The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-14


courts open galleries and porte-cocheres.
verandas, iattices. dormer windows. and bel
vederea No city In tho North could exhibit
such specimens OF wrought iron work as
adorned the balconies and were to be seen in the
gateways, transoms. and window gratings OF
the houses In New Orleans. Neither could any
Northern city display finer public edifce
than the Cabildo or City Hail. nor show finer
church than the st. Louis Cathedral Yet
among all these buildings not an exchange
or tavern wns to DO seen: the lcvce and tho
coffee houses did duty instead. Men who came
to trade took their quarters In boarding houses
kept by mulattocs and did business with the
merchants on the levee. There. during the
morning OF each weekday all the produce OF
Louisiana. bales Of cotton. casks Of molasses.
tobacco. and sugar. and all the produce OF the
Northwest. from hams and pork to the
broadhorns which bore them down the Miss
issippi. we're bought and sold To the levee
In the cool Of the day the people came TO enjoy
the air Hardly had the sun set when the
whole town was astir. The coffee houses be-
came crowded. and the billiard rooms grew
noisy. OF the people who swarmed on the
levee. some came to take part In the dancing.
carous!ng. and singing that went on upon tho
decks Of the boats moored to the river bank;
some came to walk: some to seek n mistress
among the uuadroons. who. with their mothers
or charerops. sat under tho orange trees that
in 1903 still lined tho river bank
Mr.. MacMastcr describes the lot OF these
quadroon women as peculiarly unhappy.
Their large infusion OF white blood raised
them far above tho negroes: their stain
Of negro blood dragged them far below
the whites. Law and custom forbade them
to marry. and condemned them to be-
come either the conrubines OF the whites
or to drag out a miserable and solitary exist
encc. To suppose. however. that they bore
any likeness to the fallen women who Mt the
same epoch piled their calling in the Northern
cities would be u great mistake. The Hnnd-
rooms held a recognized place in the social
SCALE and that place. such as it was. no one
considered dshonorable. No man ventufei
to speak to them until he had been properly
introduced. No engagement was made till
the mother approved. and. once made. it was
kept most faithfully by the woman. The
Qundroons could not. indeed. attend the balls
to which white women went: but their own
assemblies were accounted splendid affairs.
and attracted all the nice young men in the
city. They we're also debarred from entering
the lower boxes at the theatre. but the upper
boxes were got apart for them. and TO these
they were made welcome. At that time tho
theatre III New oTieHnS WAS open Oh tIEco
nights in every week. The beating of drum
gave notice Of the nights. one Of which was
always Sunday. Sunday. indeed. in all respects
WAS o gala day. Jewellers from the North
were Mortified to see the shops oren
and the streets more gay. the market more
crowded. and the coffee houses and billiard
rooms moro frequsnted on Sunday than on
any other day q the week. Not that religion
was wholly neglected To 90 to confession to
hear mass. TO say IA prayer In tho Cathedral
were duties regularly performed by even the
most careless: but. these duties DONE the rest
OF the day was spent ia idlencss and the pur-
suit Of pleasure. To drop int" some coffee
house for game OF cards. to look on while an
exciting game Of billiards was played to
snunter to the rear Of the city. where. on the
marshes. the negroes worshiDpedtho spirits OF
good and evil with all tho bnrbaric rites OF AZ
RIGA: to see new play at the theatre. attend n
masked bail. or to go out by the bayou road for a
dance at the famous Tivoli Garden and hurry
back before the gates we're shut and the Al
calde and the Alguazl began their round 5
were the favorite Sunday amusements.
The Alcaldes were judges OF civil and criminal
law. aud never appeared in public without their
wands Of Office. Every night ono OF the Al
calies. with the ASuazil Mayor and the Seriv-
ener walked the streets OF the city to see that
the laws were obeyed and that peace and
quiet prevailed. The authority OF tho two
Alcaldes Ordinary spread over the city and
five leagues around it: beyond this limit tho
rule OF the Alcalde Mayor Provincial began.
Wretched indeed was the plight OF the friend
less offender. or even accused person. who was
brought before one OF these peranbulatory
Judges. II he had rcviled the Saviour or the
Blessed Virgin. his property was contiscatcd
and his tongue cut out. II he had v;li1ed the
King or tn" Queen or any member Of the royal
fnmly half his property was taken. and he
WAS wei! logged. II lie had stolen tho sacred
vessels from the holy place. or had robbed
a traveller on the kings highway. or had
q fellow creature. or assaulted
a woman. he was given over to the Alguazil to
be put to death with every mark OF shame.
The property Of the ravisher was given to
the victim. The murderer was dragged
to execution at the tail OF II horse.
False witnesses were exposed to public
shame and banished. Adulterers were de-
livered over to the injured husband to do with
as he would. but il no put the man to death lie
WAS Obliged to kill the woman also. 1t il
significant fact that no: one Of these laws WAS
printed. save in the form of digest prepared
and proclaimed by the hrst Spanish Governor.
Cruel O'Reilly." They did not exist even
was to give legal advlc. to the G1vernor. and
whom the Judges con suited On points Of Law:
the Assessor. who discharged the like func-
ton for the lntendant: the Judges. and tho
three attorneys knew the laws. hut no ono
else did 1t follows that tho decisions OF the
courts We're sach as the judges thought
proper. NOT such as the law prescribed
Besides the principal Judges there was host
OF petty magistrate, and officers endowed with
judicial functions: Alcaies de tarios for the
city. synd;cs and commanduuts for the coun-
try The synl!cs were the busiest OF all They
poiiced the roads. guarded tho lcvees. and
kept careful watch over coasters. travellers.
aud negroes. NJ sooner would Il ship draw IN
10 the river bank than Il syndc. notebook in
hand. would he on board. He would demand tho
Captains passport. examine the ships papers.
call OH the list Of the crew. peep in the hold ut
the cargo. and motto down whence the ship
came. how long the Captain wanted to stay.
and what sort Of n cargo he was going to buy.
70 travellers oy land the syndics were intoler-
able nuisances. Stationed three leagues apart