New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-05-03
HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE.
Special 70 the Nov orleans oreseent.l

! Special to the Now Orleans Crescent
HAVANA, April Is. 1859.
Messrs. Editors Since / last had this pleasure
per Cahawba on 18th inst, nothing but attending
those duties imposed BY the ordinances OF the " ho
! man Catholic Apostolic Church has occupied tn
public attention. OF course you are aware that las
week was Holy Week 2 and not even in Rome hersel
could the solemnities of the season have been more
strictly observed than they we're in this ever faith
full citv.r The dread acenes OF the Crucifxion-
i. taking down from the cross and interment-wert
enacted with painful resemblance to the sad reality
| ! in ali our churches-whilst from noon on Holy
Thursdsy till nearly midday the following Satur
Il day this was literally city Of mourning" Not
carriage OF any description was to be seen in thu
streets all the flags upon the Notifications and the
4 ships in the harbor were hoisted at halfmast. AL
j the Spanish vessels in the port had their yards
"cock bill the few soldiers in the streets were with
tsdearms, and the sentines duty carried theil
arms reversed more perfect scene Of mourning
than this city exhibited Good Friday can scarcely
| be conceived. On the evening of Holy Thursday all
the churches were brilliantly illuminated, decorated
and crowded with penitents Stubborn, indeed
be the heart that is not sotened and led to pen
| tence and prayer by the ceremonies of the Roman
| Catholic Church during Holy Week. It is the
custom here to visit as many churches possible on
the evening Of Holy Thursday, and forming portion
OF the escort Of some lady friends visited fourteen
churches on that evening The streets thronged
until quite late hour with well dressed and behaved
persons. The Belenr Church, now in the possession
Of the Jesnits most magnifcently decorated and
illuminated. A more tasteful or elegant display l
had never before beheld. The !" Belen is at this
time one Of the fashionable churches of this city,
and observed among the worshipers in it many Of
the ladies of our most aristocratc families, kneelng
10 worship side by side with negroes; SO that what
ever may be the objections urged against the Roman
Catholic Church and its mode OF worship, it must be
admitted that true democracy exists among its mem
bers. The Cathedral too, exhibited scene Of great
wealth and beauty, as, indeed, did almost all the
churches in this city Good-Ffday is more relg-
ously observed here than any other day in the year
every store and place Of business in this city was
entirely closed, which is never the case on Sabbath
days. Even in the low deep tones in which CONVEX
sation was held an impression that the solemnity of
the season was felt was conveyed to the minds Of
persons protesting different crseds.
Nor was it until the joyful words Christ hath
arisen were proclaimed from the altar on the satur-
day, when the merry sounds Of the organ and the
this city, that men seemed to suddenly cast off the
deep weight Of woe I. with which they were op-
pressed, and the hum and stir y of busy life dis
placed the serious, solemn stiffness that had for SO
many hours prevailed throughout the length and
breadth of the " Havana Then, though the most
hideous sounds were heard throughout the streets
mems entire natures seemed suddenly to be changed
Boys wantonly tying tin kettles to the tails of any
ours they could lay hold Of, sent the poor scared
brutes yelling and yelping as they swiftly ran along
the streets. The unfortunate dray.mules were made
to feel their hours of torture had again commenced
they were hurried along at double quick time" as
though it were to regain the hours their labor had
been lost to their brutelke owners!
As wrote you would be the case in my letter Of
the 18th instant, Colonel Charles j. Helm, United
States Consult in Cnba took his departure on
a brief visit to Kentucky in the Cahawba, which
sailed that day for New Orleans The American sea
captains in this port, anxious to show how popular
Colonel Helm is among them, conveyed him on board
the steamship in one Of their boats with the stars
and stripes" hoisted, and followed by quite convoy
of other American ships boats as escort all having
the national flag hoisted When the Cahawba passed
in front of the q. S. Consulate, the stars and
stripes were dipped twice in honor of Colonel Helm
which compliment was duly returned by the Cahawba.
En- PEASANT, may observe the cause of the attacks
in certain newspapers in the United States by their
Havana correspondents, upon acting Consul.General
Savage, has only within the few last days become
manifest Verify, there is reason even for the
roasting Of eggs" will not however do more than
thus slightly allude to the fact because do not de
sire to be drawn into controversy with person.
who in the art of personal abuse' is assuredly nv
superior.
The story published in the New York Sun of the
18th inst about this island being in state of revolt
is scarcely worthy of notice. Revolt forsooth Why
hundred of the people could not assemble together
except perhaps in church or at the theater without
the police, perhaps the military being upon them
How then can any plan for revolt be matured? No.
mind you but that the inhabitants of this isle would
gladly rid themselves of the tyranny Spain exercises
over Them but unaded from some external source It
is quite impossible for them to achieve their freedom
The Spanish authorities Of this island have set an
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