The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-03-09


Virginian. which comes from the Richmond Com.
mit,ee. Read and act promptly.
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
Famine. heretofore known to modern civiliza.
ton rather from the teaching of history than from
experience. is wasting the nations Of Europe
France, Belgium, Scotland, and especially Ire.
land, are suffering the ravages of want. In Ire
land the calamity seems TO be the greatest, the
means OF relief the most remote and uncertain
The entire failure of the potato crop and tho
want OF other supplies have brought millions of
her people To the verge o. starvation. The fond
OF her wealthy neghbors, who would otherwise
cheeHulIy hasten 10 her relief is absorbed in
feeding their own destitute poor Our yiruin
land, happy IN It's abundance. can alone supply
her great want, Indeed the other nations of
Europe must resort To our markets To supply their
necessities. The Roman daughter from her full
bosom nourished her furnishing parent: America.
the daughter of Europe, may now presen. the
same lovely spectacle.
In Ireland the work Of death has already begup.
strong 'nen have sunk beneath the wasting effects
OF starvation ar, wandering wildly in the omen
helds, have died of exhaustion. Mothers with
their infants in their children crying in vain
TO Their parents for bread, have met the same
fearful doom. Hospitality is exlingushed. the
sweet charities of life are suspended, the natural
affections of The heart have given way In tho
herce and selfish cravings of hunger Among a
people heretofore warm hearted and hospitable TO
the verest stranger, accustomed To set apart from
their scant supplies a portion for the destitute
parents are now repulslng their own offspring
from Their doors, because they ask for bread The
dead, In many cases. lie in The ha5itations of the
living. unheeded, unblessed and unburied, whilst
starvation and gaunl, Iuathsome pes,ilence, add
daily TO the numbers of the dead
In view OF such picture of Indebtedness,
virginia VIII not consent 10 be a laggard in the
noble and benevolent work of giving relief to the
sufferers She will never hear with cold heart
and a cnsed hand the appalling cry of a whule
nation for food, fneign and trans Atlantic thonqh
that nation be. But can Ireland be called wboI
ly foreign 10 US? How many citizens of this
country. natives of that isle are now ,oiling on
our works of internal improvement, cultvating
our soil as IFS sovcreigns, and adjoining every walk
oil lille among US. IL Is the country Of these orr
fellow citizens, in which famine is making i,s
dreadful havoc. 1t is in the land of Montgomery.
The soldier of Washington, who in s,orming
Quebec achieved the second brilliant exploit of
The Revolution, that forms, slawart as his own.
are dropping from the exhaustion of famine It's
IN the isle of Burke, whose eloquence in our
earliest troubles, shook the Parliament of England
IN advocacy ot our rights, that lips touched by
nature with fire like his. are now thin and pale
with hunger. 1t is in the native place of Emmet
and Grattan, that hearts fred with benevolcnce
and patriotism and love uf liberty like theirs, are
whitening with starvation. II is in that Emerald
Isle of the Ocean, lately vocal with those Irish
melodies which move our hearts and give love
and delight To our social hours, that voices once
uttered TO their music, are harsh with hunger. 1t
Is IN That country on the opposite shore of the
Atlantic already annexed 10 America by the ties
OF kindred and gratitude and love. that the hearts
OF thousands are paIsed by the touch of that most
horrid and degrading of all caamites, gaunt
PesllIential, maddening famine The wasting.
the loathesome, the appalling calamity which
overwhelms man in his strength, woman in her
loyeliness, and children in their innocence
Would we could speak Of it as pastl But
alas 1t is not only existing but increasing and
not Till their harvest will their own resources ar
rest its ffighrfu progress. Fearful even to us,
who contemplate the scene from our happy homes
smiling with plenty and Gods choicest blessings.
Is the dark and daIkening prospect before the peo-
pie OF Ireland. How awful, how frightful must
that prospect seem 10 those who are beneath the
clond OF Gods inscrulable judgments who feel
The bitterness of the curse and cannot escape it
who see death in It's most terrible form, with slow
oul certain strides approaching them, and cannot
avoid it. Horrible horrible! is the doom, and
well may the unhappy ones pray for fever, pesti-
lence and death 10 hurry Them from their miseries
to The grave. Despair broods over millions of our
meath The dark pail the Angel of Death is walk.
ing and will walk for several months The sol.
emn and startling cry Of those peTishing millions
has come across The ocean to us. We cannot but
hear it, Shall we hear the cry and not answer it
with large gifts Of charity2 Virginians! the
great Giyerof all good has blessed your land with
abundance aud has thereby enabled YOU To imi-
tate after mans finite fashion, His own infinite
mercy. Let it console you in your sorrow for
Ireland, that you are afforded an opportunity for
the nobles exercise Of the best Of tie virtues
The sweetest relief to pictures Of suffering is the
beneVoleGce that ministers in their midst. The
brightness in the dismal scene around the pool Of
Bethesda was the Angel which stirred the waters
What lOyeller shape can Virginia now present
than that OF mlnistering angel To Ireland p
The instructions accompanying this address, will
show you what direction to give TO yOnr charities
Our duty is to enIreat that they shall flow in
abundance. Let us do our full part To prove to
the world that the land Of liberty is the land of
benevoIence. Teach ycur children TO rejoice in
foregoing their toys or their luxures TO assist the
little sufferers beyond the ocean. Let the moth
ers contribute from their ample stores to feed
tho furnishing mothers Of Ireland Let the IA.
theirs bestow fair portion Of their abundance to
assist the furnishing fathers Of that Isle in feeding
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 bountifully befOre them the
means OF sustenance grown in the land Of Wash
ington.
Permit us 10 sup0c2t that in every c,,uutv Town