The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-14
LETTEB FROM PARIS
Special Correspondence 81 the New Orleans Crescenkl
PARIS, 3s RUE KEUvE DIS PEPIrs CsAnrs'
April 25, 1858.


A LOUISIANA sgNAToE UNDER FRKNcH coSEScRIP-
How could a senator of Louisiana come to be
Judged by Freach council Of war! l VIII tell
YOU. The senator begSn life at village on the
banks of the GaFBnne. About ten years ago, AT
the age of seventeen, he left family aad country
and oct off for Boston. Here, thanks to his own
energy and intelligence. the young GascOn got on
well, and at length founded an important CONNER
cal businees. Success caused him to forget
France and ne became a naturalized American.
In q short time afterwards he was elected member
of the legislature Of Louisiana. few months
ago. having learned that his father had died, the
senator then bethought him OF France, and re-
membered he had still got a mother there, to
whom he was bound 20 carry consolaton. How.
ever if he had forgotten France, his country had
not so acted towards her tTuant son. Scarcely
had his foot touched native soil when he was
ponnced upOn By gendarmes and arrested. He
explained and protested in his quality OF Ameri-
can citizen, but all to no effect; be was hurried
of to duraDce vile and there learned that he was
charged with being whSt is called in msitary Ian
guage an ias01SSis. The council OF war con-
demned the American statesman to six days i'm.
prisonment. What Is to be the end OF this affair!
Win the French force senator Of LOUISIANA to
carry the Chassepos! VIII his government De.
mend him TO be given up, and ash for reparatiOn!
II seems that during his absence he had been
drawn for the conscnption, and as naturalization
has no retroactive eject be had been French
citizen at the time his military duties ought to
you the name Of youz distinguished and rather
unfortunate legislator who has certainly met With
rather hard lines but you will easily be sble to
find that out, as he is at present the heac OF q
large commercial house in New Orleans.
GLEBLRB IN PARIS.
intend in this letter to give you an idea to
what extent gambling is at present carried on In
| Paris. Ii will scarcely be believed that gaming
is on the ascendant day BY day 10 Paris aud that
in place of the few public hells that were sup
4 Dar onnfn nina
hundreds of privats gambling houses indeed, in
reckless and unbrioled play. the wild days OF the
/ Restoration left far behind. Cheating at
cards Is now one Of the oommOnest incidents OF
1 Partisan life, from the greatest TO the lowest.
| since Official gambling was abolished all bosds
| have been broken, and every one is travelling by
grands CiteSse towards universal lottery. De.
| priyed of the freedom of 8peech. OF the right OF
meeting and of the liberty of the press, there is
| only one liberty left 10 Freachmen-thst of play.
| Formerly when q man gambled, he only lost his
| money, but now, since he can play at me cercses
on credit, he loses all his expectations ana ms
future heritage, not to mention such psltTy things
| as conscience and honor. The whole world OF
play too IL entirely chang I'd; instead OF banker
overlooked by the police, there are Greeks who
can produce the king at ecGTte as often as they
please. When there were licensed gaming
| houees people went into them ea pdsscNt, just rs
| thew drop into a c1fe-nOw they go regularly and
| almost turn the hells into dwellings. Onlawful
| gaming houses have always existed IN Psris, Dui
L
| with caution and il was no uncommon thing to be
surprised by cOflinisdTe 0s police ana his agents
| in the.cou-se Of the evening. But the contempo
| rary illegal gambling houses call themselves Ger
| cles. and are thus recognized, and evenprotected
| by authority. The ceTcles are, OF course, o
various degrees of respecTsbility, according tC
the class which frequent them. Thus, there u
the Cero5e de r Union and the CercLe A9Tacotefo
the great historical arstocraey, while the pdrUept
nobility of the empire freqRent the Jockey ant
= | the CsTele TDaperidl. The great merchant
and bankers. the great engineers aod director
| of public companies are members OF TN
Cbe9ain de Fer lust now notorious for the heav.
? stakes which are played for in its SolOns. Tn
| rich Young men, and the votaries OF pleasure be
long TO the Baby, select circle in the rue Royale
the professed gamblers tempt fortune at the OeT
: Gle asi. Americans, while the notsries, boErsieT
Q and the better class of trsdespeople are member
l. | of The Ce7cle des Arts of the Rue de ChOiseu
;, | Besides these, where gambling is an aeciden
rather than q condition of their existence. there
| numerous class of c8rcleS established for o
. | other urpose. These are ruled on the model q
. | the great clubs, by president ard committed
and when once established any person may IRE
u quent them on being introduced by ons or tW
a god.fathers, or In many cases two hVe'iran
a | pisces If more convenient The president gem
n | rally makes some five or six thoEsand year D
= giving good advice to the young men who wand'
abou: The glded salons and borrowing nve n
= poieons of them, which, OF couse he never repay
ell Tha committee are twelve in number, all equail
D. honorable men, in what are termed q
to q-ande csrclgS of Paris money is never seen {
The table where play Is going on, owing TO the =
convenience which would resalt from the emo
n ra.up sums played for. Counters are employed
" value from 100 to 10000 frascs. Before takiI
. his place ST the 'able each player signs Don I
Ia a certain number Of DapolOOns, which Is !,
y mediaieiy exchanged for counters az spec
10 | bureau Of the eeTci3. Every player 10 boln
nd under pain Of expulsion, to take up the 90
-, | which be has signed within the space OF a 10
ne night. The bureau charges one per cent. on
advances it makes this Is satiicieat to pay Us {
ry | pepses and frequently 10 leave large pront.
ibsse eercIes lapsaaent aad baccsrst are
s- games most in vogue by crest players, Wh
whist ia abandoned TO the small men, owing
ey the highest stakes played for ii being only zV
L. francs. -
TO mixed society-a few honest people, q FAIR nu
AZ Der of fools. and many swindlers. From TINE
10 time some unfortunate Individual VINO canEOI
tvsntv francs from the insurer who lends MOT
& on levels in the antechsmber, bOrrovs tenfra
ID, from you risks seven at play, and keeps the
fas painder for his deDeT next day. ln these gilc
On salons where you are waited upon oy laeKey'
IOr livery all manner of sums are played foT soi
re- times the stakes at ecdre, for instance viii
thousapd at others only two francs. One =
nat see there people who lose their Eve OF six "a
mt sand francs in the course Of the evening" and 80
who manage TO scrspe two thousand franos
let cether by means of two franc piece, their wh
avs assets. 10 these places one meets queer acSna
ast auces. We may play for i've napOieons WI
Tas gentleman whom we would not salute on the
ievsrds for fifty. Above all things, 1t u heeess
ict. | rot TO be astonshed at anything which oco
set | People NAV do what they please there provi
M ! thew are not found out Lstenl A player Ia
ess, tscied abstrscting money rom some heAPs W.
est do not belong to him; he is advised 70 retire
I next day he may be seen A. a neighoorlng ee
Ger where he IL memosr OF tne eommltse;a !,
ped sOusl assaults are not rare. and provided
damage il done, no notice is taken OF them
ct an instance Of the honorable feeling eVnced nv
own committee, may relate the following One e
ded ing player was taken an sd9TdI4s ossso'D, W y
trick was always to claim tsO nspoleons wne
got he won or bot The committee assemblies;
rd's a stormy msstpg the president declares tha
sta yeas ought 10 be expelled the eercse' " mons
lie PRESIDENT" exclsims snolne,' you sle so
con- we're; let rs be contsnsso Si1n s''ins ~n