New Orleans daily crescent., 1857-12-09
The Northern Poor.

The following article, taken from recent number
Of the New York Times portrays aterrible condition
Of things in the great metropolis Of the North:
The UNsHELTERED PooR.- There lisa fearful num-
ber of houseess poor who contrve by some means or
other TO pick up precarious subsistence during the
day, but who are left at night without shelter, or
place to lay their heads. Ii appears from the re-
port OF the Commissioners Of Police that the ap-
plications at the different Statonhouses for lodg-
ings by these poor, homeless wretches, averages
about 200 night, while there are not accommoda-
tions for more than third Of the number. The Com
missoDers very justly observe that the others being
driven into the streets are often led to commit crimes
which they might have been saved from 1t they had
been provided with lodgings. The Police Commits
sioners have sent communication to the Common
Council urging the necessity of providing lodging
houses for the destitute poor, and we can hardly con
ceiye Of a case which demands more prompt atten-
tion than this it should not be attended to, how
| ever, by the public authorities, it should not be
neglected BY our humane and benevolent citizens.
There Is way ia which charity could be bestowed
with better results for the outlay required, than in
providing lodging for the poor at this nclem-
ent season Of the year. Hundreds of young boys
nightly cast into the street without the means to pro-
vide themselves shelter and they thus exposed
to all manner Of temptations, and are compelled to
become thieves and burglars to keep themselves from
| perishing. As q mere consideration Of prudence,
and to prevent the increase Of crime, Il will be worth
while Of the community to provide lodging
for the poor this winter there are plenty Of houses
be had, which can be cheapy rented for the next
three months, and the cost Of furnishing them and
keeping them in order would not be great A great
deal of the crime with which are afflicted has It's
origin in the cheap lodging houses which abound in
Che vicetanted districts Of the city, where the nno-
cent poor are forced to consort indscrmnatey wit.
the vilest portion of our population, and become
4 hopelessly diseased in mind and body by the CON
1 tamination. There are at all times poor wretches
enough in our streets at night who have not the
means to provide themselves with shelter, to- render
it imperative on the part Of the public authorities to
make some provision for their necessities but the
number Of the houseless poor Is much greater now
than it was before, and the urgency of the de-
mand for immediate measures of relief was never
4 before SO great.
It is to be hoped, for the sake of common humanity
that the suggestions Of the Times, or some other
similar suggestions, will be promptly carried out
The emergency admits not Of protracted delay. Stern
winter is upon the unsheltered poor Of New Yori
4 in all its fury and there will be numerous freezing
I to death and staryings to death chroncled in th'
Northern papers, unless adequate relief is EXTENDED
{, quite speedily.
The condition of the poor Of the rest of the North
ern cities is about on the same wretchad level witt
that Of the poor of New York. Distress, suffering
and misery, abound every where, and the houseess
homeless, and pinched by want, may be counted b
hundreds Of thousands. There is little prospect c
any material mitigation Of this state Of affairs unit
spring. God help the poor!
4 Southern cities and States present pleasant an
happy contrast to the Northern cities and States :
this time. Among us want and suffering are ul
known. The means of q comfortable subsistence al
within the reach Of every honest and industrious
and woman. With us no one need starye, or frees
or suffer, if he will only work. Labor is in deman
! at remnnerating rates, and inviting avenues Of il
!, dustry stand open on every hand Would it were
. with our Northern brethren, who, although n
: cursed with slavery" Guide Freesoil harangu'
4 seem to be borne down under lamentable pressur
rather inconsistent with their arrogant assumption
of superiority over as in almost every conceivab
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