Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-29
AEUL0GY0F THE CRE0LES
JUDGE GAYARRE REPLIES TO
MIR. CABLE.
The Creole Lineage and Character
Lauded-Mr. Cables "GraDdissimesn
MerciIessIy Assailed.


evening at Tulane University by the Hon.
Charles Gayarre, the historian and jurist.
Judge Gayarre, after explaining the
origin of the word creole, from the Span
ish criaf-tO create-and stating that
strictly it meant a person Of pure white
blood, went into the history of the estab-
llshment OF the Creole race in Louisiana
/ by Iberville and Bienville. He
quoted history to show that the
early colonists were Of the patri-
clan and proletarian class, and that the
wives Of the soldiers were not, as has been
generally stated ana believed, house Of
correction women, but industrious and
yirtuous girls Of the same rank as their
husbands. In 1871 1t became necessary
to define the status Of the white and black
races aud Gov. Bienyille promulgated the
"Black Code" familiar to Mr.. Cables
readers in the story of "BTas Coupe"
which remained in force after Louisiana
became one OF the sisterhOOd Of States-a
rier between the races and rem.
dered any relations between them,
except those of master and
slave, impossible. If a white master had
a child by a slave he was heavily fined,
and liable to any other arbitrary punish
ment the courts wished to intlict, while
mother and child were cOnfiscated and
given to the nearest charity hospital.
The Creole horror miscegenatiOn was
shown by the severe punishment Of any
priest who married persons of different
races. The lecturer paid a high compli-
ment to the CTeOles of the early days.o
Louisiana, and cited the fact that most of
the governors and dlgnitaries of high rank
sent out from Spain married ladies' born
in the colony, population whose best
men, according to a high literary
authority, were DULLES, knayes and
fools, and whose best women were
the cOlored bastard issue Of libertinism.
Louisiana has always been the most
democratic State in the Union. The Creole
has always lacked self-assertiOn-nOt to
say brass. La the days Of his greatest
prosperity there never was displayed on
his carriage a coat of arms, nOtwiths stand
ing his undisputed right to advertise his
noble lineage. The poorest peddler never
was refused a seat at the table of the
wealthiest planter. In 10 country was
there less of the pulled arrogance of
wealth and the foolish pride of birth. And
this is the population which one born in
its bosom and claiming by virtue of that
accident the ri1 bit to speak in the name
Of Louisiana and the whole South repre-
sents as little better than GulliYer's Va
hOOs.
Mr.. Gayarre admitted that he had read
none of Mr.. Cables works except 'The
GraEdissimes." He quoted a Philadel-
phia paper as saying that while the work
was undoubtedly dull, it bore every evil
dence of faithfully pOrtrayin& peculiar
people. This opinion being held in the
North, it became important that the Gre
Oles themselves should correct it. He then
proceeded TO discuss what he called the
mOnsmOus absuFdities Of the work. "If
Mr.. Cable" said he, chad represented the
most distinguished Of our Creole families
as having forgotten TO speak French, and
as using only the iargOn which the ne
grOes had constructed out of that Ian.
guage, this invention would have far
exceeded the limits of those liberties
which fancy in its widest flights may
be permitted to take with common sense.
But when he makes them prefer not the
| French, not the pegro patois, but the
broken English Of the negroes of Virginia
and the CarOlinas, the perversiOn of his
/ intellect becomes oYerpowering and in
comprehensive. He is either ignorant of
what he is writing, or knowingly perverts
the truth. No intelligent Creole negro
could understand the jargon attributed to
them" The lecturer humOrOusly re-
ferred TO the ball with which the story of
"The Grandissimes" is opened, where
"the perfumed air of the ball room was
thrilled with the wailing ecstacy of viO-
Inns" followed by "neVer-ending r0ut of
screaming harmOnies," or a "burst of
! laughter" as Enthusiastically absurd
aud ridiculously fanciful. Agri-
cola de Grandissme, introduced at
this ball, was an uncouth mass Of POM
pOsity, who could only exist in an imbe-
/ Gle population. "The child-like badi-
mage" between the two personages who
represented in the book the refined and
! intellectual in Creole society was the
silliest that ever issued from the human
/ lips. MIR. Cables Creole always laughs
when he speaks, and is i'm all things an
| imbecile. The speaker protested against
/ ''The Grandissimes" and "De GrapiOns"
as types of high-bred Creoles, and Won
dered that the French Government after
prohibiting the settlement or Hugue-
nots in Louisiana should have
furnished a HuguenOt lille de la
caSsette with passage to that colony
and with a tr0usseau and husband
upon arrival. What did Mr.. Gable mean
by the 'ill specimens" OF the three races
Indian, negro and French-frOm which
the cOlonists took their wives? Evidently
the least virtuous Of each. This is a Sc
FriOus charge, and it is not tempered by
an article by the same author IN the En-
GNtihptOid britannica III WHICH ne says
"A few years after its founding New Or
leans was little more than squalid vii.
iage OF deported galley slaves" Never
did offspring show such hostility TO his
mother as MIR. Gable has for
! New Orleans. The speaker called upon
MIR. Cable to name a single one of the old
families shat fell within the blighting ra-
dlus Of his description. II ne cannot,
said the speaker, he has maliciously SLAM
dered population that he seems to hate
intensely. The preposterous pride Of the
CreOles that made Agricola Fusilier sur
render property rather than rest under
the charge Of having won il unfairly. that
made a widow refuse TO disaYow a
debt OF honor OF her husbands,
and that made refined woman
conceal her poverty, was incompre-
hensihie TO Mr.. Gable. but the Creole ac-
cepted as a compliment what was in
tended as "A reproaeh. MIR. Gable made
the Creoles bitterly oppose the introduce
ton OF the English language in the State,
although IN the "Grandissimes" they used
10 In their families In preference 10 French.
They willingly accepted the iargOn Of the
/ English-speaking negro slave, but re-
leCted the pure English of the edu.
Gated white man. According to MIR.
Gable, the Creole is instinctiYely at.
tracted to everything low, base, and
impure, whether he wishes 70 choose a
wife or a language. From beginning 10
| end of the UGraudiegfuea'f tho Graofoe