The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-09-08
Great Distress.


blight of the wheat fields in England and France
the destruction of cabbages at Kinderhook-the
rot in the onion beds of Weathersfeld-each Of
these is sufficient of sorrow to thousands, and
all combined would form load of Ais under which
poor human nature could hardly stagger. Yet the
world has survived calamities frightful as these
without any great or permanent decrease In the
aggregate of its population. But although wise
Providence has so organized mankind that 1t may
survive and flourish amid the ravages of war, the
deadly march of the pestilence, and the frghtiui
inroads of famine, yet there are evils to when II
! must in the end succumb-evils which must pros
trate its energies extingush its spirit, and produce
final and utter humiliation The people of Sodom
and Gomorrah outlved every thing but the great
shower of fire and birthstone; and Herculaneum
and Pompeii, ourshing amid the commissions of the
times, unscathed by foreign arms, unconquered by
domestic vices, could not Withstand similar shower
of warm ashes and redhot stones; we have besides
very good authority poetcal and other kinds, for
believing that what is finally left of human wick
edness on earth, with the great globe itself and
all which it inherit will but form the materials of
sIast terrestrial bonfire, preliminary to that nextIn-
elishable furnace which, parson Clap to the con-
trary notwithstanding, is destined somewhere to
glow throughout the countless ages of eternity.
These evils of fire, are too much for man. Before
them he must give way-from burnt finger to a
burnt house, they nfct sufierings the most acute
cause devastations the most irreparabe. Fire
caorc-heat patent latent, is the great destroyer
of men and angels-the prime motive of intensest
pain Milton, who by the bye, had sort of affec-
ton for Satan could not find it in his heart punish
even the rebellious of heaven by combining them
constantly to warm quarters, but gives ihem by way
of variety, an occasional sojourn in regions wild
of thick-ribbed ice." Ice that is it! Milton did
give the devils ice! But here are the inhabitants
of New Orleans, broiling in an atmosphere to which
that of Sodom in the midst of the blue hail storm
must have been cool and refreshing, and which can
hardly be exceeded by the climate of Gehenna,
Sheo, Tophet, or by whatever name the last great
human cook-shop may be called-and the ice-houses
are empty! Not pound to be had The thermom-
eter at ine,y and no ice Politics at the scorching
point and no ice Woe to the drinkers of Juleps,
and Coolers, and jackson punches, and Rough and
Readys the powdered ice that rivalled the SHOWS
of Orizaba can no more delight your eyes or cool
your noses its beautiful crystals, more sparkling
than the diamonds of Golconda, no longer reflect
the hues of the rainbow in the noondays suI., nor
glitter in the glare Of the gaa-lights! Woe to the
delicate maiden who slipped thu, delicious scented
compound called ice cream, the ice has vani shed
and left nothing behind but blue colored Lii luld
holding in solution some unimagnable compou I'd
Vice. woe to poor devils of editors, whose only en-
ioyment in this hot and scorching life is to sit IN
the shade and drink ice water
Alas! when the hour for their drinking comes on
The water is there but the bright ice has gone
They may drench themselves with the muddy
Mississippi, but the cool blocks from Long Pond
that once oated gracefully upon the contents of the
glass End gave TO the simple beverage an exhilara-
ing health. preserving and health It storing quality,
vi, CHI old 4 acreon never found in bis flower
urea he'd bowl, are no longer to be seen. Oh this
punishment of FIRE without ice is more than we can
ben. Our citizens are dropping under the niction
all bu3inc 81 is at an emu universal gloom over
sp..gis it,. e,ir face Of nature and the bronzed
faces OF oHg tricnds The lawyer has forsaken his
hooks, the il. reliant his counting house, the me-
chanic has BID adieu to his workshop, and even
bar-room politicians cease to collect at corners and
in the coflee-houses One i'll affiicts alone want
is every where fett-one sentiment has taken pos
session Of all mi..ds--and greatly fear but one
prayer is seriously offered up-and thai is for ice
more ice! some ice! little ice!
If the ships laden with the precious freight-acres
of ice from Boston-do not arrive, fear that
our city will be desert and bowling wilderness.
given the only proper abode of salamanders
and the Genii of Fire-the silence of Sodom and
the desoaton of Pompeii will have fallen upon it
our people will desert for ST. Petersburg or the poles,
and the ornament and pride of the great valley will
be only remembered as can insubstantial pageant
faded "a thing that was or may have been like
Babylon or Nineveh of old.