The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1822-08-09

Pies and Calling iouuiy LOT the aid oil Cha
rity TO save the lives of thousands, who
are daily perishipg from the want OF the
necessaries Of life. We have no room
Tor the London committee report but
the extracts which we have given below
from the letters receit ed by them, and at
Liverpool, will enable our readers to
judge Of the extent OF this great evil at
the time the last accounts were received
from ireland. Great, however, as these
distresses were,f fearful approximations
were entertained that they would be still
greater The months Of july and August
were expected by the London committee
to ''resound with appalling cries from the
dying peassntry." Eve feel assured
(says the editor of the Liverpool Mercu.
ry) that hundreds Of our fellow creatures
are absolutely expiring for want of food
and that before the next six weeks shall
have elapsed, many thousands must die
from the same cause they are doomed
to that fate, as inevitably as is parricide
when sentenced by judge. When our
countrymen have done their utmost,
countless numbers must perish" Hopes
are entertained that this terrible calamity
may be rDitigated in consequence of the
| kings letter to the clergy, urging them
J TO plead with, and to collect money from
their respective congregations. We also
participate in this hohe /; but alas before
1t can be realized, thousands of our fel
low creatures will have sunk into the
grave for want OF morscl of bread In
case SO urgent and so heart rending
| would it not have been more becoming
in the king, who prides himself on being
"the father of his people,, to have open.
ed his own purse, and to have afforded
immediate relief to his perishing children?
If he had suffered even Inconvenience
from this. the nation required only to
know the fact, 10 repay the money with
interest. Or if it would have been con-
trary to usual practice for the king to ad.
vance the money, he might have recom>
mcnded IT to his ministers to apply to par.
Lament for permission to have this done
out ofthc national treasury. But should
there still have existed objections to this
measure, we are humbly of opinion, that
the kings appeal ought to have been con.
lined to the mobiles of the land, and to
the 'rich,' who can easily spare something
out OF their abundance, and not addressed
to the people generally, the great mass
of whom are already struggling with
their own difficulties.
A letter from the rev. Thomas Norrit,
OF Graigh Glebe, Skibbereep, says--sl
calculate that, at this instant, there are
upwards OF $50 families in the deepest
want in my parish, which is large one
that at FIVE pence day, could to.mor-
row morning have 600 applicants to work
on the new road; and as five pence will,
only buy ten pounds Of potatoes, leave
YOU TO judge what must be the state of
country where men seek such wages with
an anxious importantly, that is almost IT.
resistible. | am daily beset with fathers
of families, begging, for the love of God,
that | will save them and their children
from the jaws Of death, by giving them
that pittance. But, in truth, it is needless
for them to speak-their furnishing coun-
tenances but too truly depict the want,
they experience. 'Sir, have not tasted
food these two days-I have seven chill !
dren--you cannot give me work-must |
steal and be hanged p was questionask-
ed me yesterday. The fifty pounds you
have given me, gentlemen, will be ex |
pended in giving FIVE pence day for
work to fathers OF families; for am
forced TO coniine myself to those on whose
labor women and children depend.
Gentlemen, 1 have entered into this detail
TO show you the extent of the aid you
have been good enough to bes,ow, and
Tor which my warm thanks are but poor
return. The reflection that you have |
snatched from death number of your
fellow creatures, and the applause Of
your own coDsciences, must afford you |
solid satisfaction, though can assure
you, little inferior to what felt when |
your donation arrived for my own means
are not commensurate TO the demand,
and the higher orders of my parishioners |
have been only able to subscribe twenty
pounds for soup shop. That, however, |
will assist the orphan and the widow :
and it | can employ the laboring poor,
and by taking two or three out of each ia
mily, restore them not only to health and |
strength, both Of which are dreadfulIy
impaired, but TO habits of honest industry |
| shall indeed feel a pleasure cannot de- |
SCRIBE
a letter from the committee at Athen-
ry says, The distressed state of the pea
santry is beyond description, and can
scarcely be credited, except by those |
persons Immediately in the neig hborhood !
On every side there is nothing to be seen
buf famine disease and every ,,,iaery TIC