Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-09-18


or to VIM. p. Munford, Chairman OF the Army
Committee"
The foregoing appeal cannot fail at this time
70 attract the serious attention OF this commu-
nitv. and will, without doubt, strongly COM
mend itself TO '.the benevolent and patriotic
throughout the Confederate States y large
proporton of our population are without means
Of support, in consequence of a lack OF labor,
for which there is no demand. uemmed in
By the enemy on all sides, aud harder pressed
than ever, our wonted resources arc continual
II decreasing, and all the fields Of our labor,
save that Of war, becoming daily more and
more contracted-hencc mid-wintcr will pro-
baby find the poor, poorer than ever before !;
and season Of suffering unparalleled in the
history Of the South must be the inevitable
consequence, unless even Increased generosity
over the munfcence that has distinguished the
hubble, in their ever willing donations since
tue war begun, marks their conduct still
Driven in from the confines of the Confcdcracy,
thousands of impoverished, helpless, almost
naked women and children, the mothers, wives,
and daughters of our death-deyoted patriots III
the field, stand in our midst today, startled and
shivering at the prospect Of coming winter
and the sons of these their husbands and their
lovers in the tcnted-feld, forgatful Of their own
hard lot and many wants, look anxlousiy
back from the distant camp, with many tIe-
NOR for the possible fate of those who next 20
the image of their country in their hearts,
stand pre-eminently dear. Bat there's hard
" room for their fears; for surely the soldier
sentinel at his post of duty in the field must
have his counterpart of care in the watchlul,
ness Of public spirit at home. Never, in tie
history of the world, have the women and
children of a soldiery, fighting the battles of
their country's independence. been known III
perish when there was the ability to preserve
them. There is but little fear that the new
born Cnnfederacy will be an exception among
the nations; for her people hare both the abll-
ity and the will to protect and to preserve
The means is to be found in general contrihu-
tons, and there can be no better channel Ia
this end than through the Army Committee Of
the Young Mems Christian Association, the
chairman of which, as we have seen above, is
Col. Vim. p. Munford, of Richmond. 1t is a
fact which reflects the highest cre1.t upon this
indcraticable Christian gentleman and his CO.
adiutors in the field of mercy, that they have
already been the stay and comfort, indeed
the savours, Of thousands Of families of sol
liers, who would have persisted from want
but for their undivided attention and unceas-
ING efforts. We are informed that since the
beginning of the war, the Army Committee
have received, from private contributions alone,
more than ive hundred thousand dollars
worth Of property in clothing and food, which
has been distributed to the soldiers, to their
families, and to the poor generally in all parts
OF the Confcderacy, as well as one hundred
thousand dollars in money expended in medi-
cines and other high priced ncccssaries for the
INDECENT sick and suffering There will be M
falling off in these private donations; for, with
the increasing troubles Of the poor, will come
increased contributions for their help, from
the ever open Southern purse. The City
Council of Richmond, with a laudabc zeal,
made. not long since, some provision for the
poor within its corporation limits, but quite in
ADEQUATE to the general demand. AmaIority Of
the poor are to he found outside the city limits
which is beyond the proper sphere of city
legislation. The Army Committee Of the
Young Mems Christian Association, untram,
meled in its operations, unlimited in the sphere
of its duty and usefulness, throws the broad
mantle Of It's protection over the POOR of the
whole country. 1t is its province to provide
for the poor wherever they are to be found,
and the name Of Munford is sufficient guar,
anty that the law of its existence will be fully
carried out His modest appeal viii be read
and responded to by every Confederate who
has a dollar to spare.
When pressed by misfortunes, in many re,
spncs, not unlike our own, the suffering thou
sands of the Old World held out their hands 10
the New for help, not q vessel turned her Prov
frnm the American toward the European
shore that bore not its mountain-burdcn of
bread. The thankful voice Of onct starving
Ireland, grateful for American aid, rings in
the atmosphere still. Hungary and Greece
vet proclaim the generosity of Americans
1t is the characteristic of the Southern heart
to feel for the suferings Of others, and the
Southern hand follows ever the impulse OF
that heart, with free and lavish expenditure.
Not Ireland, not Hungary, not Greece, no for
i'm tongue calls on US now for aid. In the
DISPOSITION Of events, the mysterious arbitcr
Of our fates has transplanted misfortuncs
from the llearthstones Of others to our own
The voice goes up from our own midst to-day.
The mothers, wives, sisters, the little children
Of our gallant soldiers in the field, stretch
forth their hands for help: The soldiers
themselvcs-the sick, the wounded, the MAIN
el-appeal tn US as they pass US Ivy, not ir
words, but in that unmistakable language
which is stronger than words, that speaks tC
US from rent garments, bare feet, bent forms
listless, languid cyes-thc Language of evident
want Winter approaches, and with it the
trembling poor dread and behold before then
nakedness, starvation, dcath-which must be
their inevitable lot. unless timely and plcnti
full provision is made for them. There is ar
imperative necessity that ample means should
be placed at once by our people in the hand:
of the agents of the poor. Let the rooms Of
the Army Committee OF the Young Mems
Christian Association be, the coming winter
a larger receiver and dispenser than ever Of
clothing and food, so that not one man. wo