The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-06
A COUSIN TO DIR. JEDDLER.


over the misadventures which attended Mr..
Dunn's little experiment in the way Of social
equality. The outpourings of its vexation
and grief would be quite touching if they were
less hysterical and irrational. In the blind
violence of its spasmodic fury it even assails
the CRESCENT. whose friendly disposition to-
wards Mr.. Dunn is as genuine as it is discrim-
mating. And what is the head and front of
our offending in respect Of the experiment in
question: Simply this, no more-that we
spoke with the candor and impartiality of q
philosophical historian about the facts and
the differences of the affair, nothing pervert-
ing or suppressing, nor setting down aughtin
malice. But the Tribune insists that our un-
vanished representation was outrageously
joculsr, and 1t illustrates the charge by the
following literary reference:
Dickens describes certain character. whom he
names DR.. Jeddler, as o great philosopher, and
bis philosophy was Ito look upon the world as
gigantic practical joke; az something too absurd
TO be considered seriously BY any rational being
Our neighbor Of the CsEscESr must. We Judge, be
as near Of kin as cousin to DIR. Jeddler for hs
seems to regard at least one part of the world %
practical joke. viz: that part of Gods rational
They we're simply made to be laughed ct. No,
there is one exception. They were also made to
work for white people-to be hewers Of wood and
the butt Of ridicule. .
The Tribune, does us grievous injustice. We
never joke at the expense of any part of the
Almighty's creation, rational or irrational We
recognize tokens of the benefcent and the
beautiful in all its arrangements, varieties,
hues, shades and phases. We are as far from
scorning the night side as we are from scorn-
the light side of nature. We believe Of prayer
as the poet did who wrote:
"He prayeth well who loveth well
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth %,
He made, and loveth all.n
And when we have said this we have indi-
Gated the nature of the ridicule couched in
our remarks touching the experiences Of Mr..
Dunn. By reason of the pomp and parade
of the political apotheosis of the negro, of
which he is made distinguished embodi-
ment, he presents himsslf to our mind as the
symbol of a grotesque attempt to undo the
works of the Creator and make them over
again, upon new plan evolved from the
abysmal self-consciousness of the most AFRO
CANT, preposterous, profane set of cyclists
that ever played fantastic tricks before high
Heaven. And we do frankly confess to SO
near cousinship to DR.. Jeddler as to be much
inclined to look upon this projected recon-
struction of the world as "a gigantic practical
joke; as something too absurd to be considered
seriously by any national being" We do not
laugh at negroes simply as such. Nothing is
further from our thoughts than to make them
a butt of ridicule on account Of their color or
other natural peculiarly of their race. The
utmost that we have done in the way of jocu-
larity with respect to these people has been to
expose the wretched farce, founded on an i'm
pudent contradiction of history and of present
fact, in which some of them, Mr.. Dunn promi-
nently among the number, have been made to
figure. Since the Tribune has heen pleased
to compare the CRESCENT to DR.. Jeddler, we
will return the compliment by comparing the
Tribune to another philosopher of fictitious
literature: Ursus, 'to-wit, the vagabond philoso-
pher in Victor Hugo's new novel, and of
whom we read that grumbling was his external
condition. Ursus was the malcontent of crea-
ton. He took the universe in bad part. 1t
is probable that within himself Ursus often
criticised the T ity. He.said s'evidently the
devil was set on springs, and the mis-
take Of God is in having pulled the
trigger" For the rest, we decline all quarrel
and controversy with the Tribune, other wise
amiable and reasonable enough, on the subject
of race. caste, social instincts, tastes, repul-
sions and attractions. Facts of this nature
cannot be got ri1 of by asyllogism, or an cpl
gram, or defamation. They cannot be
rallied down or legislated down. How far
they may be identified with ineradicable dis
tinctions and indestsuctible forces, philosophy
has not been able to determine. But the voice
of history plainly teaches that they defy legis-
lation and political platforms, and that what
ever changes they may undergo must be left
to the decision Of time. Nothing but trouble
and confusion can come from all schemes
for forcibly anticipating this decision. Eng
fish influence has operated for centuries
against the principle of caste in India; but
this day it is as strong as it ever was, and
English legislation dares not attempt to null
lify it under peril Of losing an empire.