New-York daily tribune., 1862-11-12
THE WINTER AND THE POOR.

ton" has become the hottest ginger in the for
eign mouth-tho weather, too, has followed IN
zig-zag direction. In place of chilly October
warning us Of the approach OF Winter blasts.
the Summer solstice has appeared as though
wrested from its place in the worlds orbit,
and TO have been on mad ireak-upsettlng
precedent, and delying meteorological prophecy.
But this unreasonable softDess has lately given
way; driving snow-storm and winds howl
ing as If all nature were wild with terror aud
despair, have come over us.
We are thus varously warned. We are
stimulated to regard the poor in the city, whose
sufsrings are heightened in proportion as cold pre-
walls, and whose Deficiencies of fuel and clothing
are particularly increased. Visiting ward and
church committees should not overlook, amid
the innumerable contributions of time. talent,
and money given to tho Army, the wants OF q
population 80 large, so many sided, so hastily
aggregated from all ends Of the EARTH es our
own. With the existence Of the horrible tene-
ment.house system-the nursery Of improvi-
dence, vice, crime, filth, disease--so prevalent
among us, there are arch-provocaiiyes to the
tender-b hearted aud mercilul 10 be alert IN their
visits of charity. Only with actual introspec-
ton of these dcns of dirt, want, and shame,
can the exigencics Of the poor be aPprehended.
and for the safety Of society, proper means
taken TO extenuate their worst inherent char
acteristics. The victims in morals and politics
of the nearest corner grocery the tools Of
the most impudent. arrogant. and dishonest
demagogues-still The radical clam of humanity
oyerrides all the disgusts which their course
excites, and they nrc TO be pIticd and relieved
according TO the largest philosophy OF Christian
teachings
From The muliitudinous illusions to the poor.
especially in the New Testament-(we haso no
ancient stalistics-ior they are a modern sci.
encc)-we may infer that poverty aboundcd in
the great cities OF antiquity. Considering that
under the Roman Empire, one-hal( the population
was composed OI slsyes-all with scarce an
exception white by the way, and in bondage,
whether Of the highest education or sunken in
ignorance-we may suppose that there was
prOdigious poverty az d rule among the masses.
In the city Of Rome, after the wars which es-
tablshed the Augustan era the authorities
took d very simple way to feed souie hundreds
Of thousands of rabblement. They LAID the
corn -granaries Of Egypt the Archipelago, Sicily,
Africa, and even Spain and Gaul, under con-
trbution; and ships Brought TO vaster marine
dock near Rome than Europe a century ago
could show, the food for her mssses. Ia
Athens we do not find the same rule 40 fully
carried out; but there were some glimmerings
Of the modern system OF charities: the rich
once q month gave sustaining supplies to the
poor
The cruel system Of the Roman Empire
during the Decadence, the enormous taxation,
the barbarous inyasioDs the extension OF Slay.
cry, contributed TO tho growth Of the Monastic
system of nascent Christianity. The oppressed
and the hungry fed to them for protection aud
food, and the early practice of tho church
being property in common, and no interest
or usury as the Bible terms it, for money
these Monastic institutions became very numer-
Gus, and were self-sustanDg, the brothers
laboriug diligently for their own support. With
the growth of cathedrals the care Of the poor
became more ard more matter Of definite in
terest, and to certain extent OF scientific
regulation. The fund or box for the poor was
part Of every Christian temple. By degrees, the
State took hold of indulgence; but there are
some facts broadly stated in history respecting
the treatment they received in Christian
countries that palsy belief In tie
reign Of Henry H., for example, il
IL related that souo fifty thousand
vdgrsnts we're executed. The desoations and
prosecutions OF po7c-ty III France sharpenei
The guillotine, aud created tho r6aa11c.t chapter
in history. The long Tory wars of England
made her howl like hungry wolf at their close.
Terrible suffering, Manchester riots, fierce
radicalsm, followed. Still the poor had 10
poet, no idealist. Byron ragged agan.t war.
md his later works, Sardanapalus," and
sven the lascivious A" Don Juan" are most di.
rccted against heroes, farrow of that SOW.
Fome"-but no note of his sounded through
Europe like the Song Of the shirt" by
Hood. Miss Porter drew tears from all the
by the polite sufTerings of
. Thaddeus of Warsaw" but the suiierings Of
rhaddeus were receiving salary as teacher
n London instead of castigating white serls in
Poland. This hollow, shallow, tawdry saw.
Iust-and-spanglc literature, was not relieved by
he writings Of Sir Waltor scott-for bis soul
vas saturated In caste-though certain large
eartedness not very large. made him patron
re Ideally tao comparatively poOr-the jenny
)ears-but never tho God-iorsaken, ragged,
oueess voicsless tprrbs pOor