New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-09-01
- ,V.5appY PUBLIC TEMPERAMENT.


yvs know If no reason why the Northern people
sbopd he more exctable over the occurrence Of any
,nnspal ar extraordinary event than the Southern
neople. but such really seems to be the case. The
news If the success of the Sub Atlantic Telegraph
enterprise was received in the cities and villages
throughout the North in manner which would have
justified stranger in entertaining serious doubts
Of the sanity Of ninetenths Of the people. The
Northern papers filed whole pages with accounts of
the beginning, progress and close of the work, re-
lating the most trhing circumstances and incidents
with a minuteness of detail due to matters of the
gravest Importance they published almost nothing
else and they we're right for the people would read
nothing else nor talk Of anything else; bells were
rung, cannons fred crowds of men and boys shouted
and bawled themselves hoarse and one spontaneous,
universal and successful attempt was made to trans
form the public into collection Of asses.
Nothing Of this sort occurred anywhere in the
South. The people read the announcement that the
great cable had been successfully laid and felt reason
ably grated at so splendid triumph Of science and
energy, but otherwise manifested an indifference
which argued conviction that no public interest oil
This country was identified with the enterprise.
Much the same phlosophic indifference was mani
tested by the English people, who pride themselves
4
that their example may hereafter have some inhu-
ence in preventing men, otherwise sensible enough,
from aving Off the handle so readily and cutting
antics worthy of wild aboriginal at scalp dance
Instances of the excitability of the Northern mind
are infinite in number When the mines OF Calitor-
MIA were discovered, the goldhunting mania assumed
in Southern cities far milder and more reasonable
type than in Northern, where people went mad over
! 80, IL nIf
among the distant wilds of the Pacific coast, of un-
told treasures hidden away in the dark canons and
valleys Of the UNEMPLOYED interior Of rivers rolling
over sands Of gold and of solid rocks and mountains
ofthe shining ore The rush of the Northern multi
tudes to realize the golden vision that rose up before
them like the mirage in the desert before the eyes of
the thirsting traveller such as the world has sell
dom seen. Thousands sacrificed their property and
comfortable homes to swell the tide of halfcrazed
humanity which year after year set steadily toward
the new Ell Dorado and squald poverty, misery,
DEGRADATION and crime, often ending in violent or
shameful death, which for long time everywhere
abounded in California were the sad consequences of
the frenzy which had turned the heads Of half the
nation.
A most noteworthy and satisfactory evidence of the
popular disposition in the North to work up an ex-
citement to the exploding point, and make nine
days wonder Of everything susceptible OF such dis
tinction, is to be found in the extraordinary publ
city given in New York to every nasty and scanda,
ous affair that may arise to outrage proprety and
decency In that city it seems necessary to sustain
the public taste for newspaper reading by furnishing
the particulars-the most circunlstantal details-o
all shocking murders rapes cases Of Grim con-, anC
other crimes, and therefore we find very frequently
1 MI rs