Washington telegraph., 1856-06-18
The Date Tree il New Orleans.

in lot situated at the corner of Orleans
a1d Dauphin streets. in the city of New
Orleans, there is a tree which nobody looks
al without curiosity, and without wondering
how It came there. For long time, it was
Ihc Only one OF Its kind known in the State,
aud froui Its isolated position, it has always
Leen cursed with steri'ity- ID remiHds oue
u the warm cline of Africa or Asia, aud
wears the aspeci of stranger Of distinction
driven from his native country. Indeed,
With It's sharp. thin foliage signing mourn
fully under the blast of one of our NOgem-
Der northern winds, 1t looks as sorrowful
as an exile Its enormous trunk is nothing
but an aggiOmera;ion OF knots and bumps,
which each passing year seemed to have
deposited there as . mark OF age. and as u
protection against the blows of time and Of
the world Enquire for its origin. and
every one will tell you that it has stood
there from time immemOrial- A sort Of
vague bui impressive mystery is attached
to it, and it Is as supers;iticnsly respected as
one of the old oaks of DOdona. Bold would
be the axe that would strike the FIRST blow
at that foreign patriarch and if it were
Frustrated to the ground by profane band,
what native Of the city would not mourn
over its fall, and brand the act as an un-
natural, and criminal deed |? So, long live
the date-tree of Orleans street-that time
bOnOred descendant of Asia;ic ancestors!
In the beginning of l727, q French vessel
Of war landed at n Orleans. having on board
man of naughty mien, who wore Turkish
dress. and whose whole attendant was single
servant He was received by the governor
with the highest distinction. and was con-
ducted by bim to a small but comfortable
house with pretty garden. then existing at
tie corner OF Orleans and Dauphin streets,
and which, from the circumstances of its
being 50 distant from other dwellings. might
have been called a rural retreat, although
situated In the limits of the city There
the stranger, who was understood to be a
prisoner of state, lived in the greatest Sc
eiu>lOn, and although neither be nor his
aitendent could be guilty of indiscretion,
because none understood their language,
and although governor Perier severely re-
buked the slightest inquiry. yet it seemed
TO be the settled conviction in Louisiana,
that the mysterious stranger was brother
ct the sultan, or some great parsonage of the
ottoman empire, who had fled from the
anger of the vicegerent OF Mobammed. and
Sho had taken refuge in France. The sui
tan lad peremptorily demanded the fugitive,
anu the French government, thinking it de-
FOgatOry to It's dignity TO comply with that
request, but at the same time, not wishing
70 expose its friendly relations with the
hOsiem monarch, and perhaps desiring, for
Political purpose, to keep in hostage the
Important guest it had in its hands. had
recourse to the expedient of answering that
he had fed to Louisiana, which was SO dis
tant country, that it might be looked upon
Is the grave, where, as it was suggested.
he fugitive nigh. be suffered to wait IN
Peace for actual death, without danger or
guense to the sultan Whether this story
De true or not is matter of so little conse-
qlenee that it would not repay the trouble
Oi strict historical investigation
The year 1927 was drawing to close,
shen on dark and stormy night, the howl
.51g and barking of the numerous dogs IN
.ae streets of New Orleans were observed
% be fercer than usual, and some of that
elass of individuals who pretend to know
sserything, declared that by the vivid flashes
~ hghtning. they had seen. swiftly and
s.saithlly gliding towards the house of the
1nEao"n,' body of men who wore the
~o.ilng appearance of malefactors and
.llnisters of blood There afterward came
O report that a piratical looking Turkish
oes orssel had been lowering few days previ-
IN the bay of Barataria. Be it as it