New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-17

- 1t now inftmates may become necessal
ito preserve the constitution and ali Il
rights" etc., now -imperilsd, strengthe
their confidence.
From Al Of which We arc inclined
hope there win be no war.
I THEN And HOW.
| werecently glanced at the peculiar pt
sition occupied BY New Orleans thirt
| years ago and the changes wrought b
three decades in her social, political an
commercial status. The subject Wal
however, too large to be disposed of in
single article, hence We turn to it again
Old citizens who watched the progress Q
these years must have Witnessed change
90 novel in their realities as any fctiol
ever conjured up BY . creative imagina
ton. The serious and the severe, tn
tragic and the tender, the sublime ant
the ridiculous, by turns asserted that dra
matte force which makes truth stranger
than fiction. and challenged the recogni
ton Of historic pens by their direct bear
ings on events Of national or general con
Germ. -,-
Winter in New Orleans thirty years age
was . season Of high reveL The retail
shops were ablaze' with all that is ex-
pensive in the way Of human adornment;
the hotels were crowded with the families
Of wealthy planters, who came hither to in
dulge in the Injuries Of city life. and all
kinds Of amusement were sustained with
: lavish iberality which found no par
allel in other American cities. When
professional services were required by
the planters there were no Gatherings as
to price. Everything was conducted on
: soale Of regal splsndor. To doctors
and lawyers i've hundred dollar fees were
moro plentiful. thar Eve dollar fees are
now. Chespness was offensive to the ma
hobs Of the period, and they generally
found their weakness in this regard ef-
fectuslly met BY extravagant demands
Even in purely commercial transao-
tons with the great West, or with
cities beyond the SEA, our port,
actorage and other charges were regu-
lhted BY that system Of extravsgance
thich slavery had implanted in the minds
Of the master noe, and which gave to tho
slightest service performed by q white
man value hundred fold greater than
he negro's severest drudgery could COM
nand. Thus. through our peculiar insti-
Iution the laws Of political and CONNER
nal economy were completely overturned
md We were placed il an attitude Of de-
lance alike to the moral and material de-
hands Of an advancing civilization.
The negro. whose involuntary service
vas at all times subject to his masters
all, furnished not only the labor by
which the planters crops were made, but
TODD as an equivalent to the planter of so
much banking capital. His relation to
he lands increased their value also, but
he prosperity which the toll Of his hands
md the sweat of his brow secured was his i
not his own. This being the
ase, the master could ct all times com.
nand the means Of ministering to his own
tastes, while he left the man
cement of his plantation and working
hattels to the tender mercies of an over
eer. The trust thus involved was fire.
uently abused in the most Outrageous
lanner. While the planter was abroad,
pending his substance in riotous living,
10 overseer played the part of petty ty-
mt at home, his interest In the crop
to biz avarice, while his de-
Eayity ran riot at it's own wild will.
Such were the conditions under which
70 policy Of New Orleans as q CONNER
al city was framed; such were the in
aences end surroundings which, thirty
Ears ago. made her the gay, reckless and
city she then was Those who
that time had arrived at mans estate
ID survive the changes which have since
CURED, have been part and parcel of an
perience such as no city in this country |
n ever in aftertimes present It was
eirs to witness the triumphant return of
Q American conquerors of Mexico; to {
are in the excitements resulting from j
Q discovery of gold in California, ant. l
profitable commerce thereupon inaug- =
ated; to bluster over the Kansas i
'ubles, stern forerunner of an i'm I
nding conflict on a far larger t
lie; to observe, if not partici- y
to in, the flibustering expeditions i,
which Yucatan, Nicaragua and q
ba have been threatened, to watch the b
with of acknowledgement. which; Il
ough thug violence, revolutionized our I
al politics; divided our city into armed Il
aps, and tore up our streets pavements +,
These svents-mere men, il
's now-loomed up at the time of ',
Il occurrence into high Significance, RI
commanded a local attention which a,
all-absorbing. But such passing in d,
ents in our local history were .dwarfed b,
hose which followed. By the enthu- b,
tic election Of Lincoln against the ar
Of 'tsolid South" the Southern
IT was fred with the madness which en-
'edes destruction. From South Caro-. co
the spirit of instruction spread, 40