The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-24

PHHANTHRoPIc F1NASCIERING.--Thep public in
this country, like that of Great Britain is a
dear, good, rich, confiding soul. Like sailor,
it makes its money easily and spends
it freely. The public likes to see its name in
print as contributor to some fund which is
raised ostensibly to further some philanthropic,
religious, political or social work. Charity is
good trait in our public heart-one that
shows us to be all right at bottom; but there is
such thing as carrying good thing too far.
Then there are to be found in this community
certain idle fellows who manage to get very
comfortable livelihood out Of the confd-
ing public, by the organization Of funds nomi-
nally to assist in the work which happens
to be uppermost in the public mind. Thus,
during the triumphal tour through the United
States of that delicious humbug, Kossuth, there
was a Hungarian fund, the object of which
was to crush Austria. The House Of Hapsburg
still gives the law to the Magyars, and where
has the money gone? Did any one ever see a
business statement of it,
Then there was the Hon Massa Greeley's
great fund for the liberation of Ireland,
amounting to some forty thousand dollars.
Ireland is not liberated, and probably never
saw any of this money Where is it? Then
came the g Kansas work. to assist in which
some parties at the North bled freely That
was Tribune affair, as we'll as the Irish fund
There was still anoAer operation of the same
kind in Massachusetts, the Emigrant Aid So
ciety; we have never seen the shadow of fnan-
cial exhibit of the affairs of these funds. Has
any one else been more favored. During the
excitement in this State about the Maine Liquor
law, great temperance league was gotten
mp in the interior of the State and considera-
BILE money was raised to pay the expenses of
carrying on the war against the Liquor Deal
ers' Association. The latter won the day very
easily, however, and the temperance treasury,
at the last accounts, was empty. Where did
the money 60? Very recently the coniding
public has been called upon to put its hand in
its pocket to assist in that hopeful work, the
conversion Of the Irish to Presbyterianism, and
to help colony of French people in Illinois,
who, it was said, were in sore distress, all be-
cause they had seeded from Rome 1t appears
now that they are in comparatively comforta-
BILE circumstances, and that it is more than
doubtful whether or not their alleged separa-
ton from the mother church is not also fabri-
cation.
Coming down to the excitement of che hour,
we find two or three veteran tinanciers in the
field with John Brown fund. These engi-
neers issue photographs Of the great departed
to such of the faithful as have dollar where
with to pay for them. The hearts of all the old
ladies in the country are bleeding for Mrs.
Brown, but entirely dried up for Mrs. Doyle,
whose husband was shot by Brown in cold
blood. Whether this new fund is in part pri-
vate speculation Of some photographer, or
whether it is intended to raise money for the
election of Seward, or more raids in Virginia
and other slave States, it may be as well for
those who may think Of contributing to it from
merely charitable motives to hesitate and exa-
mine the facts not only in this but in
all similar cases, whether monument, or
Kansas, or Brown, or Chiriqui or Irish Pro-