be ready to use them too upon any sud-
den emergency of hostility towards you
which may happen, and which often
does happen to people whose business
calls them cut after dark. And such
is the criminally unparalleled neglect on
the part Of the mayor and corporation of
the city, that little or no exertions are
made to prevent it. Il a man is robbed
or murdered in the streets, the perpe-
traitor of the horrid transaction is hardly
ever sought after-of course he escapes
with impunity. But may we hope not
for ever. Though the officers of Justice,
TO whom is given in charge the execu-
ton OF the laws, may slumber at their
posts, disregarding alike the importance
and responsibility of their situations,
day of "reckoning and account" awaits
the guilty and bloody handed wretch at
the bar of his God.
New-Orleans, as every body knows,
is remarkably well situated for COM
mercc, being the stopping place for all
the surplus produce OF the whole western
country, south and west of the Allegany
mountains, which must, of course, all
come Gown the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, to find market. But l have no
papers or documents about me, from the
collector of the revenues Office, to show
you the amount of exports or imports
during any period of time since the
country OF Louisiana became part of
our political confedcracy, which was by
the treaty Of St. Ildefonso, concluded l !
think in 1885, and which has been
rapidly increasing ever since. The
great and overwhelming pressure upon
the commercial world has however
reached this city, and many merchants,
besides those who have been doing
business entirely upon fictitious capitals,
have hpRn lace oil l. j. |