Part 24

{219} After remaining at Natches two or three days, I progressed towards New-Orleans. About sixty miles below the former are Loftus’ Heights, and just below these, stands Fort Adams.[196] Not far from the fort, the country becomes in some measure settled; and for about one hundred miles above New-Orleans, both banks of the river are under a high state of cultivation. The country continues thus cultivated for twenty miles below the city. The plantations within these limits are superb beyond description. Some of them resemble villages. The dwelling houses of the planters are not inferior to any in the United States, either with respect to size, architecture, or the manner in which they are furnished. The gardens, and yards contiguous to them, are formed and decorated with much taste. The cotton, sugar, and ware houses are very large, and the buildings for the slaves are well finished. The latter buildings are, in some cases, forty or fifty in number, and each of them will accommodate ten or twelve persons. The plantations are very extensive, and on some of them there are hundreds of negroes. The planters here derive immense profits from the cultivation of their estates. The yearly income from them is from 20,000 to 30,000 dollars. Their produce is sent down to the New-Orleans market, at which place prompt payment in specie is immediately realized. At Natches and New-Orleans, gold and silver are as plenty in the market as any other article. Some of the noted plantations above mentioned are those of Balay, Arnold, Baronge, and Forteus.

The plantations on the Mississippi produce vast quantities of sugar and cotton. The latter article grows in pods, upon a stalk; and the appearance of the latter is not much unlike that of the bean. These pods, when ripe, open; and the cotton is then {220} gathered from the stalk, and separated from the seeds by a machine which will clean 1000 pounds in a day. An acre of land will yield about 800 pounds.

Cotton is sewed in drills about eight feet apart. The seed is thrown in thick; and after they spring, the stalks are thinned so as to make them eighteen inches apart. They are then weeded, and the earth taken from the upper roots, so as to leave them bare. A few weeks after this process, the earth is hoed up to the stalk, and the roots covered. Then there is a third hoeing like the second. If the ground is well prepared, and the growth favourable, the rows of cotton, when fully grown, will nearly meet each other.

The sugar cane is a jointed stalk, not unlike that of corn; and it grows from three to seven feet in length, and from one half inch to an inch in diameter. It is pithy, like the corn stalk, and affords a copious supply of juice. No sweet is less cloying, and no vegetable substance so nutritious as the sugar cane.

Sugar is cultivated by cuttings, set two inches from each other, in drills eight feet apart. Each cutting possesses one joint; and one setting answers for two years. In getting in the harvest the first year, the stalks are cut within about eight inches of the ground. In the production of sugar, the stalks are passed end ways through smooth brass nuts, and the juice thus extracted is boiled down to a thick syrup. It is then put into other vessels, and as it becomes cool, it forms into small grains, and thus becomes sugar. Molasses is produced from the drainings of the sugar; and after this process there is another by distillation; and here rum is obtained. The sugar and molasses of New-Orleans are celebrated for their excellence.

{221} Most of the planters on the lower parts of the Mississippi are French; and there are in New-Orleans, and on other parts of the river many French people, who have, since the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty, emigrated thither from France. Many of them are very interesting characters.

Before reaching Natches, I had travelled considerably in the state of Louisiana, on the west side of the river; but there is nothing here to distinguish it from the lower part of the Missouri Territory.

The old line of demarcation, between the United States and Florida, is about sixty miles below Natches. At Point Coupe on the right side of the river, there are many elegant dwelling houses, and they are superbly furnished.[197] At the front and back of the houses, there are piazzas, and the doors and windows extend to the floor. In summer the former are removed, and their place supplied with duck, which excludes the sun, and, by its motion, creates air. In the front yards are many ornamental trees, and the yards back of the houses are filled with a great variety of domestic fowls. Here one almost supposes himself in the West-Indies.

When I arrived at this village, the weather and prospects were delightful. A tree in blossom there presented colours, the powers of which seen at a distance, are indescribable. These colours wore an astonishing combination of crimson and pink; and viewed through the medium of the sun’s reflection, appeared celestial. How great and various are the powers of the human eye, when aided by fancy! The blossoms of Point Coupe spake of the bright colours of heaven, and the livery of angels.

Opposite this settlement is Bayou Sara; and here there are a few buildings.

Not far from these situations there is another settlement; but it is not so large as Point Coupe. {222} When I passed through it the weather was mild, and the sun about setting. Large herds of cattle were feeding luxuriantly upon the banks of the river; the negroes had finished their work, and some of them were wrestling on the green, some fishing near the shore, some swimming in the stream, and some running their horses. The scene was interesting.

Above Point Coupe, and near a little village, called Tunica, is Red River. This river enters the Mississippi from the west, and is navigable to a great distance. About one hundred and fifty miles from its mouth, is Nachitoches. Black river enters the Red river about fifty miles from the junction of the latter with the Mississippi. Red river is becoming of considerable note, and will, in time, furnish much produce for the New-Orleans market. A little below this river, is the Bayou Chafalia.

On the east of the Mississippi, and not far below the old line of demarcation, is Baton Rouge. About the same distance above this line is Clarkeville. Baton Rouge is a very considerable place. The plantations near this situation are superb indeed. The buildings upon them evince great wealth, and refinement in modes of living. Ships of 500 tons sometimes ascend the river to the vicinity of Baton Rouge, and receive from the plantations, cargoes of sugar and cotton.[198] The enclosed fields of the planters are very spacious, and highly cultivated. The negroes upon these plantations are numerous; and vast herds of cattle feed upon the banks of the river. The cattle are large and beautiful. The horses are fleet, and well calculated for labour; but they are small, and far from being handsome.

The river below Baton Rouge is very spacious. Here, towards evening, the piazzas and porticos of the dwelling houses are filled with ladies. Their {223} appearance, together with the expansive and serene aspect of the river, the mild azure of the heavens, the silver moon, rising in the majesty of meekness, and the almost celestial music, which proceeds from the gently gliding boats, remind one of primeval innocence, and point the heart to that Being, in whose smile is everlasting life.

In this part of the country there are many Bayous, which I have not mentioned. The principal of them are Manchac, Plaquemine, and De la Fourche. There are here also many churches, some of which are Contrelle, Bona Cara, and Red Church. In the morning and evening, cavalcades of gentlemen and ladies, may frequently be seen going thither, to attend marriage and other ceremonies.

About seventy miles below Baton Rouge, the country is wonderfully fine. No description of mine can do justice to the appearance of its principal establishments. There are here the most superb dwelling houses. They are second to none in size, architecture, or decorations. The gardens attached to them are spacious, and elegantly ornamented with orange and fig trees. At a little distance from them are vast buildings, occupied for sugar mills and cotton presses, and for the storage of the immense productions of the plantations. Near these, are from fifty to one hundred neat buildings, for the negroes, beyond them are spacious and elegant oblong fields, constituting one hundred acres, and under the highest state of cultivation.

In many places, along the banks of the river are large orange groves, and here almost all kinds of fruits are raised for the New-Orleans market. My journal says, this is, indeed, a fascinating country! Here are all the splendours of wealth, and the blandishments {224} of beauty: but to the rocky land of my birth, my heart will ever be supremely attached.

Upon the banks of the Mississippi, there is a luxuriant growth of white clover, which feeds thousands of cattle. These cattle drink from the river. Some of the planters yearly mark thousands of calves, and send them into the prairies to feed. Here their maintenance costs nothing.

The cattle of this part of the country are not often fat. This circumstance is, probably, owing to many causes; some of which are, their being much troubled by flies, not being salted, and the food which they eat being of rapid growth, and of course unsubstantial. The latter does not possess the consistency of the New-England grass. The flies and musquetoes on the Mississippi are so numerous and voracious, that nothing is more common here than to see horses tied in the fields to feed, and a small fire by them for the purpose of keeping at a distance these troublesome assailants.

The cattle in this part of the country are not worth, in the market, more than one fourth of the price of New-England cattle. The cows seldom calve more than once in two years, and they give very little milk. The milk of a Yankee cow will make more butter than that of ten of them.

In progressing towards the tropics, appearances peculiar to the various degrees of climate were continually presenting themselves. Many kinds of trees, flowers, and grasses, and many species of birds and quadrupeds, entirely new to me, made their appearance. The rains, winds, thunder and lightning too, of the country, towards the equator, are peculiar. The latter are here more sudden, loud, and vivid than those of the north. The rains near the Mississippi resemble, in a measure, those of the West-Indies. Here it frequently rains violently at a little {225} distance, whilst where one stands there is a clear sunshine. These showers sound quite loud, and present an interesting appearance.

I have repeatedly spoken of the slaves in the south and west. Some of them are treated kindly; but some suffer all the evils incident to this wretched condition. All the pride, all the ill-nature, all the petulance of man are frequently wreaked upon these friendless beings. I speak from experience. For a venial fault, I have witnessed cruel inflictions. Whilst passing a plantation on the lower part of the Mississippi, my ears were assailed by sounds novel and distressing. The shriek of anguish, and the sound of the hateful lash quickly brought me to the theatre of suffering. There I witnessed a madning sight. A poor negro, fastened to the ground, in vain implored for mercy; whilst an iron-hearted overseer, enraged by his own cruelty, was inflicting unlimited vengeance. I believe my presence unbound the victim.—Shame frequently achieves what conscience cannot accomplish. I could mention cruelties inflicted upon slaves, which would excite the tears of humanity, the blush of virtue, and the indignation of freedom. On the Mississippi there are large oak frames for whipping slaves,—without law, and without any rule, excepting that of self-will and uncontrolled power.

Man, when uncontrolled, is a tyrant; and no human being should, for a moment, be without the protection of natural, or municipal law.

There are prejudices against the race of blacks, and I pronounce them vulgar! Some even pretend that negroes are not human beings; but history and daily observation prove the contrary. Oh! how detestable are the prejudices of avarice and inhumanity. Our vanity teaches us to think better of our own colour than of theirs. They entertain the {226} same opinion of white, which we do of black. On the coast of Africa the Evil Spirit, which we call Devil, is there imagined under the hideous semblance of a white man.

Many too, speak against the disposition of Negroes. They no doubt possess strong passions; but their passions may all be enlisted on the side of virtue. The quickness and strength of their feelings, connected with their intelligence, prove their greatness. It is evident that negroes are capable of being rendered great philosophers, divines, physicians, legislators and warriors. They are likewise capable of being, in their principles and conduct, real gentlemen; and as to fidelity and affection, they are second to no people on the face of the earth. Some will sneer at these ideas; but I rejoice in defending this despised and oppressed race of men; and, would to heaven that my power was equal to my regard for them! In the course of the last war there was as much courage and patriotism evinced by a negro, as by any individual in the nation. During a naval engagement he was dreadfully mangled by a cannon ball; and just as his soul was departing, he exclaimed, “_no haul a colour down!_”

The slaves are accused of committing crimes; but are not white men sometimes criminal? and, I would ask, are they not as frequently so? Besides, what can be expected of slaves? Why do we not give them their liberty, and admit them to the privileges of citizenship? We are men of like passions; yet does God grind down and oppress us?—No, but has enabled us to preserve our liberty, and sends his Holy Spirit to regenerate and redeem us. Oh! what a requital of his goodness do we display in the thraldom of our brethren. Among slaves, nature, in her own defence sometimes lifts the arm of death. Can she bear every thing? Oppressed, and scourged, and {227} without refuge, self protection is her only law; and God, under such circumstances, justifies homicide. The brethren of Moses were enslaved; and seeing an Egyptian smite a Hebrew, he slew him. Has a slave a right to his liberty? Certainly. Then no one has a right to deprive him of it; and in attempting to do so, the assailant must abide by the consequences. Will the laws of this country condemn the slave to die in this case? If so my country sanctions murder as well as robbery. What should we think of a christian system which should warrant slavery, or even be silent respecting it? Stand forth ye ministers of our holy religion, ye vicegerents of a righteous God, and speak the truth in behalf of the slave. Why should our pulpits be silent upon this great subject? Why do not our Christian preachers constantly pray as David did, “break thou the arm of the oppressor.” Why do they not inquire with the voice of authority, and in the Almighty’s name, “what mean ye, that ye beat my people to pieces, saith the Lord God of Hosts.”

I am disposed to offer a few ideas upon the origin of the race of blacks. Their colour is generally supposed to arise from climate; but the idea is not well supported. Some too, imagine that their colour is a peculiar mark which the Creator put upon them for some special purpose; but these suggestions are chimerical. The speculations upon this topic have ever been very numerous: for my own part, however, I think there is no difficulty involved in the subject. Where an effect cannot be satisfactorily accounted for but upon one principle; and this principle is conclusive in point of analogy, we need not look any further.

Now, certain it is that Nature, in all her works, evinces a great fondness for variety, both in relation to colour and form. Man, _as to his physical nature_, {228} is an animal; and black and white in men, are as easily accounted for as black and white among beasts and birds, or any other part of animated nature. There is no species of animal, among which a greater variety of form and of simple colours exist, than among men. Here we see every shade of complexion, from jet black to the clearest white; here too, we find every variety of feature. Why should there not be the same variety among men as among mere animals? We see this variety in every particular, and yet as to black we doubt the universality of the principle. Why do we not inquire as to the cause of the colour of the black horse? Why do we not ask, whether his remote ancestors were not born in the Torrid Zone? Besides, the variety of which I speak exists in the vegetable world; and in order to remove the principle upon which the argument is predicated, the most conspicuous attribute of nature must be disproved.

Some learned writers have supposed the negro race to be the descendants of Cain, and that their colour is the mark which the Deity set upon their great progenitor, on account of the murder of his brother Abel. Others imagine that the negroes have proceeded from the loins of Ham; and that he was rendered black by the hard cursing of his father Noah. As to Noah’s curse producing this effect, if such a notion deserves any thing but ridicule, it may be observed, that the descendants of Ham occupied Africa; and that here the inhabitants are not all black. In that part of Asia too, where it is supposed the descendants of Seth, a favourite son, reside, the people are full as black as any of the negroes of Africa.

The heat of the climate cannot be the cause of blackness in negroes; for a great part of the continent of America lies within the Torrid Zone, and {229} yet there were no black people here until Europeans transported them thither from Africa.

Climate, education, modes of living, customs and manners, do, no doubt, affect the form, aspect, and features of individuals; but all these causes are not sufficient to produce a total change in complexion or any other particular.

About the middle of June I arrived at New-Orleans. The general aspect of the city, viewed at a little distance from it, is much in its favour. It appears large, ancient, and populous. I entered the city at noon day. Its streets were crowded with people of every description. Perhaps no place in the world, excepting Vienna, contains a greater variety of the human race than New-Orleans. Besides foreigners of all nations, there are here a various population peculiarly its own. These are of every shade of complexion. Here may be seen in the same crowd Creoles, Quadroons, mulattoes, Samboes, Mustizos, Indians, and Negroes; and there are other commixtures which are not yet classified. As to negroes, I may add that whilst in this place I saw one who was perfectly white. This peculiarity, however, is rarely witnessed in this country.

Dissipation in New-Orleans is unlimited. Here men may be vicious without incurring the ill opinion of those around them:—for all go one way. Here broad indeed is the road to ruin; and an insulated spectator, sees the multitude passing down the stream of pleasure to the gulf of remorse. Surrounded by the fascinations of wealth, the blandishments of beauty, and the bewitching influences of music, they do not realize that they are losing the dignity of their nature, and preparing for themselves the most bitter self-reproach:—they do not realize that an eternity cannot undo an ignoble deed.

“Fair laughs the morn, and soft the zephyr blows; While proudly riding o’er the azure realm, In gallant trim the gilded vessel goes,— Youth on the prow, and Pleasure at the helm! Regardless of the sweeping whirlwind’s sway, Which, hush’d in grim repose, expects his ev’ning prey.”

The gambling houses in this city are almost innumerable, and at any hour, either by night or day, the bustle of these demoralizing establishments may be heard. Here too, the Sabbath is devoted to recreation. On this day the negroes assemble, and amuse themselves and spectators by dancing. Religion, in behalf of the slave, has thus benevolently wrested one day in seven from hardhearted avarice.

I am happy in being able to say, that New-Orleans is much less corrupt, in many particulars, than it used to be. The American population there is rapidly increasing; and New-England customs, manners and habits, are there gaining ground. This population will, no doubt, be contaminated; but it is sincerely hoped that there will be a balance in favour of morality. The police of this place is still in the hands of the French.

The city of New-Orleans is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi, about eighty-five miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The city stands immediately upon the bank, and upon a curve or bend in the river. The land here, like the whole country below Natches, and indeed generally below the mouth of the Ohio, is low and level. The water is kept from flowing into the city by a Levee or embankment, which was raised by the Spanish government. The Levee extends from Fort Plaquemine, about forty miles below the city, to one hundred and twenty miles above it. This embankment is about four feet high and fifteen feet wide. A great deal {231} has been said respecting this road; but it is not deserving of much notice. The undertaking was not great, and its execution displays no ingenuity or neatness. All the market-people bring their produce upon the Levee; and here the inhabitants of the place take their evening walk.

The city extends, on the river, about a mile and a quarter; and its breadth is about a half mile. The streets cross each other at right angles, and the side walks of some of them are paved with flat stones or bricks. Most of the streets are narrow. On the river side of the city the buildings are large, and many of them are built of brick and covered with slate or plaster; but those on the back of the place are very small, and consist of wood. The former are compact, and the latter scattered. From the Levee to the buildings fronting the river the distance is about seven rods. At the upper part of the city, near the river, is the Custom-House; and at the lower part of it is the Fort and Cantonment. Not far from these is a spacious establishment, which is occupied by an association of Nuns. The Cathedral stands near the centre of the town.