"Any musical innovation is full of danger to the whole State, and ought to be prohibited. So Damon tells me, and I can quite believe him; he says that when modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the State always change with them."-- Plato, Republic IV.
"I saw my dreams come true; I saw America changed by music." -- Harry Smith.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Has it gotten much better than this?
Here are comments made by the man sent by Napoleon to hand the Louisiana territory over to the United States, Pierre Clement de Laussat in 1803:
..."Sixty head of cattle coming from the Attakapas passed right in front of us, heading for the markets in town."
I wanted to see one of those Acadian families which populated this coast. So I went to the house of Pierre Michel, a cotton and corn planter. He and his wife are sexagenarians. Both born in Acadia, they were married in Louisiana and had seven or eight children. Everybody in the house was at work-one daughter was ironing; another was spinning; and another was distributing the cotton, while a number of little Negroes, all under twelve, were carding it, picking out the seeds, and drying it. No one, more than these people, regretted not being able to remain French....
Like the Germans or the Alsatians, their neighbors on these shores, they are a hardworking and industrious people...and they are a very handsome species of men. They cultivate cotton, corn and rice on seventeen or eighteen small farms...which lead to the large cotton plantation of M. Bringier.
Within hours we landed at the plantation of M. Canterelle, in the parish of Saint James where he was commanding officer.
The sugar mill of M. de Canterelle and the rest of his buildings were, I believe, the finest and best arranged in Louisiana. There was a lumber mill besides. The land was among the most extensive...A bayou irrigated it.
The Cabahonoces, or rather the Oumes (Houmas), an Indian tribe formerly lived there. Ten or twelve families survived until a few years ago. At the time four families remained, two of which I saw. They were just like a part of the Canterelle household. They spoke Choctaw and French. all of these Indians are disappearing--rum and the Americans exterminate them.
..."Sixty head of cattle coming from the Attakapas passed right in front of us, heading for the markets in town."
I wanted to see one of those Acadian families which populated this coast. So I went to the house of Pierre Michel, a cotton and corn planter. He and his wife are sexagenarians. Both born in Acadia, they were married in Louisiana and had seven or eight children. Everybody in the house was at work-one daughter was ironing; another was spinning; and another was distributing the cotton, while a number of little Negroes, all under twelve, were carding it, picking out the seeds, and drying it. No one, more than these people, regretted not being able to remain French....
Like the Germans or the Alsatians, their neighbors on these shores, they are a hardworking and industrious people...and they are a very handsome species of men. They cultivate cotton, corn and rice on seventeen or eighteen small farms...which lead to the large cotton plantation of M. Bringier.
Within hours we landed at the plantation of M. Canterelle, in the parish of Saint James where he was commanding officer.
The sugar mill of M. de Canterelle and the rest of his buildings were, I believe, the finest and best arranged in Louisiana. There was a lumber mill besides. The land was among the most extensive...A bayou irrigated it.
The Cabahonoces, or rather the Oumes (Houmas), an Indian tribe formerly lived there. Ten or twelve families survived until a few years ago. At the time four families remained, two of which I saw. They were just like a part of the Canterelle household. They spoke Choctaw and French. all of these Indians are disappearing--rum and the Americans exterminate them.
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