Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-03-12
MISCELLANEOUS.
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
RELIEF FOR IRELAND.

TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
Famine, heretofore known 10 modern civlliza'
lion rather from the teachings OF history Than
from experience, is wasting The nations oil fu-
rope. France, Belgium, Scotland, and especially
Ireland, are suffering the rayages OF want. In
Ireland the calamity seems 10 be greatest, The
means of relief the most remote and uncertain.
The entire failure OF the potato crop, ano The
want of other supplies. have brought millions oi
her people IL the verge oil starvation. Ihe 1000
of her wealthy neighbors, who would Otherwise
cheenully hasten 10 her relief is absorbed in iced
inc their own destitute poor Our virgin land,
happy in lis abundance, can alone supply her
srea, want Indeed, the other nations OF Europe
must resort 10 our markets 10 supply their neoes-
sites. The Roman daughter from her tull bo-
som nourished her furnishing parent: America,
the daughter OF Europe, may now present The
same lovely spectacle.
In Ireland the work OF death has already begun.
Strong men have sunk beneath the wasting effects
of starvation or, wandering wlloly IN the open
fields. have died oi exhaustion Motheis WIN
their infants in their arms, Children crying IN
vain 10 their parents Tor bread have mel Inc same
,.artnl doom. Hospitality is extinguished, tie
sweet charities of lie are suspended, the natural
affections ofthe heart have given way TO The fierce
and selfish cravings OF hunger. Among peo-
nile heretofore warm.heaIted and hospilable 10 The
yeriest stranger, accustomed 10 SET apart from
their scant supplies a portion Tor the destitute,
parents are now repusing their own offspring
from their doors because they ask for bread. The
dead in many cases. lie in The habitalions OF the
living unheeded, unblessed, and unburied, whilst
starvation and gaunl, loathsome pestilence, adj
daily 10 The numbers OF the dead.
In view OF such picture OF wretchedness, Vir-
ginia will mol consent 10 be aggard in The noble
and benevolent work OF giving relief TO The sui
te-ers She will never hear with cold heart
and closed hand the appalling cry OF whole
nariop for food foreign and trans Atlantic though
that nation be. But can Ireland be called Who'll
" foreign 10 us2 How many citizens Of this
country. natives Of that ISLE are now Ioiling on
our works OF internal improvement, cnltivatine
our soil as its sovereigns, and adjoining every
walk OF life among US. IL is The country o these,
our tellow-citiZens, in which iamine IS making
ITS dreadful havoc. II is in The land OF Mont
eomery, the soldier of Washington, who in storm
ing Quebec achieved the second brilliant exploit
of the Revolution, that forms, staiwart as his
own. are dropping from The exhaustion Of iamine.
Ii is in the isle OF Burke, whose eloquence In
our earliest troubles, shook the Parliament OF
England in advocacy oil our rights, that lips
touched by nature with fire like his, are now Thin
of Emmett and Grattan, that hearts fired with be-
nevoence and patriotism and love OF liberty like
kheirs are whitening with starvation. Ii is in
me Emerald Isle OF The Ocean, lately vocal with
those Irish melodies which move vai heir's aud
give love and delight 10 our socia! acufs, ihi'
voices once attuned 10 their music, ;'sc harsh wi
hunger. Il is in that country. Oh III. oppo>ie
shore OF the Atlantic, already anneAed 10 amt;,-
ca by the lies of kindred and gratitude aud love
that The hearts oi thousands are paised b. !ae
touch OF that most horid and degrading Of all
calamilies, gaunt. pestllenllal, nadoenihs famine;
the wasting. the loahsome, the appalling ca
lamiry which overwhelms man in his Strength,
woman 10 her loneliness and children in their liz
nocence.
Would We could speak oil II as past But
alasi j, is no, only existing but increasing; ard
not Till their harvest will their own resources ar
resi- lis friehlfu progress. Fearful even 10 u,
who contemplate the scene from our happy
homes smiling with plenty and Gods choices,
blessings is the dark and Gardening pfospec'
before The people of Ireland. How awful, how
irighlfu must that prospect seem to those who
are beneath the cloud of Gods in,crulable Jude
inenls who Eel the bitterness OF The curse aud
cannot escape il; who see death in It's most ter
rible form with slow bul certain strides, approach
ing them, and cannot avoid il! Horrible horri.
Bile is the doom, and well may The unhappy ones
pray for fever, pesilence and death 10 hurry them
from their miseries TO the grave. Despair broods
over millions Of our fellow-beinss-- friends
our kiusmen; and beneath the dark pail The
Angel OF Death is walking and will walk Tor
seven months The solemn and startling cry OF
those perishing millions has come across The
ocean 10 US. We cannot but hear il. Shall we
hear the cry and not answer it with large gifts OF
chariy2 Vrginians, The great Giver OF all
L.. md with Al
has thereby enabled you 10 initiate after mans
finite fashion His own infinite mercy. Let il con-
sole you in your sorrow for Ireland, that you
are afforded an opportunity Tor The noblest ex'
ercise OF the best of The virtues. The sweet
est relief TO pictures OF suffering is the be-
nevolence that ministers in their midst. The
brightness in The dismal scene around The
pool Of Bethesda was the Angel which stir
red The waters. What lovelier shape can Viz
ginia now present than that OF mnlserIng an-
gel to Ireland The instructions accompanying
this address, will show you what direction 10 give
10 your charities. Our duty is 10 enreal tha, they
shall flow in abundance. lie, Us do our fnil part
10 prove 10 the world that the land OF liberty is the
land OF beneyolcnce. Teach your children 10 re-
loice in foregoing their toys or their Injuries 10
assist the little sufferers beyond the ocean. Let
the mothers contribute from their ample stores TO
iced the furnishing mothers OF Ireland. Let The
fathers beslow fair portion OF their abundance
10 assist the furnishing fathers OF lha, Isle in feed
ing their starving families. Let all who call them
selves Virginians and would be worthy OF the
name, eagerly seize The opportunity now present
ed OF restoring hope and Joy 10 The hearts OF thou
sands, by spreading bounlitully before them the
means Of sustenance grown in the land OF Wash
ington.
Permit us to suggest, that in every county town
in The Commonwealth a central committee be APP
pointed 10 receive contributions of the people.
Let those committees appoint additional commit
tees in each county. Let the Clergy and the La
dies co operate, with their wontod zeal, in this no
bic work OF charity. The central committees, in
addition 10 subscriptions iu money, will receive
contributions Of flour, wheat, meal, corn AM
clothing, (tor the Irish are naked as we'll as hun
ery.) Contributions in provisions or clothing
should be sent 10 the nearest town, 10 be forward
ed from thence to Richmond, Petersburg, Nor
folk, Portsmouth, Fredericksburg, Alexandria,
Winchester, Slaunlon, Wheeling, Lynchburg,
Charlottesville or Danville. Provisions and
clothing sent TO The care Of The Messrs. Il. w.
& il. Fry 4 Co, Richmond, or OF the Mayor
of either OF the above named cities or towns, will
surely reach the shores OF Ireland, and will be
judciously distributed amongst the sufferers. All
money collected should be remiled 10 VIM. FL.
Mcfarland, Esq the Treasurer of the Virginia
relief fund. The money will be expended in The
purchase Of American produce 10 be shipped 10
Ireland, or will be RENTED in Bills Of Exchange
if desired by the contributors. Regular reports
will be published in the Richmond papers Of The
receipts, OF the relief fund.
We will merely add, that this systematic char.
i,y should continue Till The Irish harvest in Sep
tember.-Let not the stream cease TO dow SO long
as human beings are furnishing with want.
Very respectfully,
HUGH w. SHEFFEY,
WIN. II. MCFARLAND
C. c. LEE,
o. P. BALDWIN.
SIDNEY RAXTER