Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-10-15
New YORK, Sept. II, 1856.
a Sight for BIchananites.

We saw Il scene in the Union Depot
yesterday morning that. wethink, preach
ed a more powerful sermon than all the
eloduence OF the stump or the S maze
has yet produced. Seated along tie
wall, on IA BENCH. was Il family of thir-
teen-the father, mother and eleven
children, weary, dirty, destitute and
wretched beyond all parallel in this pros
porous city. At one end was a full
grown boy Of sixteen, without a shirt, his
skin blue with cold, exposed, except
where scanty garments Of tnIu and coarse
coverlet. Near him sat a young woman,
a sister, with her husband. She was
bare. headed, and hardly co7ered with
rags that had not touched water, appar-
emily, since they were made. a pale
and puny baby lay in her arms. Three
or four ritIle boys sat next, wan look
ing creatures. as white as their little
wool hats, except where the dirt gave an
appearance of health to the flesh.
They were ragged and shivering with
cold. but didn't speak, nor cry; so utter
II unlike TIE c~heerfulneSs and yivacy Of
boys were their silence and quictude,
that it made one 5 heart arhe to see them.
One Of them once passed his hand care
lcssly over the face of the little baby
which lay motionless in lis mothers lap,
but there was no smile or glImmer Of af-
lection in his pale face. The mother
was bare headed. unwashed, and pale,
as were all the family. She like her
daughter, nursed a lulle sickly child
that lay noiseless. but staring with It's
round yes at the crowd or plying spec
taJors. 4 son dressed, or rather undre.s-
ed. like all the rest, sat in the middle.
shivering with Il chill. He wiithed from
side to side, and groaned sometimes, but
never spoke. The father, apparently
forty five years, had wrapt a small quilt
about his shoulders. and either under
the cheering influence Of 50 much great
err warmth than the rest enjoyed, or be-
cause he felt it eEcumbent on him as the
head of the family, was the only one that
spoke while We were within hearing
lie hGd been Oh iseR from R0HsaS. he sid,
~ ne DUtsttOH WCN, 10 ~ Ai"h( OhhNi
poor settlers had heen. and robbed ofeye-
RI dollar he had in the world. His cattle
had been stolen BY Bufurl's thieves, and
he expelled from the Territory because
he would not take up arms against the
'' traitor Lane" as the SeRtjHel calls
him. lie moved from neal Lexington,
Kentucky, and his name was Ritchie.--
They had no property, no money, 10
provisions, no medicines. though several
of them were sick. almost no clothes
So forlorn and wretched a family VT new
saw, and they were made so by the
infamous scoundrels whom the Admins
ton hired as kansas Militia" TO exc
lutte the Kansas laws. They were n
Of the productions Of Democratic policy.
The spectators contributed literally To
help them on their road to Lexington.
Mr.. David Hay mes Of the City Police ex.
himself mos, efficiently on their be-
half, and raised sumo ten or twelve dol
lars. Nearly eve'y man or boy whoa -
preached left some contribution for them.
I'VE saw sturdy railroad engineers and
emplying their pockets books,
newsboys gathering their coppsrs into a
convenient heap, kind-heartcd citizens
nnrolling bills. Everybody seemed
touched by their silent, accomplishing