The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-11-19
New Orleans.
Correspondence of the Herald.l


NEW ORLEANS, Nov. l. 1913.
st. Cecilia Day-Catholic Cemeteries-Great Ponf
and Parade on,bs, Ep,taths, S.c.-Steamboats.
This is All Saints Day--a day consecrated to me-
ancholy thoughts and respectful observances in
honor and remembrance of the dead. The devout
Catholic withdraws himself from the cares and anx-
ietes of worldly occupation, and devotes the day to
ser Gus meditation upon the uncertainties of life,
and the unnumbered forms in which death appears
among us-upon the virtues of his deceased friends
the love and piety of his departed consort-the
opening beauties of his lovely daughter snatched
from earth on the very Threshold of life-the pro-
mise of a vigorous and ambitious son cut OIL ere
he had realized the first rewards OF youthful amb-
tion-the matured virtues and unceasing de-
votion of venerable parent gathered to
his fathers in the fullness OF time and of
honors-all these beloved relations, now tenants OF
the silent tomb, pass in sorrowlul array before the
imagination and remembrance OF the plous votarles
of St Cecilia But with the Catholics, the most
melancholy obscrvances and funeral ceremonies are
accompanied by a delicacy of sentiment, and by
those poetic and expressive displays which take
from death much of its horror, and serve TO mlngle
with our sorrow "A soft and resigned teelng-a ten
der melancholy, which delights to dwell upon the
beauties and virtues of deceased friends, confident
in the hope that they now inhabitants OF pure
and heavenly world / have Just returned from a
visit To the large and beautiful Catholic cemetery OF
the CITY This cemetery occupies several squares,
intersected by streets the OF the city In the
progress of Improvement 1t has been moved once,
and fear is even now too central-too much IN
town to Justify the hope that its beautiful tombs will
long remain undisturbed The disposition of the
dead is attended with more difficulty in New Or
leans than in any place In the world Our soil is en-
entirely alluval IN less than two feet below the
surface YOU meet with water, and therefore graves
with us are only known IN poetic and hguratlve
sense You may imagine how difficult 1t must be
TO provide suitable tombs for our numerous dead,
surrounded as we are with swamps, ana wiihout
any ground in many miles of the city IN which 1t
is practicable TO dig graves. The Catholic
Cemetery is almost filled with tombs, and the
high prices charged for vaults, have made 1t the
burial lace almost exclusively OF the great and
rich The ancient population, the French and
Spanish and their Creole descendants, nearly mo-
nopoize the whole cemetery. They have family
tombs built in great taste and at great expense-ot
beautiful marble or variegated granite with touch
ing epitaphs in golden letters. Around each family
tomb are arrayed pots OF flowers or weeping Will
lows, and rose bushes are planted and diligently
tended To-day ! observed many OF the tombs
hung with garlands, and surrounded by the mourn
ers, chiefly women, clad in dark, and burning can
dies. The grounds were alive and crowded with
people. I have never seen so fine display OF
Creole beauty and grace. Long confinement has
only frightened their charms. Their soft, tender
eyes, and rich complexons, are beautifully set OF
by their sable dresses and ornaments. ] read some
of the epltaphs-they were all IN French, and gen
orally very brief and expressive, Nothing laca-
dasica or extravagantly ostentatious, marred the
taste and simplicity of these sorrowful memorials
The only thing of this kind marked, was IN the
epitaph of Dominique You, celebrated Spanish
soldier whose tomb represents the falling stars and
vapor of mortal fame he is styled the nero OF
hundred combats on land and on sea, and dled
sans pour, sans reproche There may be some
Spanish pomposiy in this, but understand ~ tails
very little short OF the truth regard TO the old Don
observed the name and age (but 20 OF young
man who died as the epitaph expresses u, re
tame de Ehonnetu, a mode OF death not regarded
in the light IN which il would be viewed IN your
city man killed in duel, how trivial soeyer
may have been the cause IS regarded by the crSoes
as n hero entitled to the honor and respect which
elsewhere are bestowed only those who tall IN
their country's cause But dwell too long on tins
subject Suffice il 10 saw that the ceremonies went
of very smoothly, and were witnessed by al least
fifty thousand people: m
Our CITY is rather dull for the season. The boats
come i'm slowly from the upper country Inc INA
mond il the only one notice from Cincinnati. by
the-bye of the Diamond you brag OF your steam
boats AT the north. Have you ever had any thing
TO equal a complete and commodlous bedchamber,
with fine large beds plenty of room, marble wash
stands large mirrors, and all the d cteJds OF an Gle
giant and luxurious bedroom, equal TO those OF the
Astor, and all 10 yourself, on steamboat Such
are the accommodations of the splendid boat lila-
mond commanded by Captain Myers. Reports are
very unfavorabe about the cotton and sugar crops
especially the cotton, owing To the early rams we
have had few hogsheads OF the new crop, but me
article is very inferior. The gentleman VINO sem u
told me he could make good from corn salhS VI
cabbage leaves, OFLA'''O'''