New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-05-20
The Famine and PestiIence in Ireland The
work yet TO be done.
To The Editor Of The Tribune:

| To The Eda0T Of The Tribune.
SIR: Your generous devotion TO the cause of SUI
fering ireland encourages me to hope that ysu vii
permit me to call the attention Of the friends o
That unhappy country and more particularly The
attention Of those of my countrymen in the United
States who are natives Of Ulster, to the following
extract from letter ustreceiyed from distinguish
ed clergyman in the North OF Ireland.
! "You appear to be pretty extensively and accu
| rately acquainted in America with the miserable
/ state Of this country, and Ineed not say much re
| specting it. | sometimes thought that you would
regard the accounts given by the press as beins
| exaggerated but now find that they have moi
/ been viewed in that light; and certainly America
| has responded noby to the cry Of distress which
was waited across the Atlantic. The cases of des
ttution and its consequences are really appalling
! K anime and disease are sweeping over the land
and carrying mutitudes Of the Inhabitants into the
invisible world. 1t is calculated that the popula
ton will be dminishcdbytUo millions in a short time
by the above causes, together with emigration
Think of the Ballymena workhouse erected to &C
commodate goo inmates, having 1900 crammed into
! it, 10 and upward dying weekly and their places
filled up Immediately by others This is only a
sample of the state of the country, even In Ulster
In Cullybackey we have soup kitchen from which
about 600 families receive rations daily. Would
you have expected that so great number should
need assistance in this district y
Such is the melancholy picture Of the condition
to which lourishing prosperous, industrious Ulster
has been reduced The pestilence is now abroad
all over the land and in almost every habitaton lie
the dying and the dead
Is this time to relax our efforts in aid OF our
perishing brethren Now that we have relieved
our hearts and consciences in the first outburst Of
animal sympathy, are we content to 81, all the dey
idle amusing ourselves and gratifying our selfish pride
by spelling and again the letters Of thanks
which poor old Ireland sends by every ship all weted
with her tears but yet written in ths; free joyous sec
tomato spirit of which calamity rob her, and
death alone extinguishesi
There must be a continuous systematic egou for he
ref Of Ireland 1t is the solemn and pressing duty Of
the shmen in the United States 10 set about this thing
at once -
We have not done our duty TO God and our brother
whom have sent a morse Of bread TO Ireland, and
then lifting up hands to Heaven have exclamed-"I
thank Thee am not as other men, nor even this poor
publican
The poor Emigrant must be cared for. There are
many wealthy Irishmen connected with the Christian
Churches of this Ciiy-but have not yet heard of a
single deputston from them having been sent to the
wharves to embrace their poor Brethren in the Lord
who fleeing hther from the famine and the pestl-
lence. LAST week we were called to rejoice, yea
and did rejoice in the triumphs Of Christian Charity
the Banks of the Gauges Have no bowels Of
compassion for the Brethren the Banks Of the Shan
non Chinese converts sometimes borne In til
umph through streets and thousands of Christian
and women have greeted an evangelical Mshome
tan at the Tabernacle. Unto how many Of the thou
sands Of perhng Irish who landed here last week has
the Evangelical Church opened her bosomi These
things ought ye have done and leave the others
undone."
Again, say there must be some continuous systems-
tic ogani;ed effort made for the relief of Ireland Let
the work be but besunlst organized system be
createdand the Christian charities Of the United states
will Immediately cluster around it.
The emissnts who are arriving in thousands and tens
OF thousands not only from Ireland but from other
portions Of the British Kingdom and Europe demand
the charities Of this free and prosperous country. This
mercy viii be- indeed twice blessed" for while the
stranger will be cared for the nation viii be enriched
tenfold.
! appeal particularly, to the Irish members Of the
Evangelical Churches of New.York. call upon them
to unite In devng and carrying out practical scheme
for the continuous relief Of Ireland and the assistance of
the immigrant Which Of the Churches will frs, move
In this great work Of Christian duty Which of the
ministers of the Evangelical churches in this City who
cry aloud ali the day long exhOrtns to love God and
our fellow man. will step forward and take the lead in
aid of the thousands OF Irish who weekly arriving
here in hunger and nakedness and pershng for lack
Of knowledge am &c.
Nar- York, May Is 1871. JAMES A. HOUSTON