Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-06-20
WHO ARE THE CREOLEsg
Those OF Louisiana. and Particularly Of New
Orleans.


countries where the Cre0les are not
known, several writer's have given
their definitions and conceptions, who
claimed that these were correct be
cause they had been ''there." But, /
am a Creole, and / have failed to meet
a single one which was faithful to the
traditions winch the word ought to
convey elsewhere and does imply at
home. 1 am a Creole for no other
reason than because my father is an
American citizen, born in Louisiana,
from the marriage of his father, who
was also born in Louisiana from
father who resided in Louisiana, but
who had been born in ARdalusia,-
Spain, and whose ancestors there, up
the ladder, were all Spaniards-aud
my family (nOt necessarily my Chris
tian) name is as Spanish as can be.
Now, on the maternal side 1 am
Creole, because my mother was born
IN Louisiana, from the marriage of her
mother, also born in Louisiana from a
mother who was residing in Louisiana,
but who had been born in the French
colonial possessions, and whose ances-.
tors up the ladder were all French.
and my mother family (nOt necessar-
lily her Christian) name is as French as
can be. On the maternal side, my
fathers mother was born here in
Louisiana from a father also born here,
whose father was q German, residing
here, but whose father had as ances-
tors persons up the ladder all born in
Germany. On the paternal side now,
my mother had for father a man re-
siding in Louisiana, but born in
France, whose ancestors were all
French, and whose name was as French
as could be. But both on my fathers
and mothers side no language has
been spoken since the birth of those
OF their ancestors as were born in
Louisiana, from the association orig
inauy which Louisiana had with France
before it was ceded to the United
States, except the French language,
which has uniformly been that OF the
family circle and family hearth. MY
genealOgy is the genealOgy Of every
Creole OF Louisiana. We are all born
from French and Spanish or from
French and German parentage, but
never from French and AuglO-SaXOn
parentage, but often from French and
Italian utilization. Whence it follows
that the Creole is essentially a de
scendant of the Latin races. None of
their members have emerged from
England, Ireland, Nova Scotia, Can
try when under the domination of
Great Britain. The distinguishing
feature, then, between the Creole and
American is that one negatives and
the other derives from an AnglO-SaXOn
ancestry.
The two races merely differ as to
their ancestral origin; as to the rest,
the CreOles and Americans of LOuisi-
ana are as wealthy as the other, as
cultivated and refined, as educa-
ted and polished, as political and
commercial as the other, and they all
speak the English language as cor
rectlV as their American brethren. in
business or sOciety-but, when at
home, in the family circle and at the
family table, the CreOles speak but
French. English prevails in the
American household only. A differ
ence in this respect, however, must
be drawn between the New Orleans
CreOles and the CreOles OF the country
parishes-the latter, with less facili-
ties, are less acquainted with the Eng
Ish language, and speak exclusively
French, with but few exceptions
their newspapers being almost uniVer- /
sally published in French, whereas, IN
New Orleans, where the CreOles, in q
population Of 100000, number about,
and well nigh, 100, 600 thereof, they
have but one newspaper published in
their ancestral language. They have
held, and continue to hold, with their
American brethren, the highest Offices
Of State and parOchial Importance, /
from the Governor down.
The present Governor is an Ameri- /
can; his predecessor was a Creole of /
French, German and Spanish origin. /
The present Lieutenant Governor and /
two of the Justices Of the supreme /
Court, one of whom the Chief Justice /
thereof are all CreOles OF German, |
Spanish and 'Cadian-French origin, /
so that, in the CreOles, the French is
the distinguishing element in Louis /
lana. and the AnglO-SaXOn is the char /
acteristic feature of the American cit /
izen of Louisiana. The CreOles of /
Louisiana are noted for their hOspi- /
tality, high sense OF honor and do /
nestle habits. They are the true con |
serVatiVe element, and are all Roman /
Catholics, without exception. They I
speak French as correctly and gram 4
matically as in Paris or Lyons, and I
Erenchmeu coming here on business /
or recreation are surpr sed to see how /
tins is so Justly so. Many CreCies of /
position annually travel to France, /
and seldom 90 elsewhere. There are, /
now, what are called the Creole ne /
gro. have been speaking of the /
Creole whites.
No such lineage as Latin parentage /
can of course, be ascribed to the negro /
race in Louisiana or elsewhere. Why /
are theV then called Creole negroes /
IN contradistinction of their American /
negro brethren? Simply for this, that +
when slavery existed such negroes as /
were the slaves of Creole families and /
were taught their language, customs /
and manners were proud, after the I
war, of declaring that they were OF /