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Show 70 THE MONTHLY OFFERING. works had had a large sale in this country, anrl a subsequent one, "The F actory Boy" written on a similar plan, to illustrate the condition of the factory population in Eng· land, had a prodigious run. But no such good fortune was permitted to the poor" Scenes on the Mississippi."' Interesting and just as it was, it was never allowed to appear. It was dedicated "to those stales of the American Union where slavery has been abolished or never permitted." But I? this day the terror of losing southern patronage or incurrmg •outhern vengeance, forbids the free northern bookseller to republish it! The following description of New Orleans is extracted from it; and the whole book is an illustration of life at the extreme South, which wonld do great good could it be circulated. NEw 0 RLilANS. Meanwhile our hero arrived at New Orleans. There is always something splendid and attractive in the sight of a great city rising on the banks of a majestic river. The effect, indeed, is often delusive, giving an idea of general cheerfulness and prosperity which either belongs not to the scene at all, or only to a very limited portion of its populatiOn. In no instance, perhaps, is this more the case than nt New Orleans. The noble Levee, forming a barrier to one of earth's most powerful streams-the long, Jon<>' line of shipping, bearing the colors of all the nations ~f the world-the busy market-the well dressed crowd-the gay verandas-all speak of industry and wealth. But penetrate a very little beyond the surface, and where is the barren rock or desert moor that shows not a spectacle more cheering? Year after year, religion and philosophy have struck off the fetters from the emancipated slave in different quarters of the globe, but at New Orleans, every white man's object is to rivet them on his black brethren firmer and firmer still. This is the business of their Ji,·es: and what are their pleasures? To form illicit connections with the ra~e they scorn, an~ to r0use their dreamy, idle souls to ammatwn by the sordid stimulants of strong • THE PRESS. 71 drink and gambling=. ~nd then~ as if their own unhappy deeds brought not su!hctent pu111shment, the terrible fever st.alks .through the land breathing avenging curses with hts potsonous breath. Such is NEW ORLEANS. ANOTHER INs rANeE. Several year.s since, two French gentlemen travelled through the U mted States for the purpose of observin.,. our government and institutions. Their names were Gu~tave Beaumont and Alexis de Tocqueville. On their return to France, they published the results of their observations. M. d~ T,~cquevillc's book was entitled " Democracy in Amenca: .It spoke of slavery as a great evil, but one from whtch tt was exceedingly doubtful whether the country could ever be rid. This dispairing tone was not disagreeable to slaveholders ;...on the contrary, it was their own favorite one till within a few years. So the book was republished without difficulty here, and is now passing through a new, improved edition. M. Beaumont embodied the result of his observations in a novel, illustrative of the practical workings of slavery and its unfailino- shadow prejudice against color. " ' This book is deeply interesting, and it is hardly possible for one to n~e from rending it, without being warmed into a state ?f mtnd to resolve to labor unceasingly against the oppressiOns done under our American sun! There is in in it nothing insurrectionary, nothing objectionable; but to ~hts.day 1t can not be published. The press of free AmerICa~~ under the control of slavery-the writers and the publishers of America have taken a retaining fee of slavery. Mrs. Carohne Gilman, a northern woman resident at the S?uth, the wife of a clergyman, writes a 'work of fic twn stfttng: in the Jlrai~es of slavery. Is there any difllculty. about tls pubhcat10n? are booksellers afraid it will bnng them a larger income of paving stones than of dollars ? -not at all. It goes like wild-fire. Hardly the necessity of a puff. And when the minister of a town in free Mas~achusetts (who is as much opposed to slavery as any body, |