Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-10
rHE LoursrANA oREoLFs.


The August number of the GALAXY con-
tains q lively article on the "Louisians Gre
oles," correcting certain prevailing errors on
tne subject, and presenting the peculiarities
OF that fascinating race in an attractive
light. The idea that it is tinctured with ne
gro blood is set right in brief paragraph.
"Creolss are described as the descendants
ofEuropssn ancestors, Spanish and French.
10 Louisiana the number of Spanish de-
scent is small compared with those of
French, and the Creole may generally be
regarded as Frenchman few generations
removed. He is PROUD of his origin, and
considers himself in some sense 8 Gaul.
Some uniformed persons of Europe, and
even of the United States, have vague
idea that there is negro blood in the veins
Of this race. This furnishes amusement to
the good-nstured Creole, and annoyance
to the sensitive one." But the race
appears to be declining. DIN Louisiana
the French race is an excite" says Mr.
Rhodes, (which has never thrived as in
parent land. Indeed, this holds good of
this people everywhere ont of the mother
country-in Algeria, Martinique, Cochin
China, and Canada. In this respect they
are in striking contrast to the Englshmar,
who imposes his civilization and his roast
beef wherever be goes, becomes rooted to
the place of his adoption, and gets the upper
hand in the direction of affairs. The
Frenchmsn politically and Intellectually de-
generates on foreign soil. The Creoles,
once masters of Louisiana, gradually lost
their political ascendeDcy as they came in
contact with the aggressive, active, public
spirited American, and for many years
they have not held the reips of power, al
though there have been instances of indi-
vidual prominence. Their history shows
the same decadence in their respective call
ings, whether in art, science, trade, or agri-
culture. Whenever the American enters
the lists with the Creole, in no matter what
profession, the latter generally retires from
the contest beaten. Every year the leading
places in commerce, banking, sugar grow
ing and the principal professions, are being
taken up by thu Americanizsd Anglo-Sax-
chs, to the exclusion of the descendants Of
the original settlers, who now are dropping
into subordinate places, such as overseers,
bank clerks, levee clerks, and municipal
scribes. Il is the fashion among the
younger to attribute their retrogression to
the war, but it began long before Rostilities
broke out between North ard South. 1t /,
rarely that one of them admits That the de-
cadence Is ewing to race and education.
To the thinking American it is evident.
This race of Creoles has lost the virility of
its prime, and is sinking into old age. This
tendency may for time be retarded, but
may not be arrested, for time is inexoral lie
with race as with an individual" OF the
Creole women Mr.. Rhodes says:
"The Creole woman is superior to the
man in manner, intelligence, and converse
ton. The eliminating civilization exist
ly and the man less manly. There is, par
ticularly, an alertness of comprehension
and vivaeity Of response, in which the man
is far from being her equal. She has an
eye for form and color which few American
women OF Louisiana possess, and has al
ways kept up her communications with the
Rue de la Paix in the art of dressing. Hsr
resources are slender, she being generally
in modest circumstances, but she does much
with what sic has. In an assembly Or
solree composed Of the two races, one can
generally distinguish the aesthetic Creole |
from her neighbor in the make and color of |
a robe, tie arrangement ofthe hair, the dis |
position of q flower, or in some such mark.
The Creole woman is prettier than the |
French woman. There is a climatic |
influence in America which refines fea- |
lures snd gives delicacy to the COM
plexion. This is especially the case in |
Louisiana, where fnely-formed women are |
often found to be the descendants of igno- |
Bile looking ancestors. The light olive tint |
of the woman seems 10 have been painted |
over ground color of blushiDg lake, and |
this pinkish cres mineSs of the skin saves 1t |
from dullneSs and sallowness. In word, |
there is something of that transparency for |
which painters are always seeking. She in |
berits from her mother over the sea the |
physical characteristics of round limbs and |
delicate extremit:es, with figure something |
sliehter-another effect of climate; also that |
sense of art with which people are born,
but can never Ientirely acquire. From the |
same source come her coquetry and her |
grace of speech and action, but modified. |
She does not wear crude colors or awry |
shapes; nor does she express herself with |
unseemly gesture or discordant tones. Her |
dress is rather somber than gay, and her |
carriage simple and conventional-for they |
all walk alike. Smoothnass and graceful |
propriety are hers; in a word, there is an
absence of angles in her general conduct"