Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-08
FAMINE IN INDIA

From Tie LJ'idOH IiWeS Ndrch y.
We have lately been proud to introduce 200, 900 900
Of our elowcreatures fth OF the human race, into
closer relations with the great British family Our Queen
is Empress of India hundred sceptres are united
in hers; in her disappear hundred diadems. The
Ganges and the Indus much hers As the Thames
and the Severn She possesses the triple chain of the
Hmslayas; four thousand miles of coast; vast PENN
sula unsurpassed for fertility and beauty, ancient and
populous cities sacred shrnes nHumcrab!e; more ra
ces and languages than known; and traditions ever
pointing the gories Of the past and the visions OF the
future. All this the people Of England rejoice TO know
and to feel Perhaps and then they feel monen-
tary misgivng as 70 the capacity OF Office in London
to deal with great multitude on the other side OF the
globe But trust TO our superior intelligence and
humanity to make up for these dilhcuues. THIS conf
dence is than justified, it is necessary; for Ehg
land must do that which Providence has maniIesy forced
upon her. At all events, We may now see the lu extent
of the vast responsibility The oldest of Indian vista
tons has rC-appeared in all its horrors famine OF Bib
lical intensity is desolatug the Northwest Provinces
for a thousand miles in length. All the circumstances
are such read OF and hardly believe in obscure
annals Many hundreds dying daily within our
knowledge besides those know not OF. The people
flock to the cities aud know what that means, how
they fare on the road and how they are lost in the
crowd Mothers selling their children or Offering
them for sale when there none to buy There ate
subScrp ions which, even il ever so well applied, would
he drops in the ocean but can hardly even reach the
calamity much ess penetrate and relieve it, All this il
occurring in the British domnons; IN country as much
British as Ireland or even Middlesex. Other regions
at the Southern extremity OF the Peninsula aud else
where are also suffering where we have not direct
| n nossession and rule But from Lucknow and Lahore
il all our own What is more, these two cities and the
nonulous regions around them have been annexed not
long ago We have grasped the power of doing good
and evil and we have the opportunity of that good
government we were ambitious TO exercise. India
Is all ours and she lies at feet expecting instant
lief.
With the recent experience of Ireland, we are aware
it would be cruel hypocrisy to urge for con-
yeyiug the requisite daily dole TO each of the
ing millions in that and remote interior. If the
local authorities cannot do this, neither the Imperial
fom their p,rours in Victoria street. The prospect Of
LARGE and sufficient assistance from this country would
only add to the numbers that fall by the way-sde or
that disappear in the crowd or die by the inevitable
pestience All that can do at this moment is to d
rect the attention of readers to the circumstances OF
the country thus visited by the rest because the least
necessary OF human disasters. 1t is the very garden oil
India These are regions rayersed everywhere by the
ten thousand tributaries OF the Ganges and the Indus
The whole of lies within sight of eternal saows OF
clouds ever ascending the skies of torrents ever thun
dering down the hi-sdes, and rivers rolling along
their wide beds TO the The population is perishing
amid the wasted elements of boundess fertility
| In this county we hnd 1t difficult to imagine
the conditions which render life so artificial and
p-ecarious as it Is throughout the East. With
us it rains almost all the year the ground generally
holds moisture enough TO survive many weeks of
drought; wealth is so dilused that depend abso
lntey ON the harvest and the only result of short crop
is some difficulty, and perhaps debt In India the crop
s indeed the daily bread and the stall OF hie IL the
land depends on the annual rains drought is death to
thousands Nature, however, is not to blame for this
She has provided remedy 1t is she that has left
the Hndoo dependent periodical showers for she has
placed along the entire length of this region vast labo-
otory for the production of waters aud distributed the
nrecious element through nnumerable channels bring
ing il up to every mans field end garden, and house.
Il Is man himself that has not taken the trouble to ae-
cept the proffered boon, that has let the fertizng
streams pursue their wasefu course to the sea- aud
sits still dy expecting the Heavens pour down what
he is not at the pains FETCH though placed within his
' reach.