The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-19 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR—In the solemn name of Heaven, what—prior to
hat relaxation of the Provision-laws, which you advocate
--is to be done for the starving thousands of Leeds and

Paisley, and similar districts That event may be yet
distant. But, in the meantime, it is to be hoped there
are many who, like myself, may not be versed enough
in political economy to be decided in viewing that mea-
sure as the surest or wisest plan of relief ; who are yet
startled at the appalling idea of their fellow-countrymen
going down, victims of famine, to the grave. Will you
not implore the humane to summon their bestAboughts,
and devote them, with combined zeal, to the raising of
sufficient present funds, and the still more important
object of arranging some permanent plan of employment
and subsis‘ence ? Will you not call on the wealthy
(and how numerous are these, and such as have, to say
the least, a full competency !) to prove the genuineness
of their humanity by no stinted sums ; nay, in pity
to themselves, to avert the curse of. Him who cannot
unrequited see them enjoying luxuries and possessing
abundance, yet regardless of their fellow-men perishing
from want 1 Surely, if a hearty effort were made, a
remedy could be found. That abundance does exist
somewhere, it would be equally
.absurd and profligate
to deny, till we could shut our eyes to the indulgences
in every kind around us, and forget the accumulations
of capital owned by thousands. And are we to despair
that the patient, earnest deliberations of many, con-
centrated on this point, may devise some scheme of
relief—when, employed on almost any topic that man_
chooses to take up, we see them effectual ? _ _

Strange it seems that there can be found those who
will contentedly feel themselves in the midst of plenty
—commanding, and perhaps in the use, often in the day,
of every gratification of the palate, splendour of dress, fur-
niture, and equipage, and whatever may minister to taste
and sense; yet conscious and unheeding the overwhelming
misery of their fellow-creatures ! ,Methinks it would be
a natural impulse. For myself, I cannot resist the feel-
ing—to dispense, each, with every article of superfluity,
each unnecessary enjoyment, till we knew that they pos-
sessed at least a sufficiency of common food and clothing.
0, diffuse, good Mr. Editor, this feeling ! Sound the
piteous appeal in the ears of those (and, not least, such as
have realized, wealth by the toil of the artizans them-
selves)—who count their means, not by hard-earned
shillings, but unemployed thousands, reaping leisurely
interest—who roll in carriages, and repose on silks, and
sleep on down—who drink in sweet music, and arc mas-
ters of their own time, and share, unharrassed, all the
delights of society; and ask them, what is their profession
of humanity worth, if they suffer this horrible contrast?
If they do not respond ; if the energies, the affluence,
the contrivance, the compassion of Britons, and, most of
all, Christians, be not roused to place the masses on the
footing they—as fellow-men, and fellow-heirs of another
world—are entitled to, fearful will be the result, on the
part of some, but convulsion pervading all ranks ; the
innocent and the guilty alike victims ; disgrace and self-
condemnation the lot of all.

But, of all monstrous things, the height is, that this
should pass among a Christian population, that, at least,
it should go on unstayed by a large section of the commu-
nity claiming to be more especially enlightened by
Heaven, and in communion with God and their Redeemer!
Sorrowfully yours, yet very truly, S.
[We can only second our Correspondent's views by in-
serting his letter. At the same time, we must observe
that the people do not want the charity of the rich, they
want justice. An Order of Council to suspend the star-
vation laws would spread prosperity, as by a charm,
through every town in the empire.—En. Sun.]