The New York herald., 1850-02-18
The Sentiment OF Humanity.


One of the most marked pecuharties Of the popu-
ar sentiment of our times, Is the sympathy every
where felt among the great masses of mankind for
suffering, among individuals and among nations.
This sentiment has recently been developed ie our
community, in the most noble and affecting man.
ner, by the recent caamityswhich filled SO many
houses with mourning, and overspread the entire
community with gloom. When thousand, or
fifty thousand men, fall IN battle, and lie butchered
and maneled and tramped into the PLAIN, over
which the chariot wheels of victorious or flying
generals have been driven, it excItes but mo
memtary sensation; but there Is nothing that
shocks the sensiblitles OF men painfully, the
announcement that seventy earnest, honest, hard
working men, women, and children. who had but
an hour before left their families and fresldes,
after the morning meal, with careless goodbye,
and, perhaps, hurried kiss to the wife, the
daughter, or the babe, as they went to resume
their hard but noble tolls should be suddenly
lifted from the earth and then crushed beneath II.
The journal of their sufierings from hour to hour,
and from morning till night and from night till
morning, not only wrung thousand hearts with
lnexpressible angulsh, but the whole community
turned its eye towards the scene OF that fatal
calamity; and as soon as the excitement of sus-
pense was over, and the number OF the dying and
the dead was asceItaned, by an instinct, which
does honor to humanity, universal disposition
became manifest TO come to the rescue, TO relieve
the sufferers to bury the dead, and pour conso-
lation into the hearts of the weeping. The good
work of helping the distressed, which has grown
into one of the most universal sentiments of our
times, has been gong on, and from every quarter
the most encouraging information comes to US,
that all classes, and professions and societies, and
denominations of men, wherever they assemble,
are acting IN concert, TO show how much human
suffering affects the heart Of the present age. And
there is something more touching IN this, because
II is labonng men who have died, and the families
Of labonng men who have endured the loss.
II is silent but eloquent token Of respect 10 man.
because he is man, and to the laboring man, be-
cause il is honorable TO make the muscles grow
hard by toll, and because IL is indication that,
in this country above all Others labor Is respected
In fact, II only shows the fruit of liberty. One of
the legitimate consequences OF denocracy, Is TO
make man respected because he partcp pates in a
common nature with the noblest, the greatest, the
most powerful and however humble may be the
sphere in which he labors, the great sentiment of
Burns Is developed and recognised, that "a mans
man for a that"
II is one of the most inspiring Signs of our times,
and OF our country, that we do not contne our sym
pathies merely TO the great and the iustrious who
fall, nor alone indeed 70 those who fall IN our
midst and who are snatched from before own
eyes by the ruthless hand of an unforeseen and
an unprecedented calamity. There Greece,
quarter Of century ago, that called out the SYM
pathies Of every man IN this country. When the
beautiful form Of liberty once more lifted itself
from the smoulderng ruins OF the nation of PERI
cles, and in the streets of Athens, which rang
TO the shouts Of freedom. the song of victory and
Of liberty was again heard, not a heart IN this
ton but vibraied TO the sound and from all parts
at the country demonstrations OF sympathy and OF
respect were made. SO, too, has It been tor a long
period with Ireland In the midst OF the woes, the
oppression and famine through which that green
island has been struggling Intellectually, her ear,
turned towards the western sun, has been greeted
by ten thousand shouts Of encouragement, and ex-
plesslons Of fraiernal sympathy. So, too, was II
when an earthquake burst under the Bourbon
throne, and left LOUIS Philippe an exile from the
home Of HIS fathers. The image of Lamarune,
proclaiming from the steps Of the Hotel de Vile
the new republic OF France, electrified America
and the children Of Washington sent back their
shout Of welcome to the newborn republic. SO,
too, was It with Rome, when the shores of the
Tlber once more echoed back the song Of
smsncirated people, and those places, which had
once resounded TO the accents Of Brutus and
his great contemporaries, became familiar 10 the
same song Of freedom again and over the Appian
Way, where the couriers OF the Roman repgbhc
once flew to proclaim laws and civilization to all
nations, the couriers Of a republic went flying
sgain to tell the world that there was no longer
monarch IN Rome, and that the city OF Romulus
tocsin Of freedom rang out from Comorn, ssd
Kossuth, at the head OF his heroic corntrymeR,
was on has victorious march towards Vienna.
Greece, indeed, did become Tree and although
England cursed her with king. yet the spirit OF
liberty lived IN the heart of the Greek people, and
they have been slowly but securely marching on to
freedom. But ireland still lies weltenng In her
own blood and her cry stll makes the heart Of the
world sad We have all read the history Of the
slaughter Of liberty in Rome, by FreReh soldiers,
and our sympaihes have not only beea displayed
towards the remnant Of a subjugated people, who
have led to our shores for Hospitality, but over
the Atlantic, and up the Mediterranean, aad to the
bounds Of the Moslem empire over the walls OF
Shumla, Kossuth hasl heard the shout OF sym
Pathy from the land Of Washington. Man is be-
coming, hour by hour. more sacred. Humanity
has entered the arena. and in her great struggle.
here is every reason to believe that victory will at
last declare Itself in favor of mankind.
TW eREAT FfRE IN NEw ORiE.Ns--We pub
pshed, by telegraph, yesterday morning. bnef
account Of fire at New Orleans, on SATURDAY.
morning, by which part Of the principal business
portion Of the city was destroyed. The los. vases
iimsted at hall million Of dollars. The confayra.
iion occurred in Camp street, which bears the
came relation to that city Wall street does 10
M. NlrL and .rn havn r.rn.r.I a.. e. IL =. -