St. Landry democrat., 1881-10-29
Humbug.
lSt. Bernard Eagle.l

. Can stOried urn or animated bust,
Back to its mansion call the tieeting breath!
Can HonOr's voice provoke the silent dust, .
Or fiattery soothe the dull, cold ear of DEATH
If there is any thing calculated to ag-
gravate the bile of the reflective citizen
beyond it's normal irritability at the
folIies of mankind, it is to contemplate
the ingrained asininity of the American
people in celebrating their grief or JOY
on all public occasions 10y pageant ana
parade. More especially does this
ldiosyncrasy, as it trends Southward,
initiate its bombastic display, culmlna-
ting in ridiculous excess where 1t IS
finally checked by the sparse limits OF
population, at the Crescent City OF the
United States.
We have been moved to these re-
marks by the absurdity of the mock
funeral procession which marched
around the principal thoroughfares OF
New Orleans last Monday, to the con-
siderable hindrance of traffic and the
great advantage Of liquor dealers along
the route. This concourse OF persons,
comprising militia, tiremen, and benevo.
lent societies, headed by a long file OF
carriages, and accompanied by brass
bands and banners, escorted float, on
which was placed floral design bear
ing some remote resemblance to a COT
fin, the whole mimicry being supposed
TO typify the solemn interment OF the
late President, James A. Garfield, then
taking place at Cleveland, Ohio. This
senseless sham, this masquerade num-
yaerv of woe, carries the Imagination
back to the days OF that other Great
Republic, whose citizens, while free
institutions were tottering towards their
fall, demanded only" panem ct cir
.censes." Can it be possible that such
medley procession, of the same com
Donents as, but inferior in magnitude
and general participation to, those OF
Mardi Gras, the Fourth Of March, ETC.,
etc, can be accepted as expressive OF a
nations mourning, unless, indeed, It's
.evanescence may be thereby symbollzed.
They speak Of this, empty pageant
soon to be eclipsed and forgotten in the
Gus, as the effect Of a spOntanelty OF
generous feeling it will show the North
that sectional bitterness is extinct, say
many. Could not that have been man,
aged in a score OF ways more noble and
lasting. Had their regret taken the
shape Of a grand donation in aid OF
medical science, or to some hospital OF
charitable institution which thencefor-
ward should have commemorated the
name and virtues of the murdered
President, would the world have deemed
our peoples grief the less poignant
Would they not rather have applauded
the triumph of reason over unreasOn
and hailed our example as worthy OF
all emulation Our city papers decry
the vulgar ostentation of Northern
insurance company which has widely
advertised its payment of a policy il
connection with the Presidents death
but ignore the discrepancies surround.
already nigh at hand, thousands Of yards
of calico were used to decorate pillars
and galleries, while the city paupers
children, widows, and insane, are desti
tute of change Of clothing. Costly
professions enliven streets which vii
later become impossible for lack O.
funds to repair them, and time Q.
mourning is transformed into ludi
crous Saturnalia.