National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-10
LOUISIANA.
INTERESTING LETTER FROM NEW OR
LEANS,

pOlluc OF the state, are VeritaDly sIuuy VI
themselves. They are in every respect peculiar
and distinctive people. They present as many
anamolies in their general makeup and compost
ton as can we'll be imagined. They are mass
Of contradictions and absurdities, at best. At
best, too, they are a curse-a blight, If you please
upon the prosperity Of the State, in that Of the
past, rather than the present, they are incapable
of anything like progress and improvement As
seen among the lower orders, too, there arr fea-
lures in the connection that, to the representa-
tive Am eriean, peculiarly repulsIYe. Socially,
they may be said to know nobody save them
selves. Politically, they are elannish and big
oted in general and senseless opposition to all
not native to the State, and more particularly to-
wards all newcomers. The exceptions to the
rule are in favor of newcomers from France and
natiOnalities Of Latin extraction, such as Spafn
Portugal, Italy and the dependencies Of Sardinia,
Sicily, &c. The former, the more especially If of
aristocratie pretensions, are eagerly welcomed
by the would be aristOcratic representatives of
the so-called Creole French.
The latter, If Of the lower orders. affiliate ut
once with the Dagoes, as Of kindred race and ex
traction. A Freuehman, Portuguese or a Sici-
ian is thus less stranger than is the American
from Ohio or Pennsylvania. The one is well
coined, even gladly received; the other is looked
upon with distrust and suspicion, even hatred it.
self. The like feeling extends to all foreigners
saw bAOSS % 0AC6plCu ABOVE. Win THESE eAceD-
lions, your Creole, Of whatever grade or extrsc-
tiOD, is at least particularly bitter and exclusive
toward all foreigners in general. Louisiana as a
consequence, In KnOwNOthing times, formed the
most bitter of all bitter Known thing communi-
ties. Louisiana, from the Creole Standpoint ia a
heritage from France, conquered from the In
dians for her colonists, and handed down in per.
petuity to the Creole descendants. All foreigners
save Of kindred blood, are enemies. All new
frOnn nafh hat
terlopers upon their own exclu sive rights One
must at least be 4 natiYe-'tO the manner born
to be looked upon with even a feeling of tOlera-
tion. This feeling OF intolerance has necessarily
been forced to suecumb in a measure to the force
OF circumstances and changes of the times 1t
has been rather changed in its courses, however,
than materially modified in its composition.
WAR OF RACES.
Time was when all Americans came under the
ban. Up to about the year 1887, as between the
CreOles and Americans, it was literally a war to
the knife, and the knife to the hiIt. From this
time there is a perceptibIe change in the man
agement of political affairs The American,
true to his general character, was decidedly
aggressive. The Creole, degenerate at best,
save as the creature Of impulse, and as controlled
by his predjudices, was weak and vacilIating in
his aims and purposes. The American, too, in
teImarrying to more or less extent, grad uaIIy
made an inroad in the hitherto inaccessible cir
eles Of Creole society. The Creole as gradually
gave way before the more enterprising Ameri-
can in matters political. The American element,
thus by very force OF character, took the lead
This, too, though a mere handful in numbers in
comparison to the CreOles Matters soon fell
into proper line of discipline. As the Creole
leaders received division OF the spOils, so were
the various Creole elements welded in the
campaign. The natural Prejudices and elannisn
animosities Of the CreOles became subserYient
to the ranking politicians with whom their
leaders were induced to affiliate.
Your Creole is far from being in any sense a
iree-thinker. In matters political, he may be
said to think only through his leaders He is
particularly intolerant of the opinions Of others
The least interference with his own opinions is ut
once an appeal to his prejudlces.
To appeal to his prejudices is to stir up the
fires OfrevolutiOn. Freedom of opinion was thus
as efectually muZZled as in past ages through
the Vatican at Rome. A mere handful OrpoIIEi-
clans became "the people," while public opinion
was simply the mandates of select bevy or ring
in control. As decreed by the politicians, so
taught the Creole leaders, so thought the masses
and so went 1.-The people" There was Utterly no
appeal, as there was neither freedom Of opinion
nor expression allowed.
hThe different elements orCreoIes were controlled
in the interest OF the different parties in the main
through direct appeal to their pfejudices of
caste. The results were at least suggestive of
the character of the opposing parties Of former
days. The matter of caste becomes of interest in
this connection. As seen among the Creoles there
are seemingly as many DEGREES Ofcaste as among
the natives Of India. The lines, too, may be said
to be quite as rigidly drawn. First, as between
the WOuld-be mere aristOeratie representatives of
those claiming a French and Spanish extraction,
we have line of demarkatiOu, rigid and unyieId-
ing even to the present day. Each forms a dis
tnetiYe class, retaining, in a marked degree, the
prejudices and hatreds of the old Colonial times
THE DESCENDANT OF THE DON,
proud and naughty to the last, folds himself
about with mantle Of exeIusiVeness, that i'm
penetrable with all, becomes a double barrier, as
against his old time foe, the French. His fol-
lowers, though comparatively few, are none the
less exclusive in their pretenslOns. He forms
with his associates an upper or ariEtocratic caste
Those of the more aristoeratic French extraction,
too, form a similar caste Of their own Represent
ing, as they do, the ruling Creole element they
form what may be termed the aristocraey par
excellence, of Louisiana. Their pride, like their
pretensiOns, would seem to have little upon which
to build. 1t is rather as the screen that hides an
empty closet than as based on either moral, in
telleCtual or material worth. At best, they are
wanting in every element that can conduce to the
prosperity ola State. They are wanting Ia every
requisite, as well, that constitutes your true
American. They are as decidedly French to-day,
some as sadly degeRerated, as were the original
cOlOnists, from whom they are descendants
Their allegiance, at most is confined to louisiana
As proved in the rebellion, when put to the test,
they have little hesitation in iorsWearing the
American for the French. They are generally
found as Outspoken in their contempt and hatred
for the one as in their love and admiration for the
other.
They are particularly expressive in their ILL
concealed luminosity for anything aud everything
that savOrs Of the Yankee. Their loyalty to the
General Government, at most, has always been
OF the negative rather than the positive order
Following in their wake, having the one distinc-
tive feature or the other, are several Inferior
grades or castles Of a similar origin. They are
found as gradually merging into the Dagoes, and
more particularly the colored CreOles an element
as exclusively French, save in the matter of an
additional shade Of color, as those claiming 4
higher degree Of caste. In fact the line of dis
tinction, as evidenced, not uufreqUently both in
complexion and general appearance, would seem
as far more imaginary than real. They are found
in all their various grades and qualifications, con-
shutting large proportion of the population Of
the State. Taking the masses as they run, they
have about as much idea Of freedom in thought
and action as have the serfs Of Russia. All fol
low in blind obedience to the will Of the reeog-
niZed leaders, /. E., Z" the people,"
Following Immediately in line Of the French
and Spanish CreOles proper, we have in
THE DAGOEs,
as here, forming q large element Of the body
polite, class such as it is to be presumed the
average American never even dreamed Of
French, Spanish, Italians, Siclians, Sardinians,
Portuguese, Indians and blacks, crossed for sew
eral generation, in general and eonglOmerated
mixture.
Certainly n more mongrel, degenerate race
would be hard tOimagine. BigOted, clannish and
ignorant to the last degree, they may be sail to
represent most, mot ALL Of the more ObiectiOna-
BILE traits of The Latin races making up their
original composition. As class, they are sus-
piciOus Of al strangers, morose and reVengeiul.
They are far too handy with their knives to be at
all desirable as acquaintance. There are Ger
tain circles in fact in which the stilettO is quite
as ready Of use as in Rome or Naples. To this |
day, even, Well-known victims Of the dreaded |
UeRdsifa are not untrequently found, as quietly |
stabbed to the death, in some Out-oEJhe-Way 10 |
eality, in which some mUrderOus DagOe has laid |
in wait for the accomplishment Of his vengeance.
Incredible as II may seem, too well-knoWn organ
izatiOns Of Thugs and like kindred societies of
assassins, as among the lower orders Of the Latin
races Of Europe, are here distinctive feature of