New Orleans Republican., 1873-02-25
NEW ORLEANS on MARDI GRAs EVE.

celVe such vigorous parting cndlenSe III
behalf of jollity than here. New Orleans
seems to become all at once the very centre
of iDsurrection against those days WHEN
salt fish. stuffed crabs and small talk
usurp the place in public interest OF less
serious and more amusing topics. The de-
vO,ion to this violent contrast on the ver2e
of Lent, between the r0lliJking period past
and the ristc season coming. may also IN
dicate a rare appreciation of the pTescrp-
tions Of the church by our resident. here.
If such be the case, none ply their vocation
with livelier sense of duty and more
jpvial smile OF satisfaction than the gam
boiling population Of New Orleans. They,
TO a man, press the ceremonies oi Mard.
Gras to a stupendous degree.
TIE frs. indications Of our local holiday
have cropped out in various strange and
seditious paragraphs in the public news
papers, and certain flaming posters pretty
thoroughly displayed throughout the clty,
wherein one Rex, "a monarch OF unknown
qualities and antecedents, issues divers
proclamations Of q revolutionary govern
meDt, smacking somewhat of the McEnery
tone, ordering ana commanding the people
Of this free State 70 do and leave undone
various matters in d manner that clearly
indicates for a time at least the absence OF
republican form of government from Louis
iaua. In faith the very Customhouse has
ignominiously surrendered TO his temporary
serenity. and to-day the stars and stripes
shake w0nderingly in the wind under the
lee of Rex's more pre:entiuus and orientailY
gorgeous banner.
A stranger from the provinces seeing this
| mysterious imperial standard lazily float
| ing in the breeze everywhere and across
every street in this city, might well be par
doned for believing that a suddeI CONVEX
| sion 70 a joint despotism had settled the
| long vexed Louisiana question. Though
the stranger would be wrong. Everywhere
| one goes he has TO pass under the yoke OF
Baal-the parti-colored ensign of King Rex
and the walls are plastered with his
| abrupt and peremptory ?roclamations.
| And vet, so far, 10 living soul can tell what
manner of man he is, though his complete
occupation of the city IL universally con-
ceded.
The one day Of bl ef power which belongs
to him opens with sunrise today. and
| meanwhile thousands of subjects eager to
do him reverence have been arriving to
| take part in this ephemeral burst of loyalty.
| The hotels, the boarding houses. Canal
| street aud all the resorts OF visiting human
| itv are groaning under the vast invasion Of
| curiosity seekers. The 81. Charles. for eN
| ample, is the mart now for the exchange OF
| ali sorts of gossip and debate on the crop,
the state of the river. the rival Legislatures,
and other futile devices 70 cover their rural
hunger for the pomp and pageantrv Of
Marc; Gras. Not that a third of them
know what on earth Mardi Gras means be-
yond satnrnalia, i'll which the sober
spirit of this large city abdicates in favor of
the most reckless oligarchy o; mummery
the world ever saw. To the rustic mind
Mardi Gras means an expensive excursion
FROM the obscurity Of the country into the
glare of a great population. devoted for
twenty-four hours to some excellent fool
ing. when the fictitious tyrannies of politics
are forgotten in the blazing government of
| the Lord Of Misrue. The hotels are swarm.
ing almost ont Of windows with people from
tie country and the wives Cf people from
the country. equally provincial. and their
servants. a feudal train as amusing in its
composition as it is anachrouistic and un'
usual.
Tie gentlemen from the country. however
wealthy and generous in their expenditures.
generally brguile themselves until the
climax of festivities with wild carriage ex-
cursions and huge gatherings at some popu
la. bar, where they will exchange their pro
vin.ial news and then HE Them to various
stores to replace the clothes. the linen, tie
shoes. the firearms and the other thousand
necessarjea purchased exactly year ago
To them the morn of Mardi Gras brings
bad headaches, lOud curses at the whisky
they drank over night, and profane express
sions of contempt for the pomp and circun
stance OF the great holiday.
The LADIES' from the country, some Of
them attied in the most eXtravagaut bur-
lesques up"n Costume, are to be found in d
massive stream flowing up Canal street.
bright with p!odIgies Of color and radian,
with ribbons and self fsati~factiun. They
make small eddies OF pink ard blue. and
green and crimson by the more fashionable
dep0:s q: millinery. considering no: the
lilies Of tue field. but the more gorgeous
and expensive creations cf Mme. Olympic
and her sisters in the milinerial craft. They
regard not The native cynic who gazes si-
perciliOus!v OF their splendors. but serenely
indifferent: 70 the pitiless stare of resident
bellies. they air their buxom forms and
their splendid attire. Their "makeup is not
always artistic, but the ethics Of dress have
not yet penetrated 10 the paris where the
coon Is yet caught. and the field hand does
his Wild dancing. The ladies' from the coun.
tiy are given tc such solecisms d. red and
white dresses, strong and unteaCabie gre"n
summer shawls, and mOns'rouS wells Tor
their no, 700 delicate features. They walk
witt; 4 stride which the mortified c+tive
wear.g Q; purple aud fine linen rec0!lects =
only possible on fine eve OF Magd! Gras.
Now :tEL :her -: ENCOUNTER a rustic pro
cesslon. the gentlemen heavy on neckties
and dubious a. 20 their pantaioons-the
ladies apparen! fragments OF a rainbow.
and a dusky following OF colored nurses all
agape AT the novel scene. and freighted with
squalling cargo Of young babies.
These are :he times when the peaceful
boarder N the early morning encounters.
wandering wildly round the house. with
huge pantaloon- and collarless flannel
shjrt with hair imrervioua IN corpn and