New-York daily tribune., 1866-02-12
HELP FOR I.iEBAWA.

We invoke the charity of the North for the
fIminc-strickcn population of Alabama. We be-
leye there is no doubt that, unless aid he gener-
ously and promptly sent from the North, a very
great number Of the people of that state must
perish for want Of food. A report laid recently
before the Alabama Legislature, from a Com
mittee on Destitution and Supplies, including
all the counties of the State except nine pre-
sents the following irghtiu statistics:
In the counties from which reports have been re-
ceiyed there nroirs housaHa frc hH"dTsd and Mg
dfsfnHfs ffmi.icf, numbering Wigfho hOasdHa h'He
hHndred and nrsq:y-0Hs Pcrsohst
The amount required per month Tor The support oi
these families n estimated by the Committee 1t one
LrHdrrd and eighfu.0Hc hOHsdHd EiHc hYHdrcd and
rtHfig-sfrsu dDiiars-at the rate Of tao millions one
hundred and eighty three thousand dollars er annum
These statistics refer exclusively TO the whites.
The Seina Times, from which we take the
above. explains the condition Of these sufferers
more fully, as follows:
Here are 5000 persons without bread or meat, aud
without the means OF obtaining either where the! are
or Of removing favored localities where iood
might be obtained for labor.
They cannot Obtain food here they are for ore
has surplus TO pose of at any price IN the more deS
titute of The countes they canLo Obtain elsewhere
for they have nothing buy II with aud no means o
hermit them 10 staryc--they must be ied
The State Treasury is empty her credit Is I'm
paired her people Impoverished her interests are
al parayzed-wherc and how and from whom is she TO
provide the means Of feeding her starving ehidreni
We answer, OF course from the North and
from the Government. This is a case which
only needs TO be presented. 1t need not be put
ON the ground of loyalty, though We know that
many of these unhappy men were true to the
ilag throughout the war: their Claim needs only
10 be urged on the score Of humanity. Rich
and prosperous spite of the war, the victorious
North can afford. and will rejoice, 10 spare from
il, oyerAowing opulenceanough to relieve the
necessities Of its former enemies. The Govern
men, il doing something. Through the much
rnalioned Freedmens Bureau, il distributed last
month thirteen thousand rations daily. This
went to Blacks and Whites alihe-exactly as any
Gifts from private charity ought to go. lhe
Blacks certainly are not any better oil than the
Whltes-are presumably worse OIL in respect OF
food and clothing and shclter-and have surely
greater claim on the ground Of loyalty. But
White and Black, loyal and dsloyal, are suffer-
ING equally from hunger, and will equally excite
the svmpatLics Of those who Gre able TO send
them aid.
The Legislature Of Alabama is making some
effort toward relief, but is crippled for want Of
means. Its Committee has recommended an
appropriation of Sl,OOo,oOO; but that sum, ii
voted, must be raised by loan, and the political
condition of Alabama is not favorable to the
negotiation of loan. The security is question
able. Gov. Parsons, when here some months
since for similar purpose, found capitalists
shy of investing in bonds which nobody, per-
haps, might DC authorized to sign in behalf OF
the State; 30 that project fell through. But in
a question of charity we shall not consult
technicalities. Proper effort, with publica-
ton of the facts, and some organization to coz
lect and receive subscriptions, will do more Tor
the present need Of Alabama than any financer-
ing operations in Wal-st. We sincerely hope
such a movement will be set on ioot-wth the
understanding Of course, that its rfocecds are
to be impartialIy distributed. without regard to
race or color.