isa-normaladvance-1909-00202

Description:	202THE NORMAL ADVANCESaturn, when freedom and equality reigned,and when violence and Oppression were unknown. Paris derived her carnival from theEternal City, and New Orleans derived hersfrom Paris, so that the historian may trace thei M?jlsi-■■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■..: -.■ .. ■ ■ : ■ ■i /%11 ^THE BERYLgenealogy of the celebration back into pagantimes, when the sacrifices of the Lupercaliaformed the great festival of the Ancients atRome. It seems fitting also, that since NewOrleans derived its carnival from Paris, thesystem of street pageants of moving tableaushould have been introduced into New Orleansfrom an old French city of the new world. Forthe idea of reproducing scenes from history,poetry, folk-lore, or fairy-land by floats drawnabout the streets was first worked out in Mobileby an organization known as the Cowbellions,in 1831.New Orleans inaugurated her street processions in 1827, and has made marked improvement during the succeeding years to the presenttime.The Carnival is NewT Orleans most distinctive social feature, so magnificent in its conception, so gorgeous in its pageants, so thoroughin its perfection of even the most minute detailof its marvelous scope, that competent historians and critics have declared that the famousspectacular triumphs of Ancient Rome, withall their barbaric wealth and splendor, neversurpassed in beauty the wonderful parades ofNew Orleans.The celebration of Mardi Gras is an episodethat never becomes stale to the people of thecity, however monotonous the description oreven the enumeration of its entertainments appear to strangers. At any age it makes a Creolewomen young to remember it as she saw it ateighteen and the description of what it appeared to the eyes of eighteen would be perhaps, the only fair description of it, for ifMardi Gras means anything, it means illusion and unfortunately, when one attains ones majority in the legal world, one ceases to be acitizen of Phantasmagoria.There is a theory usually bruited by thejournals on Ash Wednesday morning thatMardi Gras is a Utilitarian festival that itpajs. But this deceives no one in the city.It is assumed as the sacramental ashes aremany, perfunctorily or merely for moral effectupon others upon these who are committed by£■■■Kv ■-THE AMETHYSTbirth or conviction, against their pleasure forpleasures sake. To the contrite journalist, laying aside mask and domino, to pen such aneditorial, it must seem indeed at such a time adisheartening fact, that money-making is the
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34232
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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