Washington sentinel., 1854-01-29

" DEsTITUTIoN IN EuRoPE-A TERRIBLE Pic.
TURE.--Want is mingling its sinister menaces,
in Europe, with the concert of camors which
are protesting in every direction against the
expressions and injustice of the governments.
In France the press is by no means ignorant OF
the terrible condition to which the country is
reduced but it dares not, it cannot make the
proper disclosures. An official document, says
the New York Republicain, authorizes US to
think that the disorder is assuming the proper
tions of civil war, of an armed conflict be-
tween the authorities and the famished peas
antry.
The French journals have published cir
cular, in which the Minister st. Arnaud gives q
statement of the loss experienced by the gen
da,w,e,ie in pursuit Of the malefactors of the
country districts. He addresses some most san
culinary directions to that body Use your
arms, 'ssays the circular to them. The danger,
then, is great; the breaches of public tran
quillity and the instances Of resistance are on
the increase
Belgium, the boundary neighbor of France,
is suffering under the same calamity. We give
below the terms in which the Belgian journals
describe the situation of that country. The
Nation, of Brussels, states that the dearness OF
fuel and provisions, the idleness of thousands
U
allotted to the rest, have carried destitution to
its height in both city and country. But it is
especially in Flanders that hunger and cold are
producing deplorable if not unforeseen conse-
quences In that region want is drawing from
their abodes whole bands of unhappy wretches,
who range the country, begging from farm to
farm, and in many instances tearing away by
force the succor that has been refused them.
Thus we read in the newspapers of Antwerp
and Ghent:
"The intelligence. that reaches as from the
neighborhood Of Ninover and Grammont is Of
the most distressing nature. The gendds7ne
force has been sent in quest of bands of mem
dicants, who are giving themselves mp to the
most serious attacks upon individual property.
Within the last few days, a gang of about twen-
ty persons presented themselves, during the
night before large farmhouse. After knock
ing several times with great violence ut the
doors of the dwelling, they summoned the far
mer to give them money and food. The far
mer threw to them, from window, all the
bread he had, and the sum of sixty francs,
which they greedily divided between them be.
fore they withdrew"
Other facts of the same description are mem
toned by the papers of Bruges. The Impartial
says:
Want is very severe in our city, and more
especially SO in the adjacent country, which is
ranged by bands numbering from twenty to
twenty-five persons, who go from farm to farm
exacting contributions. Its true that the far
mers, moved by fear, give bountiful aims; but
all they can yield is far from being sufficient to
appease the sufferings Of thousands of starving
unfortnnates. Nevertheless, the government,
the authorities, and even the estate.owners do
not seem to comprehend the danger Of such a
state Of things, since they have taken no cffec-
tual measures to remedy it."
A Louvain journal cites the following heart
rending instance of the want into which whole
families are plunged:
"Last Sunday mother and her four little
children had nothing to eat, nothing to wear, and
but handful Of decayed stray to lie down up
on; and the mother, to procure morsel Of
bread, was driven to the hard necessity of sell
ing the last garment she possessed. This in
cident occurred in the city,
We also learn that bands Of armed men have
for some time past been committing important
dcpredations on property, and that the gen.
darmes of Tournay, Leuza, Ath, and Frasnes
have been exposed to severe encounters in en-
deavoring to suppress these forays. ...