But the resources of wealth within the reach of the community, and the eagerness of the more sober and industrious classes, to develope these with the utmost degree of speed, outstrip even the destroying elements, and produce accumulated prosperity in spite of the obstacles opposed to it. If these obstacles were removed, if intemperance were completely annihilated, and a sober, moral, and industrious population were to replace the dissipated, gambling, idle, reckless, and murdering class, the progress of prosperity would be much more rapid; and what is of much more importance, the ground gained would be attended with corresponding moral and intellectual improvement, which now lags far behind, except among the select and honourable few.

My lectures on Egypt were given in Mobile in the new Presbyterian church, and were extremely well attended throughout; the audiences averaging 500 each night. We received great kindness and attention from several of the most influential families-judges, merchants, and clergy. I attended one public dinner, the anniversary of the Hibernian Society, at which a large number of Irish gentlemen, settled in the city, were present; and I had an opportunity of seeing all the fashion and beauty of Mobile (and there was much to admire in both) at a very brilliant concert, given by Madame Caradori Allan, at the "Alhambra," where she sang with her usual sweetness and grace; and was assisted by some dozen amateurs, vocal and instrumental performers of the place. Our stay here was, on the whole, most agreeable; though we could hardly fail

to be painfully impressed with much that we heard and saw going on around us.

There are four daily newspapers published in Mobile, two morning and two evening, and a weekly literary gazette. They are all conducted with more than average talent, and are about equally divided in political opinion and influence-Whigs and Democrats. Though they disagree in politics, however, they have exhibited a remarkable unanimity in coming to certain resolutions for the protection of their pecuniary credit; and the record of this is so remarkable an exposition of the history and condition of newspaper publications in the United States generally, that I have thought it sufficiently curious to be given here. It is in the form of a manifesto, addressed to the public, issued in the first page of every paper in Mobile, and signed by the five editors and proprietors of the Patriot, Advertiser, Chronicle, and Examiner; and is as follows

"On the 1st of June last, the undersigned, publishers in the city of Mobile, adopted certain resolutions, the object of which was to protect ourselves from the losses occasioned by an unlimited system of credit. We then flattered ourselves that if our debts were restricted to the city, and we made none in the country, with a little additional expense and trouble (which we were willing to undergo for the convenience of our customers,) we could get on very well. In this we have been disappointed. We have made the attempt, and the result is a deliberate conviction that such is the general carelessness in regard to the payment of printers' accounts, that we not only cannot live under the credit system, but can scarcely eke out the weekly cash-expenses necessary to the support of our establishments. A business which will not

defray the expenditures incidental to it, is a poor one, and the time and labour expended on it are thrown away.

"A change of this, to us, starving system, is absolutely neces

Publishers, like lovers, are generally supposed to be able to live upon air; but even if we were disposed to try the experiment upon ourselves, we are not willing to make it on our families, or our creditors who are not publishers. The question then is, shall we abandon our occupations, or take measures to insure payment for what we do? We prefer the second alternative. For this object, we have adopted the resolution appended below, and which will become fixed clauses in our terms of publication

"Resolved, by the publishers of the Mobile press, that from and after the 1st of October next, we respectfully notify the public, that no transient advertisement will be published until paid for; that all annual contracts for advertising and subscription, for city or country, must be paid for in advance, and all jobwork to be paid for before delivery."

On the last day of our stay in Mobile, there was an election for the mayor of the city. The present holder of the office was a Whig; and his own party wished to secure his re-election. The opposite party being supporters of the administration, wished to displace him; the election, therefore, was entirely of a political character. We had been assured by those resident in the town, that before noon there would be 500 voters drunk at least, and before sunset 1000. I had witnessed a Liverpool election for mayor, under the old suffrage of the freemen, and I had seen many other elections in England for members of parliament, in which drunkenness, riot, and disorder reigned; and I am bound to say that this municipal election for Mobile was just as bad as any of them, worse would, perhaps, be impossible.

Where a thousand men are drunk, under all the additional excitement of party spirit, scenes of violence are the natural fruits to be expected, and these were produced in great abundance. Let no man point to this, however, as the necessary result of

DISORDERLY ELECTIONS.

291

We can match them in

republican institutions. England, under a monarchy; and the Church-andKing party in English elections are often the most drunken and riotous of the two. But they are equally disgraceful in either, and deserve equally severe condemnation. It should be added, that the elections in the Northern cities are generally free from the intoxication and disorder here described; though the institutions are there as republican as here. It is the free use of strong drinks that is the source of the evil; and where these are profusely distributed, whether in monarchies or republics, the effects are the same. In England we remove the military from the scene, to preserve the free exercise of the suffrage, though they are often afterwards called in to quell riots; but it would be much wiser to remove all the sellers of strong drink, and shut up their poisonous fountains, during an election, by which moral as well as political freedom and purity would be best secured.

U 2

CHAP. XVII.

Departure from Mobile for New Orleans-Passage through Mobile bay-Shipping-Pelican island-Myriads of birds and eggs— Steam-vessels employed-High wages-Arrival at the landing of Pontchartrain-Entrance to the city of New OrleansFrench quarter-American quarter-Stay at New OrleansIllness there-Former friends-Strangers and resident families -Sources of information, and visits to institutions-Public meetings to form a Sailor's Home.

ON Monday, the 25th of March, we left Mobile, in the steam-vessel Kingston, for New Orleans, starting from the wharf soon after noon. The weather was delicious, in the happiest combination of warmth and freshness, the thermometer at 75°, a fine breeze from the sea, and a balmy softness in the atmosphere, of the most agreeable kind.

As we proceeded to the south, we came, after a run of six miles, to the upper anchorage of the ships in the bay of Mobile, there being about fifty large and fine vessels anchored here in five fathoms water, taking in their cargoes of cotton, which are sent down from the town in boats, as there is not sufficient depth of water for large vessels to load at the wharfs.

After a further run of twenty-five miles, or about thirty miles below the town, we came to the lower anchorage of the bay, where upwards of 100 ships were lying at anchor, taking in their cargoes from Mobile. The ships varied from 300 to 800 tons