New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-02
reported for the New Orleans Republican.
THE UNITED STATES
SAY Bales of Cotton.
LIBEL IN ADMIRALTY.

SAY Bales of Cotton.
LIBEL IN ADMIRALTY.
Elihu Knickerbocker was no doubt q
offs boot of that noted and numerous famil!
He had come South as cabin boy on a vel
eel which anchored in the Bay of Mobil
without making entry at the customhoust
and having many cases Of malignant feve
on board, had sent several of the cows
lescents to the hoepitel, weighed her anchor
and went to sea. AZ she had come in ant
gone out without pilot, the members o
that fraternity swore she had no cargo ex
cept water casks and big kettles, and tina
the crew were all day washing her between
decks, from which they inferred the vesse
was SLAYER. Perhaps 90. As this was il
the thirtiee, this contrsband evasion of thu
federal law may have attracted little atten
ton. Any way, the convalescent cabin boy
recovered and rose all the way from open
ing oysters to opening saloon. He passed
through various gradations fraught with
the most singular succession of misfortunes
chiefly by fires and sinking chips. He
emerged with much jewelry and com
mand of capital, which could only have
been due to his superior capacity "for bust
ness" At the period Immediately preceding
the war, he was largely engaged in the
legitimate trade in slaves, with large
depot in one city and various branch con-
nections in others. Under the corrod,ng
influence of public contempt, he had gradu.
ally sloughed the latter syllables of his
name, and was Familiarity known as mig
gerbroker Knick," or "Nigger Knick, -" from
the nature of his occupation.
At the beginning of the war it became
important that he, q native of the North,
should be an ultra secessionist He voted
for war resolutions, subscribed to war
iunde, and, for . time, took Confederate
notes in exchange for slaves. This, we
may remark, was about the most equal
measure Of equivalent values ever made:
the maintenance OF the one being the basis
of the other. With the declaration of hos
tilities, Knick naturally exchanged his CON-
merce in contraband commodities, for the
expectation of cotton and the importation
Of articles of prime necessity, which were
exchanged against more cotton. This en-.
abled him, incidentally, to obtain for him.
eelf and the official ring he had to propi-
tiate, articles of luxury, 60 that never did
Knick rise in the morning without q glass
Of genuine imported eeltzer-breakfast, ex-
cept with genuine pate de toie gras, chablis
and champagne-dine, but on the choicest
cuts of beef, the fattest fowls, the freshest
fish, which could be bought with Confeder.
ate money, pound for pound, nor retire at
night without smoking his Havana cigar of
the most costly brand that gold could buy.
All these Injuries were at the call of his
friends. He was also in such intimate re-.
lati0ns with the authorities from the nature
of his commerce, that he knew all the facts
in regard to Intervention or pacifcation,
and not battle occurred of which he did
not know the true result, whatever the pub.
lie journals might be permitted to state.
Without having q principle or sentiment
involved, common sense taught him that a |
government which had all the foreign COM
merce, all the national organizations, all |
the mechanical resources with four able
bodied white men to one, must in the end
conquer an enemy wanting in these ele-
ments of material and martial resources.
and having a population of four millions
which could not be trusted with a gun.
Upon this reasoning, Knick, acting on the
pest private advices at home and
abroad, prepared to realize his precarious
gains, and view the war from q foreign
standpoint. He had assured the Coufeder.
ate government Of his influence abroad, ,
mo there could be no doubt of his political ,
ldellty. The eve and era Of his departure 6
vas one OF the most brilliant that had been Q
The armada of Confederate q
ronclads was in the port, unfinished il ia
rue, expecting shafts and flanges and hat. :
cries by rail; but the confidence wa nm. -
impaired. Knlck had sdvices of the fede. a
al expedition projected against the lower
dississippi. He knew it must be already b
# the Gulf coast. So he gave the most
plendid entertainment of the season. pre. 8
snted each reporter with written com.
liment of his own fidelity and services, and !.
Without having retired to bed took the 4.
corning train for Wilmington, North Caro- .
ns, where the blockade steamer the Gene. v
j Bragg was receiving the last of 1000 b
ales of cotton which he had been, under n
confederate permits, collecting and send. d
9 for some months before. He left on the v
ght of the twenty. ninth of April, 1862 b
sjor General Butler received the sur o
nder of the city of New Orleans on tho G,
st Of May, three days afterward. His q
mbinations thus far were perfect. At
10 point they broke down. The General
agg cast off her lines at tho wharf of
ilmington ct l:35 A. NJ. At 2:l0 A. n.
} collapsed several Aues. 1t impaired
; speed without affecting her safety. A !.
A. n. lights were visible through Il :.
. They were on the lee quarter. s !.
ted her course few points, and " ~
Y lights were reported ON the wea' III.
:. She showed similar lights ands -.