The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-02-10
From the Washington Chronicle.
n Plea for Humanity.

AAo" hidhy tucre are whose near1S AT
torn by descriptions of starvation an,
nakedness, as portrayed by the pen of tn
novelist and romance writer, But scene
of this terrible character, startling in al
their horrid reality. exist at this moment
in Washington. Old men, invalids. AM
babes are perishlng with cold and hunger
are homeless, starving. and naked
Friends of humanity, we call upon you
to aid according TO your means, and I,
aid now. before those for whom We plead
are in the arms of death. Remember, V,
that are Christians, that in sueoorins
these victims of a nations sins We are sue.
coring Christ; for, inasmuch as We do il
to the least of these, We do it unto him.
Listen to some fearful truths given by
Miss Josephine Griffin, benevolent lady
Of this city, who has personally visited
the poor, suffering wre:ches. and who has
been accompanied by number of us. 50
that We know of what We testify. The
sad narrative is given in her own simple
and graphic language. No word paint
ING could make it more impressive.
The abelition of slavery in the District
Of Columbia, in 1862, threw into the Ia.
Dor market a surplus of laborers, and had
IT not been for the demand for work al
the hospitals. in the cavalry service. at na-
vy-yards. and at other places in the War
Department during the past year, thous-
andS of women could not. with their large
families. have found labor and subsisted.
Awaiting themselves of this timely
providence, those women have bravely
succeeded in feeding their children and the
helpless old persons dependent upon them.
and in paying an eNorbitant rent for the
board shanties, stables, and wretched out
houses which they are compelled to oecu-
py, as a last resort, for shelter and home.
The cases for which we make our ap-
peal are generally the families of wives
and mothers of men in Government ser
vice, whose present whereabouts is un-
known TO these women.
1t is impossible to Judge which of their
wants is most imperious at the present
time, that of food, fuel, clothing. or bed
ding. A few cases from the hundreds
actually seen and personally visited 10y
Miss Griffin and several of us will show
the demand for charity on The part oI Ine
unfortunate sufferers
Within Il few DAYS an old woman sat
in her bed in a shanty where the melted
snow was dripping down on her pallet OF
rags, unable TO lie down, alone, having
lately buried two children. There was
no appearance of fire. no wood. and in
the house nothing to eat She had beg
ged match, which lay Oh stool by her
bed, that she might Z" light ii in the night"
as she said ito make the night seem
shorter
Near by was mother and an undress-
ed infant. two days old, with another
yearling in the bed with her TO keep ii
warm. She had eaten nothing for twen-
ty-tour hours, had no fire, and :, child.
nine years old, was washing in cold water
RAGS TO sell, 10 bye. if possible. a loaf OF
bread Her husband had been n soldier
in the army SIX months. and during the
time she had not heard from him.
a few squares away are Sally CLAYTON.
daughter, and two grandchildren. The
husbands of both these women are al
Key West. in government employ. The
daughter with young infant, undressed.
with no fire, no bread, and no means to
get either. has nearly persisted already.
On Fourteenth street is an old. gray
haired man, who has, by the consent Of
his master, as he says. preached the Cos
pei Of Christ great many Years. He
sleeps on board, with a stick of wood
for pillow. He has no means of getting
either fuel or food. has no shirt on hiS
back, and his shoes are little better than
none His arm and color bone broken,
and he cannot perform hard labor.
In the southern part of the city are six
children. Their mother, Mrs. jackson,
died few weeks since, from exposure
and want of food. The poor creatures
were huddled together like sheep in a
storm, two of the little ones barefoot. all
Of them in rags and shreds of garments,
and old shoes picked up in the Streets
The eldest was delicate glrl of twelve
the youngest babe, year old. They
had no fire, and no appearance of having
eaten anything for the last twenty-foul
hours, as they said they had not. They
were some distance from house, and the
yard around them was one expanse Of
mud.
On Capitol Hill, in stable, are two
families of twelve persons, occupying less
room than is required by two respectabl,
horses. An old man is crippled with a
fever sore; ayoung girl has consump
ton; a babe is dying for nourishment
Il motherless boy of twelve has pneumo
MIA an old man works hard to paw tn,
rent, twelve dollars month, and a widow
OF fifty is their dependence for bread. A
narrow plank bed and common bed
stead accommodate part, and the re,
malnder of them lie upon the broken
bricks upon rags They were without
fire, bread or blankets.
An old slave woman, ninety years Of
age, has taken shelter in a stable, her poor
pallet occupying all its room, excepting a
small space not large enough for her coffin.
No ray of light comes in at noon-day.
She sits there alone, with no possible
means of subsistence, and yet not alone,