New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-02
NE " ORLEANS.
A CITY WITH A PAST.

Grace King win Illustrations by Frances +
Jones Up xxi iOi Macmillan g co.
Few cities In he United States have his
tory which can be viewed safely through an
gtmosphcre Of romance. Miss King is fortunate
In her theme and fortunate In her manner Of
treating H. Her history has the vivdness Of
fiction and YET II is history. New-Orleans does
not furnish the material for n hooking nara
tive such Irving wrote about New-York
Its early M, was too gay 10 be mocked There
are clouds over Its career. and these have been
observed and depicted by those " HON the author
Of this book calls Ietractors. But these clouds
never dark"ncd the sky. The reader would
meyer think 81 them, II they were not men
toned little mystery To origins is rather
piGuar; than otherwise. Some other book must
/ be- read for rhescfor the whispers and sneers
about houses Of correction deportation-b It
may be said those who know the city care too
little for such gossip 10 resent II: those who
know her not know little OF the class to
which they attribute her origin" Thus lightly
/ the author passes over the references TO the
/ past Then she comes back to one aspect OF
/ his antique time whor the little colony at the
gate OF the Mississippi was forced to assume
1 greatness merely because the world that gazed
at her insisted that she must be great
] The time was that of Law and the Mississippi
Bubble To the adventurous men who won the
great river and It's valley for France Loulsi-
ana was first Of all an outpost OF defence. and
vantage point from which conquests
/ could be ma lc. But TO the multitudes over
whom the Scottish gambler welded n magic
! influence the little colony guarded the en-
/ trance to Land OF Cockaigne. where gold and
every other means Of comfort and luxury were
without a single appliance Of the alchemical
/ laboratory had discovered he secret OF the
philosophers stone. Now. few bands cannot pick
/ up even gold as fast many hands. Louis-
ana lacked then only hands. and OF these Paris
and France had enough and to spare. With
! colonists numerous enough 10 take all the
/ Lounties which nature offered. there would be
! nothing to prevent the prices Of stocks In Laws
! company and the revenues Of the Government
from standing at a profitable figure forever.
! At least 1t seemed to those who were try
Ing novel experiment In finance. "Emigra ton
! 10 Louisiana must be KEEP, up by fair means
/ or foul The orders given. much money
pcr head. There was no time to choose. select
! or examine. and no disposition. 1t was dog
! catchers work. and dog-catchers performed II.
! Streets were secured at night for their human
refuse the contents of hospitals. refugees and
/ lefOrmltOrleS were DOuSnt out WHOLESALE, SER
want girls were waylald. children were kid
mapped"
The misery Of these pitiable creatures was
beyond estimate. The author quotes the open
ing chapter OF "Manon I.escaut' to emphasize
merely one item In the horror OF those days
to the home-loving French people. and pass re
from Mchelet t. show how even the weak st
resisted their fate. The rage OF speculation was
not shared by these. it's victims. They hal no
eyes for the land OF gold. Despair gave them
a clear anticipation Of the wretchedness In store
for them.
Again. the author touches lightly another as
pect OF this question Of origins. The time is
we are left TO imagine that what could not be
prevented when the social life was controlled by
! fixed laws may have been still more appreciate
In the unregulated age whe: all things were In
chaos and In process Of becoming. The gay
and brilliant yet extremely weIl-ordcred society
lawess bu, amiabie people OF color. separated
by their mixed blood from the negro as we'll az
from the white race. "ennobed. were 1t by only
one drop Of white blood In their veins The
caste seems to have existed from the first intro
duction Of slaves To the whites. all Africans
who were not OK pure blood gems de
Colour Among themselves. however. there were
jealous and nercely guarded distinctions: mu-
lattocs. quadroons. octoroons. critics. each term
meaning generations elevation. one
degrees further TRANSPORTATION in the standard