The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-11-26


Az we walk the streets Of New Orleans at this
time Of the year, we meet people from every part
Of The United States, and especially from those poF-
tons Of the country drained By the Mississippi and
lis tributaries. The bold, yet calculating citizen Of
The NORTHWEST, the daring and speculative man
from Missouri and Kentucky, the adventurous sons
Of Mississippi and the hardy children OF TEXAS,
meet in this city give and receive ideas, opinions
aud habits. Here d the confluence not only Of
people from all parts Of the United States, but also
Of divers races, speaking different languages, and
educated under different institutions. NewOrleans
is hence destined TO have more influence on Aneri-
can civilization than any city in the Union.
The only rival New Orleans can have on the
American continent is New York and New York,
although its commercial influences may be greater,
will never have the same power over American
civilization as New Orleans. New York is too
much under the control of European opinions and
European preiudices. The Atlantic States have
not yet forgotten all their colonial habits, and they
still look with too much anxiety towards European
actiOnss and European opinions. The West--the
Great West, as its people delight to call itis and
must ever remain the centre of American thoughts
and American civilization. Statesmen have dis
covered that the Mississippi river is the great CEN
/ ire Of the American confederacy-thai the Father
of Waters is the band of steel that astens together
all the States Of the Union. And it is in the val.
ley Of the great river that Is springng up the most
perfect and the most powerful civilization the world
has ever seen. New Orleans acts on the VESTS
itself the social If not the material centre, of the
Mississippi valley. New York acts only CONNER.
ciaIy on the West. The habits and opinions Of
Europe make little or no impression on the hardy
baekwo0dsman who goes to the East as to a strange
/ place. The western farmer, who brings his pro-
duee to New Orleans every winter, feels at home
in our midst. He finds here his old friends and
acquaintances-the boys whe were his playmates
at school, grown up to be men. The same open
and frank manners which are pTacticed in his own
neighborhood meet him here, and New Orleans
becomes part of his being-New Orleans ideas
pass into his mind and become part of his char
acter. As the capital Of the West, New Orleans
may be regarded as, at lhe same time, the chief
exponent and modifer of American civilization.
Here the different materials of the national char
aeIer meet, aeband react, and so form a hsrmo.
Nous whole. "
There Is another reason which would induce as
to suppose that New Orleans will have more infu.
ence on the country than Boston, New York. or
any Of the Northern cities. On the Eastern CONT
nent civilization has always travelled from the
north to the south. Why should it be different in
the Western world thousand causes, Il istrtye
now, conspire TO dliuse knowledge, and culture and
make them equal in all parts Of the continent.
These causes vera not in operation in previous
ages Of the world; and hence it may be concluded
that one part Of the country win never be very far
beinFe the other portions in progress and civiiiza
ton Il may be 50. Still, one part of the Amefi-
a
'lppi-musfs for geographical as we'll as social rea
sons, have more influence than oiherpoftions over
.he future civilization Of the hemisphere and
analogy would lead to suppose that the southern
art of the valley would have principal share in
moulding the habits and opinions of the rest
The-infuence Of New Orleans over the western
country is already pefceplible and is destined to
ie kindergarten hereafter; and as Athens moulded
Greece and Greece Europe, SO this city will inhu-
nee the West, and through it the whole American
ointment