USA > Louisiana > Sketches, historical and descriptive, of Louisiana > Part 25
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.The dancing assemblies of the Quarterons, or free peo- ple. of color, in New-Orleans, are not the least interesting in point of beauty and dress. They enjoy much more consideration in that country than is usual in any other. 'They never associate with blacks; and as there is a strong barrier between them and the whites with respect to mar- riage, they may be said to form a distinct class. The females possess the most beautiful forms and features. If they are accustomed to bestow their favors on the higher orders of society, it is always for stipulated periods, and no depravation of manners is observable among them. Gentlemen of distinction resort to their ball-rooms, and
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other places of amusement, where decency and decorum maintain their empire.
To the social nature of the French may in part be at- tributed their fondness for games of hazard, and in part to occasional relaxations from toil and fatigue, when amuse- ments become necessary to their active and volatile dispo- sitions. The repetition of any one soon ceases to afford pleasure ; what pleases them one day will disgust the next, and nothing short of a variety will satisfy them. Hence it is, that they escape from the ball-room to cards, from cards to billiards, from billiards to dice, from dice back again to the ball-room, or to some other pastime, and so on alternately. Gambling in New-Orleans is reduced to a profession, where members of the fraternity from the U- nited States rendezvous in great numbers. It is not known in Upper Louisiana as a science, though it is becoming pre- valent, especially among the English Americans. The loss of time is never considered by the French as an evil, be- cause if it were not spent in this way, it would be wasted in some other, perhaps equally injurious, and more preju- dicial to health. Indolence often induces them to seek re- pose on the sofa or mattress.
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To what cause shall we impute the preservation of their ancient manners and customs ? These have not varied in any great degree for two centuries, and are nearly the same among all classes. The poor country peasantry exhibit the polished exterior of the more wealthy villagers. Their man- "ners indicate their origin too plainly to be mistaken ; which serves as a proof, that the characteristic traits of a people, though severed from their country and nation, are not ea- sily changed or obliterated. These have been preserved in more purity among the Creoles of Upper-Louisiana than among those along Red River and the Delta; per- haps because they have mixed less with Spaniards, Ger- mans, and other strangers. They likewise have a greater share of education, at least those of the more wealthy class ;
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perhaps, because they had it more in their power, when young, to visit the literary institutions of Canada.
The French are prompted to marry early in life ; the climate dictates this practice ; and they are usually blessed with a numerous progeny. The women have more influ- ence over their husbands than is common in most other countries. Perhaps this arises in part from the example of the parent state ; in part from the respect, which the men entertain for their wives ; and perhaps still more from the almost exclusive right, which the women have to the property, in consequence of marriage contracts. Matches are often made by the parents, and the affections and incli- nations of the children are not always consulted.
. A short acquaintance with the women might lead a prudish observer to believe, that there existed a laxity in their morals. Nothing would be more unjust than such a conclusion. If, in their manners and conversation, they are less guarded than their female neighbors on the east side of the Mississippi, it proceeds from a national habit, and from an unsuspicious temper, and not in the least de- gree from a corruption of principle or sentiment. To whom shall we appeal as the criterion of purity ? Nations essentially differ in their conceptions of virtue and vice. This difference has been created by habit; and the French consider their women, (and they consider justly) as much exempt from impropriety as those of some other coun- tries, who remain almost invisible during their lives.
It has been observed in another place, that the Creoles, or native inhabitants, are partly the descendants of the French Canadians, and partly of those who migrated under some of the first governors of Louisiana. 'These are intermixed with some natives of France, Spain, Ger- many, and the United States, and in many instances with the Aborigines.
Most of them are small in statue, and slender in their make, though their bodies and limbs are remarkably well
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proportioned, supple, and active. Their complexions are somewhat sallow, and exhibit a sickly aspect, though they experience a good degree of health, which results in a great measure from the nature of their food, (mostly of the vege- table kind) and their manner of dressing it. They usually possess a keen piercing eye, and retain their sight longer than most other people. They are almost strangers to the gout, consumption, the gravel and stone in the bladder, and in general to all chronic complaints. The hair of the old peo- ple in the Delta, and neighborhood of it, retains a dark brown color; while that of the old people in Upper Louisiana commonly becomes grey. The young men at this time mani- fest no great passion for long hair ; not many years ago they were seen with queues dangling about their legs. Most of the laboring class disregard dress, and appear no better at home than on a trading voyage among the Indians.
The complexions of the women are, in general, much fairer than those of the men ; perhaps because they are less exposed to the vicissitudes of the seasons, particular- ly the burning rays of the sun. They are usually hand- some when young, but when arrived to the age of thirty- five or forty, their bloom mostly forsakes them, and they . become wrinkled and withered. This observation is par- ticularly applicable to those of the Low Country, about the Delta and Red River. They are extremely fond of dress; they possess ease, grace, and penetration ; they are re- markably loquacious, and their manners are more polished than those of the men ; they are hospitable, and manifest much pleasure in offering to their guests and visitors the best things they are able to furnish. They have one fault not easily extenuated ; they are habitually cruel to their slaves.
If their manners be more polished than those of the men, it ought not to be wondered at. The estimation in which they are held, no doubt contributes to it. They mix more in society. The men, except along the Delta, are more or less engaged in trade among the Indians.
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This is sufficient to give a peculiar cast to their manners; and the pride they take in filling the wardrobes of their family females, contributes in no small degree to the ine- quality between them. It is not uncommon to see thirty or forty charming females in a ball-room, dressed with taste and even elegance, suited to the most fashionable society, when perhaps the males of their own families ap- pear in their blanket coats and moccasons. It is rare to see in such an assembly more than four or five young men, whose appearance is even tolerable. This strange diversity is prevalent in the detached settlements of the country, and it even appears in some of the villages.
The French Creoles are temperate ; they mostly limit their desires to vegetables, soups, and coffee. They are great smokers of tobacco, and no doubt this gives a yel- low tinge to the skin. Ardent spirits are seldom used, except by the most laborious classes of society. They even dislike white wines, because they possess too much spirit. No doubt the warmth of the climate is, in some measure, the cause of this aversion. Claret, and other light red wines, are common among them ; and those who can afford it are not sparing of this beverage.
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Great economy is displayed in their family meals. This is not the effect of a parsimonious disposition, nor always of the want of adequate means ; it results from the nature of the climate, and from a conviction of what their con- stitutions require ; they readily sacrifice what may be termed luxury for the preservation of health, and it is sel- dom they contract diseases from intemperate excesses. Naturally volatile in their dispositions, they sometimes precipitate themselves from one extreme to another. Hence it is, that, in making entertainments for their friends, especially for strangers of distinction, they study to render them sumptuous ; their tables are covered with a great va- riety of dishes ; almost every sort of food dressed in all manner of ways, is exhibited in profusion. The master of
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the house, out of respect to his guests, frequently waits on them himself. On such occasions no trouble or expense is spared in procuring the best wines, and other liquors, the country affords. Their deserts are no less plentiful, and there is no want of delicacy in their quality or variety. Many of these entertainments cost from two hundred and fifty to four hundred dollars, especially in Upper Louisiana, where the luxuries of the table are much more expensive than in the Delta.
This occasional display of luxury may be imputed by some to fastidious pride. The reputation of poverty is almost as dreadful to them as the reality ; and even the appearance of wealth affords some satisfaction, if they are not worth a cent in the world. Pride, indeed, is a pre- dominant feature in their character, and sometimes proves injurious to them, because it is the pride of appearing to as much advantage as their more wealthy neighbors, and of feeling the deep mortification of a disadvantageous comparison. For nearly eighty years after the first set- tlement of the country, there was no inequality of wealth to trouble their repose, or at least no invidious display of it. The most perfect equality in point of family expen- ditures seemed to reign among them. The sudden de- mand for the rich products of the country soon created opulent fortunes. The transition from competency to sur- plus wealth, introduced all the fashionable luxuries of commercial countries. Examples are contagious ; and the less opulent precipitated themselves into extravagant ex- penses, which were useless, and which their circumstances by no means authorised ; so that in the course of the last thirty or forty years, as great a desparity has arisen be- tween the pecuniary means of each other, and consequent- ly between the several conditions of life, as now exists in any part of the United States. It must likewise be ad- mitted, that they possess no small share of vanity, which renders this desparity the more troublesome.
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These qualities, however, are less culpable in them than in most other people ; because they arise from purer prin- ciples, and are not. so injurious to society. Their pride- and vanity are of a nature to inspire them with a high sense of honor, to render them honest in their dealings, and to stimulate them to be as punctual in the payment of their debts as their abilities will admit. Punctuality, in- deed, was inculcated as a duty under their colonial sys- tems, and these systems rendered it habitual to them. These people have yet to learn, (and they will probably soon learn) the procrastinations, tricks, and impositions, so successfully practised in some other territories. . The art of deception, when calculated to work an injury, is hardly known among them. In fine, they are never so uneasy as" when in debt, and never more happy. than when released from the apprehension of a legal process. They are by no means fond of litigation, and suits were rare among them under the Spanish government. These observations, - however, must be admitted with some caution when ap- plied to the people in the vicinity of the capital, who have mixed with strangers, and imbibed their vices.
The manners of all the Creoles sufficiently indicate, that they have been accustomed to a government very dif- ferent from our own ; and hence the truth of this observa- tion, that in the features of every people may be discover- ed the features of their political systems. As a proof of this we need only refer to the extreme deference they pay to men in power, particularly to those of the military pro- fession, and to the obedience they yield without a murmur to the official dictates of their superiors. Another proof is, that they apparently seek occasions to manifest their attentions ; and if on their superiors they have an oppor- tunity of conferring a favor, it is not from obsequious mo- tives, or the expectation of pecuniary reward, but from habitual respect.
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Notwithstanding they consider a spare diet as necessary to health, yet it is found, that the best livers enjoy the greatest share of it ; not because they consume a greater . quantity of food, but because they have it more in their power to exercise their discretion in the choice of it. A wholesome nutritive diet, and a considerable portion of indolence, produce many instances of obesity, particularly. about New-Orleans, and along the coast of the Delta, which is less common among the men than women. These make a liberal use of the warm or tepid bath, which re- laxes their systems, and serves to render them corpulent.
The Louisianians, particularly about the Delta, indulge, to some excess, one of the fashionable vices of older countries. Most of the married men lavish their atten- tions on dissolute females, whom they usually take under their protection. These, in most instances, are selected from the mixed breeds ; except among the Spanish settlers, who prefer a fat black wench to any other female! It is not easy to account for this depravity of taste. The Spa- niards carry their impure connexions to a much greater extent than any other description of inhabitants.
The Creoles in general are remarkably neat and cleanly . in their houses. Their furniture, usually fabricated by the artizans of the country, is rough and misshapen ; yet it is polished to a high degree. Their floors in many in- stances are waxed, and as smooth and bright as a maho- gany dining table. This passion for cleanliness is particu- larly exhibited by the women, who frequently carry it to excess. All house affairs exclusively belong to them, and the men incur no small danger when they attempt to in- terfere with their prerogatives. Even in most instances of purchases and sales, the women are consulted; and they not unfrequently assume the management of property.
The mode of building, as practised by the first settlers, is still preserved. The houses are mostly built of wood,
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except in those villages situated in the neighborhood of stone quarries. The manufacture of brick is of recent date in Louisiana. Several houses in New-Orleans have been constructed of this material, and the inhabitants be- gin to appreciate its value. The houses in general are of one story high only, and either wholly or partly surround- ed by arcades or piazzas, from eight to twelve feet broad. They usually have a spacious hall in the centre, which communicates with the rooms on each side of it. Houses of, two stories high are less safe on account of the sudden " and violent squalls of wind in that country. This mode of building is convenient in other respects. The arcades or piazzas afford agreeable shades, under which the inha- bitants repose themselves during the heat of the day ; they likewise serve to shelter them from the dews and rains; and many families eat and sleep under them in summer.
: It has long been a question, whether the inhabitants of warm climates possess as vigorous intellects as those of cold ones ? Were the labors of literary men taken as the criterion, perhaps it would be found, that the literary pro- ductions of warm climates contain more sprightliness and fancy ; those of cold ones more solid erudition. The ex- tremes of climate, however, have less effect on the intel- lectual powers than some are disposed to believe. If the literature of warm climates be less erudite than that of cold ones, it must be imputed in some measure to moral · causes. In the former the human faculties arrive to ma- turity much sooner than in the latter : The passions are much stronger; they are less under the control of reason ; and the opportunities of improper indulgence much more frequent. Ilence impure connexions are early formed, which necessarily superinduce effiminacy both of body and mind. Slavery no doubt has an effect on the moral fa- culties ; it is much more common in warm than in cold countries; it steels the mind to the sentiments of huma-
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nity ; it is productive of idleness, and a variety of other maladies, which are hostile in their nature to literary pur- suits. . This general rule is liable to some exceptions, and we have to regret, that these exceptions are not more common.
It is said, that the French language in Louisiana has become considerably corrupted, especially among the low- er classes. This need not be wondered at, as they are mostly the descendants of those, who settled in North America about two centuries ago; during which period no great intercourse subsisted between them and the mo- ther ,country, nor were the migrations sufficiently nume- rous to afford a progressive improvement in the language. Many individuals, however, speak the French language in its purity ; they have made it a point to acquire it, and to forget their provincial dialects.
It is hardly necessary to add, that the Creoles are ob- stinately attached to the Roman catholic religion. If health and prosperity in some measure divert their atten- tion from it; yet in the hour of affliction, particularly when apprehensive of death, they cling to it as the only . anchor of their hope. They are strict observers of the festivals prescribed by their religion, and of the days de-" . voted to their favorite saints.
These people possess a variety of peculiar customs, wholly derived from their Canadian ancestors, such as re- late to marriages, dancing assemblies, and the like ; but as we aim to avoid prolixity, they will be passed over with this remark, that they are calculated to promote gaie- ty and good humour, and appear to be stamped with the features of innocence and simplicity.
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CHAPTER XII.
STATE OF SLAVERY.
WE have already seen, that Louisiana contains more than forty thousand slaves. The climate, the productive nature of the lands in that country, and the accumulation of wealth beyond all former example, seem to render it highly probable, that their number will soon exceed that of the whites.
It is an invidious task for a man, born and educated where slavery is unknown, to indulge any strictures on' the municipal policy of respectable states and territories, or to arraign at the bar of public justice the flagitious conduct of their citizens ; yet considerations of a higher
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nature than those resulting from local prejudices and ha- bits, suggest the propriety of a few remarks. When we see the feelings of humanity outraged, the most odious ty- ranny exercised in a land of freedom, and hunger and na- kedness prevail amid plenty, who but must lament the in- fraction of those universal moral obligations, which sub- sist between different nations, societies, and individuals, and which are inscribed on the heart of every man, and mistaken by none !
Experience has long since convinced the more intelli- gent planters, that the profits they derive from the labor of their slaves are in proportion to the good or bad treat- ment of them. But those planters of an opposite charac- ter are much the most numerous, perhaps they form nine tenths of the whole, especially among the French and Spanish settlers in Lower Louisiana. In no part of the world are slaves better treated than in the Mississippi Territory, where the planters generally allow them salted meat, as much corn meal as they can consume, cows to. furnish milk for their families, land for gardens, and the privilege of raising fowls. They also allow them one suit of clothes for summer, and another for winter. Their slaves are active and robust, and enabled to perform their allotted portions of work with ease. Such treatment ren- ders them contented and honest, and punishments are rare among them. Each good slave, well clothed and fed, will yield a yearly clear profit of two hundred and fifty or three hundred dollars. No small degree of satisfaction is de- rived from the performance of good actions ; and happy is he, who is not accused by his conscience of aggravated wrongs done to the human species.
When we pass into Louisiana, we behold a different and more disgusting picture. The French and Spanish planters, in particular, treat their slaves with great rigor ; and this has been uniformly the case from the first estab- lishment of the colony. They were at first too poor to
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supply their slaves with clothing and food : Add to this, their families stood in need of the avails of their labor ; and every expense incurred on account of their comfort and support was viewed as a serious evil. Hence this o- riginal defect in the system has been considered as a pre- cedent by subsequent generations, not because they view the examples of their ancestors with reverence, but be- cause they conceive it redounds to their interest. These planters are extremely ignorant of agricultural pursuits, and of the quantum of labor in the power of a slave to perform in a given time. Few of them allow any cloth- ing to their slaves, or any kind of food, except a small quantity of corn ; and even this they are obliged to pound, or grind, while they ought to be at rest. The consequence is, that the slaves are extremely debilitated, and incapable of much labor. One well fed negro is nearly equal to three of them. Their masters and overseers affect to be- lieve, that their want of industry arises from laziness, and . a perverse disposition. ITence cruel and even unusual punishments are daily inflicted on these wretched crea- tures, enfeebled, oppressed with hunger, labor, and the lash. The scenes of misery and distress constantly wit- nessed along the coast of the Delta, the wounds and lace- rations occasioned by demoralized masters and overseers, most of whom exhibit a strange compound of ignorance and depravity, torture the feelings of the passing stranger, and wring blood from his heart. Good God! why sleeps thy vengeance ! why permit those, who call themselves christians, to trample on all the rights of humanity, to en- slave and to degrade, the sons and daughters of Africa!
The' evils of the slave system in Louisiana may, in a great measure, be attributed either to the want of energy or intelligence among the governors of that province. As their appointments were limited to short periods, seldom extending beyond five years, the accumulation of wealth was the predominant motive of their actions, and some of
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them did not hesitate at the means. They neglected the great concerns of the province ; no attempts were made to populate it till since the American revolution ; no encou- ragement was afforded to agriculture and commerce, nor to manufactures and the arts. An exception, however, must be made in favor of the Baron Carondelet, to whom the province is more indebted than to all his predecessors. He saw and lamented the deranged state of this portion of the dominions of Spain ; and while. he was d. vising and carrying into effect some salutary regulations for the improvement of the country, he was removed to another government : Yet, during his administration, he repaired the fortifications at New-Orleans, improved the commerce of the province, and greatly increased the population of Upper Louisiana. The wretched condition of the slaves, over whom their masters exercised an almost despotic power, did not escape his attention. But such were the inveterate prejudices and habits, and even customs, which he had to encounter, that he despaired of a complete re- novation, and therefore aimed only to mitigate the wounds he was unable to heal.
., In 1795 he published an ordinance on the subject, by . which he established the monthly allowance of corn in the ear, to each slave, at one barrel. It was recommended to . masters to assign waste lands to their slaves for the pur- pose of enabling them to raise the necessaries of life ; and if this allowance was denied them, they were obliged to furnish each of them with a linen shirt and trowsers for summer, and a woollen great coat and trowsers for winter. Labor was to commence at the break of day, and to cease at the approach of night. Half an hour was allowed for breakfast, and two hours for dinner. Slaves were allowed on Sundays to rest, or to work for themselves, except in time of harvest, when their masters were authorised to employ them, paying them about thirty cents each per diem. Punishments at one time, under a penalty of fifty
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