Litchfield enquirer., 1833-06-20
Ertract Of isstsr ttism Me,c- Orleans.

In moral point of view New Orleans is tke most impOrtant city Q" ths .tacc of the eartk. Such is my calm and deliberate opinion derived not from books alone, but from close personal investigation, and fre- quent conversation with intelligent resi- dents in the city. There are several cir cumstances which may be considered as showing its moral importance. l. The vast number of persons who crowd hither every fall, winter and spring. As remark ed in my last, the resident population of this city, ali nations and colors, is about 46, 6,OOO-say 5O,0OO. In the season of commercial activity. this number is nearly doubled. The hotels. and private boarding houses, are full even to q degree which is extremely unpleasant. These persons are from almost every quarter under heaven from Europe, the West Indies, the North ern States, Mexico, Texas. the Valley, &c. Even at this moment, in this house, are persons from all these quarters, and some even from Asia, and the islands in the Pa ci6c. These persons are here for a few days, weeks, or months, and then each re- turns to his respective eountry-part till that time when the heavens shall be no more. But every indiVid6al of these tIlou- sands has moral cllaracter-exerts mor- al influence, and receives moral impress sion from the persons with whom he asso- ciates, and the places which he visits. 2. Another circumstance to be considered is, the employment of the persons who visit this city.-Some are cuitivators ofthe soil, some are bOatmen, some are seamen, Some are men of pleasure, some are dealers in human flesh, but far the largest proportion are merchants. living in the interior of the great valley. In all countries, a merchant is man of moro or less influence, and may if he chooses, do great deal of good, or a great deal of injury. These merchants come to this city,-spend one, two, three weeks-a month or two months, in selling and buying, and associate with the mer- chants of the place, and of course imbibe more or less of their views, their feelings and their habits and in their turn commu- nicatesthem to others in the parts of the county where they reside. The greatest portion of moral influence then exerted by 1 the residents of New Orleans is felt by the merchants of the interior, primarily, and from them, as from so many channels, is diffosed through>all the notifications of so- ciety. And in most instances these mer- chants from the country are young men
 men who are most easily influenced to good or evil. Now it is very easy to see that the moral influence which will, which does go out from New O OrleaDs, must in itselfbc ve- ry great,-must reach through an immense l extent of country, and affect hundreds of thousands of individuals. And what it does now it always will do only increas- ing as the population of the city and the valley increase. Where then on earth can place be found so interesting to the chris tian as is this city But what is the actual state of things7 What is the influence which now goes out from New Orleans ? The same I answer, as that which would be diffused from valley filled with the fa- bled Bohon Upas-poisonous-deadly. A detail of few facts will show this in glars ing colors.
 l. There is really no Sabbath here! l do not mean to say that the Sabbath is not recognized by law, or that aN the inhabi- tants reject the fourth commandment in toto-far from this. There are christians in New -Orleans-lights o they are indeed, falling upon darkness SD thick that it may be felt. But do say that o9-1OO of the people pay no other attention to the Sab- bath than 10 make it day of amusement and recreation. ] have seen here, what do not remember to have seen in but one other place in the Union,-men building houses, loading aud unloading ships and boats, buying and selling goods. dSc., on the l Sabbath. Hundreds of shops are open, and on the Levee at every few rods one will encounter hand-barrows, &c. loaded with goods, whose owners, ans told, and from observation should judge, do more profitable business on the first, than on any other day of the week.
 2. And then the Theatre is open on the Sabbath-I mean the French theatre for. believe the American one is never open on that day. To the former, (and indeed to neither) never have been; but l am told i, is not very rigid school of morals. The performances are all in French, yet many Americans who cannot understand 1 the language visit it for they can see if they cannot understand. 3. And then come the gambling houses-the Exchanges as they are called, and justly too. These are sometimes said to be the safety valUes of this city but they are one of the ways to the ss chambers of death." believe there are ten of these honses-great estab- l;~hn,ar@s. nav;n0 each &7OCO ner annum