The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-11-25
TIE DAILY DfSFAIOn.
,.TT,RpAY MORNING. NOVEMBER .. ra.

II
:. TI,RnGY MORNING, NOVEMBER D -.
Tur poep-We are not about 10 mh'ct
rron our readers dissertation upon the sor
rows ofthe poor. We say this in advance, ina.
thew may read what We have to say NeM
"a noyerty itself, we know no greater anne
t;on than the thousand times told tale OF its
,r;bulations. That the story makes no im-
nressiou upon men that it goes into one OF
their ears and out of the other, is evident
from the fact that they do so little Tor the re-
lief Of the posr. Notwithstanding all that
has heen said concerning the condition, OF
the poor, who constitute the great majority OF
mankind the comfortable minority know no.
thing as to how the other part OF the world
l;ves, We venture to say that, in this city
there Is an amount of restitution, of absolute
want of the necessaries, not to speak OF COM
forts. of life. which would make the well-fed
and well clothed shudder with horror, if they
could behold the dismal spectacle with their
own eyes, and hear its mournful sounds with
their own ears.
Every winter. there is much of this suffer
ine-eveu when the times with other people
are good-much want of fire, and food, ana
Comfortable clothing, but in times like these,
when every necessary Of life has been vastly
increased in price, when the cost of fuel ID
appalling even to men in moderate circum-
stances, what is to become of the poor? 1t
il serious question, and one which comes
home to every mans conscience. Shall we
permit them to perish Here, in the capital
of Old Virginia, world-renowned for warm
hearts, generous natures and overtiowing hos
pitality, shall we suffer men, women and chill
iren to die from starvation, from cold, or
from the diseases eagendered by a scanty
supply of the means of life ? For that there
will be suffering and even death here from
these causes, there cannot be shadow of
doubt unless some extraordinary energy and
liber atty are displayed this winter in the re-
lief of the poor.
The commen means employed every win
ter will not answ er now. What shall be done'
Every man in the city who is able to spare
any sum, however small, for this object,
ought to regard it as a duty he owes 70 hu-
mainly to give that sum, and duty which
he cannot neglect, or put off upon any plea
without mourning guilt and the indignation OF
Heaven. He cannot scoffingly ask. in such q
case as this, Am my brother keeper =
without involy ing himselfin the crime OF CAM
and causing his brothers blood to cry from
the ground, Let those who have but little
give but little, and those who have much give
much. The Benevolent Society ought to pre-
sent the subject at once for practical action
at every mans door in the city
If the Benevolent Society is not able TO
raise sufficient sum, then we would respect
fully suggest that the various churches ofthe
city should take up contributions for this OBJ
ject, and, if necessary. omit those which are
made for church objects, such as for
eign missions and the like. OF all the duties
which religion requires from man to man, it
Is unquestionable that the duty of giving to
the poor stands first and foremost, and that
though all other duties we're performed, and
this omitted, that omission would prove fatal.
The Saviour of the world and His inspired
apostles had more to say about duty to the
poor than any other duty, and it is remarka-
BILE that in the account which is given of the
scenes of the last day, the righteous are
blessed and the wicked condemned, because
the one class has fed the hungry, clothed the
naked and visited the sick, and the other
neglected these duties.