New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-21

ALSI " Set lillttdtclt lltu New orleans French
society, that part of it which constituted the
moving, active mercantile portion, then as
busy as bees in travelling up and down the
coast or the river, from what they called the
posts-that is, the settlements, such as the
post of Opelousas, or the post of Natchitoches
which were then the current expressions in
the French language, handed down to them
from the time of the colonial regime when all
these places We're originally settled by estab-
fishing military posts, from which these locali-
ties took their names ..
In the enumeration which we made of the
members of that first French convention, who
had assembled in 1894 or g. in order to OPP
pose the taking possession Of Louisiana by
Spain, we then did not mention that some Of
them-that is to say, Boisblane, Doucet Ma
cent Jean Mllhet, Petot and Poupet, were
afterwards sent out of the eountry-frst to
Havana, and when finally released, eminrated
to st. Domingo then very fourishing COLONY
OF the French kingdom. We have reason To
believe that some of these patriotic citizens of
Louisiana, who had thus violently been sepa-
rated from their homes and families after
whilereturned to New Orleans For, as then
stated, the historic names of Boisblanc, Dou-
Get, Mazent and Petot continue to be found in
after time, whilst those of Jean NIilhet and
Poupet, the influential merchants, disappear
from the local chronicled events.
| We have already expressed our surprise
that 50 little Of written memories Of Louisi-
ana's colonial events should have been pre-
served, and this appears, indeed, so much
more extraordinary to us, that we have been
enabled to judge by the studying of this epoch,
that it is certainly not for the lack of capable
writer's that they have not come down to our
time for such men as Julien Poydras, or Jean
Soulie this latter-in later times long the sec-
rotary Of the city council and recorder, 10 to
the time Of August Macarty, the mayorin 1916,
and even later-could have left to posterity the
most authentic and most interesting details of
the old French colonial regime. We will
even go farther and inquire if there is not ex-
tant either in print or some manuscript roll
preserved in France the journals or diaries
kept by Governor Bienyille out of which
biography Of this historical parsonage might
be formed; for such a work, Louisiana
owes, as token of respect to the
memory of its veritable founder, and
some future historian might thus rem
der justice to one whose services to his coun-
try never have been truly acknowledged, or
rewarded In 1916 we have known old MI
Jean Souie, then a partner of the great fac
| rorage house of Fortier & Co., whose solid
brick Stores built in the old French fashion
on Old Leyee street. between Toulouse and
St Louis streets, were a most conspicuous
mark of the city of New Orleans for vessels
coming up the river to the harbor, for it was
by the bearings Of these bright shining edi-
fees, seen from afar that the pilots would
guide their course and generally anchor the
ships in the middle of the stream right abreast
of this station. Old Jean Soulie with the
most benign face in the world as well as the
jolly old pere Fortier, ever full of lively Jokes
and anecdotes, were indeed the central point
and attraction of all vivacious spirits Of the
times But beside their personal characters
the weight and influence of their commercial
relations, with all the planters and merchants
Of the interior, made the connections with
this house much sought after. We have
known that Jean Soulie besides his interest
in the aforesaid firm of Fortier ct fills, had
also a considerable interest in the house OIL
Sompayrae Freres, who had their PRINCIPAL
establishment under Ambrose Sompavrae
at the post Of Natchitoches proper.
whilst another branch under Marc som
payrac was doing business in the little
village of Cloutierville, in the same parish
but upon what is called the Cane River,
a branch of Red River, being there divided in
three different streams-the Little or OldI
River, the Cane, and the Rigolet the last be-
ing at this day the navigable branch most4
frequented by the steam navigators Hence,
if not some particular reasons had existed,
there is no doubt in our mind, but the heirs
of these influential members of former society,
the young members of the Poydras and Soulies
family, might have published memoirs, left,
no doubt among the papers of their defunct
ancestors, which would have been very inter
esting at this day to our community, and
which might have cast some light upon now
almost impenetrable historical transactions
However, we have observed with pleasure
that late efforts are made to spread rather
more impartial views upon epoehs of Louisi-
ana's history, which at one time had found
nothing but laudations and hosannahs, not
what strict and eyen-handed justice demands
of the true genius of history.