Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1836-12-13
From the Magnolia for 1887
THE CREOLE VILLAGE.
n Sketch from mJoat.

In TRAVELLING about our molly coun,rv nm
often reminded of Ariosro,s account Of tho
moon. in which tho good nnl,Tin Astolnbo
found everything garnered I'm that had been
lost on Garth. So am nm, to imaoine. that
many things lost in the old world. are trca.
sured up and perpctuatod in the new: having
been continued from oenerotion to oeneroiion
since the carly DAYS of the colonies. A Euro
pean an,iouarv. therefore cnrious in his re.
searches alter The anc ,cnt and almost obitero-
ted customs and usages of his country. would
do well 10 nut himself upon the track of some
carly band OF emvrants. follow them across
The Atlantic. and Tummooe nmong their de.
scenGants on our shores.
In the phraseolouv of Now Enolnnd mi 1hi
he found many an old English pr,yincial
phrase, long since obsolete in The parent conn
try: with some Quaint relics of the round.
heads; while Virginia cherishcs ppculiarities
characteristic of the DAYS of Elizabeth and Sir
Walter Raleigh.
In the sa ne wav the sturdy yeomonry of
New Jersey and PENNSYLVANIA keen up MANY
,yh;te n,ony ~, bon.s, hood .ho,to,,od o,s,on,
nearly extipct in venerable HolInnJ NAV bo
ronnd gcurishinq in pristine yioor and luyuri.
ance in some Of the orthodox Dutch VILLAGES.
still lingering on the banks of the Mohawk
and the Hudson.
In no part OF our country, however, are the
customs and peculiarilies. imported from the
old world by the earlier settlers, kept M with
more fideli;y than in the little poverty stricken
VILLAGES of Spanish and French origin, that
border the banks of ancient Lonisiana.--
/ Their population was gene rally made I'D of
The descendants of those nations, married and
interwoven together. and occasionally crossed
with n sIioht dash of the Indian. The French
character, however, floats on top, as, from its
boyan, Qualities. il is sure 10 do, whenever it
forms n particle. how ever small, of an inter-
mixture.
In these serene and dilipidated VILLAGES, art
and nature seem TO stand still. and the world
| iorgcts to turn round The revolntions tba,
distract other nnr,s of this mutoble plonet
reach moi here. or mass over without jeavin
any trace. The inhabitants are deficient in
( that nublic snirit which extends its cores he.
vond its horizon. and imparts trouble and per.
nlexitv from all uuarters in newspapers. Ir
fact newspapers are almost unknown in thes,
VILLAGES. and as French is the current Ian
ouaSe. the inhabitants have little communil,
Of opinion with their republican neiohbors.-
They retain. therefore. their old habits of mas
siye obedience TO the DEGREES of government
as thouob thew still lived under The absolpt,
sway of colonial commandants, instead of he
inc part and parcel of the sovereign people
and havin voice in pubic legislation.
A few aged men who have grown gray OF
their hereditary acres, and are Of the GOOD nj,
colonial stock, exert a kind of palriorcbo
sway; in oil matters of public and private i'm
porr their opinions are considered oraculor
and their word is law.
The inhabi,ants moreover, have none Of thu
easerness for gain, and ra se for improvement
, ,,birh k.cn our ncooIe continual, on H.
nave. aud our country towns in a state n
transition. There the magic phrases. " tow,
lots.n "water priyileces,n Grail roads - nm,
other comprehensive and sou.stirrino word