Not so act the Americans. They indulge in the
grossest licentiousness with coloured women, but would shudder at the
idea of marrying one of them; and, instead of giving any property to
their coloured offspring, they do not scruple to sell them as slaves!
Had I gone to the Roman Catholic cathedral in that city, which is
attended chiefly by the French and their descendants, I should have
found no negro pew, but persons of all colours intermingled together in
religious observances. The Southerners seem to have no heart--no
feeling, except that of love to the almighty dollar.
The population of New Orleans is about 90,000. On this mass of people
are brought to bear the labours of at least thirteen ministers of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, seven Presbyterians, four Episcopalians,
and three Baptists,--all professedly evangelical;--besides a
considerable number of Roman Catholics, and other non-evangelical
teachers. But Satan has there a large array of synagogues.
I omitted, at the proper time, to describe the scene we witnessed at
our "private" lodgings the first day we sat down to dinner. Though it
was called a "private" boarding-house, and we had taken the apartments
as such, we found ourselves surrounded by about thirty boarders! These
were all respectable men, or rather men whom, from their position in
society, you would expect to be respectable.
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