The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-05-28


essentially depart from their established principles
and mar the fair temple which it il made their work
TO build. -
Again: this occasion is invested with peculiar in
,erest from the fact, that temperance has already
here established one Of its stronghods its cities Of
refuge, and that we are now assembled IN New Or
leans to celebrate the first anniversary of the Grand
Division of the State Of louisiana
The position, wealth, population and influence
of New Orleans, give weight and interest to every
thing connected with her history. One hundred and
fifty years ago, where this great city now stands,
enriched by wealth and peopled by the natives
gathered from all the nations of the EARTH YVES the
mournful solitude Of the wilderness Of cypress and
live oak, lestooned with moss, whose silence was.
broken only by the scream Of the wild beast or the
war whoop Of savage men. The smooth surface
Of V Ma Mlssissapou," (the river Of fisbes) was
undisturbed, save by the wild duck, the pelican or
iight canoe OF the Indian In l7ls this spot became
the depot of few Indian traders" and here were
quilt eight or ten log cabins and one or two
wafehoHses The growth Of this city has been
oostructed by pestilence, by fire and hurricanes,
winch IN former days at one blow, almost depopu-
lated ane destroyed it and yet, in one hundred
and twenty years it contained population Of more
Than Co,OOO-was during one year visited by 3O45
ships and steamboats,, Of nine hundred and twelve
thousand and eighteen tons burthen, and having
on board as passengers and crews one hundred and
twenty-three thousand, two hundred and ninety
two men.
Here now stands ctyof probably $50, 900 in
habitants, and welding moral and commercial
influence as great, if not greater than any other
city OF the same population upon the face of the
whole earth. Whatever effects the great interests
Of NewOrleans will be felt in its good or evil ten
denotes as far as her commercial and social inter-
couse extends, even to the very ends Of the earth
II is radiating centre where influences, for good
or evil, go out, not only to the inhabitants who
dwell upon the great water courses of the Missis-
sippi valley, but to all the lands which are visited
by the ships which are in our harbor, and by the
people who crowd our streets.
Commensurate with the growth of and wide
spread is the influence Of this city, there has,
from the beginning, existed here most arful
and blasting curse, and which has destroyed more
lives and caused more suffering and misery than
all the pestilences, wars and other evils combined
which have swept over it.
1t is Of the srangest facts Of history that in
an age which God seems to have marked out for
the developement Of the most elevating principles
of government, and for the establishment of inst-
utions of the highest order for the intellectual and
moral culture Of man; in era of the world
marked by the most brilliant discoveries in art and
science; an era excelling in the splendor of its
all that was ever dreamt Of by the enthu-
siasts of other times and in country which
seems to have been set apart by the eternal mind
as theatre for the experiment how near man could
attain to perection under all the advantages of the
best form Of government, pure religion, science,
and enjoying the most productive soil upon the face
OF the earth it is one Of the strangest facts of his
tory that under such circumstances has existed the
most gigantic evil which since the fall has cursed
mankind. An evil which has strewn the land with
its slain, which has peopled the grave with its dead
which has desolated the homes and filed the hearts
OF our citizens with sorrow and anguish, and which
has made the proioundest deep of He'll to move at
the coming of thousands untimely sent to ill its
dark abodes
Since NewOrleans was first settled, while the
most wonderful advances have been made in every
department OF science and art and while religion
with her charitable institutions has been blessing
the earth and causing it to.bloom and blossom as
the garden OF the Lord; monster thirstng for
human gore, and gorging his insatiate appetite by
feeding on human woe and desoation, has been
chafneT-house 0HIS me poor; -wreJrusu, sl,iu
abandoned, but the strongest in intellect and the
most brilliant in genius, invading alike the halls of
science, the tribunal OF justice the halls Of legsla-
ton, and the SACRED precincts Of Gods holy temple
This is monster more to be dreaded than the
tabled Cerberus Of old with his fifty snake heads
a monster whose horrid spawn breeds offsprngs
more numerous than those which spring up from
the dragrons teeth; it engenders every conceivable
| form of vice, crime, and outrage which can prey
| upon mans dearest interests. Cerberus, we are
| told, was charmed by the Tyre ofDrpheus, and
dragged forth by the strong arm Of Hercules, but
the song Of the poet the eloquence Of the statesman
and the strength of the warriors arm have proved
unequal to the task of conquering this monster
Hmcu nOugui
Resembles else the world hath seen;
Il has thousand snaky heads,
And ali its months that wide ana dark dsrEiy "'''
Cape, have each their poisoned fangs;
And like the scorpion, its many ashing tails
IA Is nsRfa @h% Ss nnie GaInRf nss sssps ana
The heart Of man swollen, black, and
Quiverng with torture most intense.
Arrayed against this fell destroyer, it now mar
shalled an army Of three hundred thousand stall
wart, true hearted men. An army which comes
from no fields of blood and carnage which has
sacked no cities; which has ravaged no country /;
it consists not of licentous and brutal soldery; it
comes not to swell the retinue of some successful
aspirant for political power, to grace with pomp
and pageantry the triumph of some proud hero re-
turning from his conquests, covered with the glory
won upon hundred battle fields.
1t is an army Of plain, honest, earnest fathers,
husbands and brothers, who have their country
rayaged by foe which the bayonet and cannon
ball cannot conquer; and who, like David of old
have armed themselves with mightier weapons
than sword and spear, and shield, and come forth
to do battle in the names of their wives and mothers
and children; in the name of religion and virtue
| in the name of the Lord of Hosts. Already the
progress ofthis destroyer has been stayed and many
of the army which so successfully withstands him
those rescued from his cruel folds. In every par
of our Union exterminating, and eternal war i
| waged and the out.posted-scouts and sentinels
have followed the drum beat and planted the ban
| ners of Love, Fidelity and Purity, in this grea
| stronghold of fintemperance, the mighty Queen o.
the South. Here, in this city, is now presented the
sublime spectacle Of little band OF men, only if
teen hundred strong, who have undertaken here to
| Withstand plague which annually costs this city
the lives of more than seven hundred of its peace
full citizens, and the sumof more than twelve mil
lions of its hard earned treasure
An enemy more TO be dreaded than the armed host
which on the memorable eighth of January, 1915,
threatened to sack this city; and whose lcentious
battle-cry was "Booty and Beauty" And if the
resistance TO the enemy which now stealthily preys
upon the lives and property of the citizens of New
Orleans shall be successful as that presented
against the approach of the British troops, New Or
leans will yet become distinguished for her lem
perance, morality and religion as she is in the an
nails of her country's history Napoleon, whose
very name did more to conquer than the arms of
other men, we are told, never gained victory
over an English army" He triumphed over Rus
SLAMS, Austrians, Prussians, Italians and Spaniards
| but over English valor, never He never broke an
| English line. Some Of the very troops, which de-
feated him in the Peninsular war, and which after
wards drove back the conqueror himself on the
field Of Waterloo had previously been put to shame
| full rout upon the battle plains of New Orleans
Sons and fathers and brothers were gathered there
to defend their homes and firesdes their wives and
daughters, from the ravages of an ARMY, encouraged
| by past successes and already, in anticipation De
| vouring the spoils of their future triumphs.
Like the leaves Of the forest when Summer green
That host with their banners at sunset
Like the leaves OF the forest when Autumn hath blown
That host on the morrow lay witheFed and strown."
| A cause not less sacred, interests not less dear
/ -
| *As the accuracy of tins statement has beer
| questioned, We refer TO the following paragraph:
n