The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1836-01-22
TIE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK TO THE
PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
COMMITTEE OF RELIEF.

The Public has already been Informed
that, IN the organization of subcommittee
IRON the general committee of citizens ap.
pointed III reference to the late caIamitous
lire which has desolated so large section
OF the most wealthy part of the city, the
undersigned were designated COMMIT.
TEE OF RELIEF" whose special duty il was
to inquire into the exteu, of individual dis.
tress and suffering occasioned by the sad
disaster, and TO devise means for obtaining
and administering relief. No time was lost
by the committee in entering upon the dis
charge Of the duties thus deyoyed upon
them; and the seeming delay in sending
forth an appeal TO the sympathes and char.
ties of the public, in behalf of the class of
sufferers falling under their particular care,
has arisen from the peculiar circumstances
Of the case.
The first business of the committee was
TO ascertain, as nearly as circumstances
would allow, the extent of the losses sus-
tanned by those for whose relief they we're
appointed. In the discharge Of this part of
their duty, il seemed necessary and proper
10 divide the sufferers into two classes, VIZ.
lst. Those poor families or individuals, and
those artisans, who were actually burnt out,
and whose property, working tools, and eff.
tects were destroyed in the conilagratlon.
I'd. The owners Of stocks in the several in.
surance companies which have been rem.
daroI tpc1I,rprt tho nj lo
aud others ofsmal but competent resources,
who have in many cases lost their all /; the
annultles settled upon them in some inStan.
ceS, and the fruits Of whole lives of honest
industry and economy nothers-and whose
circumstances are such as to preclude the
possibility Of their being retrieved by any
effort OF their own.
Ia regard to the first of these classes, the
committee have the satisfaction TO state
that the loss of property and the extent of
immediate individual distress are not great.
The fire, most fortunately for the poor,
swept over section of the city which was
At once the most wealthy, and containing the
Iewest resident families, so that but CON-
paratiyely a very few persons have been
rendered houseiess; and the committee are
happy in believing that the sum Of ten thou.
sand dollars would be adc lualc to the relief
Of this class ofthe sufferers, and enable the
distressed (ncchanics and laborlng men and
women) to resume their labofs for the sup.
port of their families.
II ~ 70 u, -no-rl ,l,-- I'll
standing the diIigent inquiries instituted by
the committee, they have not yet been able
TO obtain the desired information with that
degree OF certainty and precision which
they could desire. Enough, however, has
been asccrtained to show that the losses of
this description have been very great, great
er by far than they had hoped would be the
case; as any farther delay would bear
heavily on those who are in immediate want,
il has been thought advisable by the CON-
mittee to make the present appeal to our
lellow.ctlzens throughout the Union, for
such contributions as their benevolent feelings
will dictate. The committee feel that 1t is
unnecessary to endeavor to excite the pub.
lie compassion by any abored appeal
Several of our sister cities and towns have
already teelincl y expressed their sympathy,
and spontaneously declared their readiness
to contribute in aid of the sufferers whenev.
er and as soon as an appeal should be made
to them, aud we should be ready TO receive
it. The most numerous class of sufferers,
as above intimated, consists OF widows and
orphans, unmarried females, domestlcs who
have prudently husbanded their earnings,
or for whom some provision has been made
for faithful services, and aged men, disabled
or in the decline of life, who had invested
their all, or nearly their all, IN insurance
stocks, and vino bad relied upon their dl'i.
dends as a small but certain means OF sup.
port through life. Many instances have
come to the knowledge of the committee,
where. in the absence OF relief, distress will
ensue to a very great degree. In several
Instances the females of a single family had
invested their property in different compa.
MES to large amounts, all Of which, TO the
last shilling, is lost; SO that those accus-
toned not only to the comforts, but the deli,
cacies, and even the elegancies Of life, have
been suddenly reduced toa state Of absolute
dependence. These sufferers, we repeat, :
are numerous. They are not to be charged c
with iinprudence IN their Investments. The S
possessed the public confidence.
They were managed by honest and honor.
able men. The corporations were lnstItui.
ed for the public good, and they have pro. I
noted it. Who could have unprecedented {
the catastrophe that has beiallcn them =
The like has not occurred in the civilized
world for nearly two centuries. They have {
been involved in sudden and ruinous calaml. +,
,- nnl shnll they who haun inns hnnn 70.