Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-10-26
THE FAMIN IN d

crop IN large sections OF BRUSH Anu'A "A'
produced a famine from which thousands
have persisted, and millions are in danger
of perishing of starvation. In ancient
times such calamities could not be averted,
because food could not be transported to
great distances, nor exchanges made to
pay for it, nor could the inhabitants be
moved to regions Of plenty. But now,
with grea, fleets Of merchantmen, with
railroads, with telcgraphs and all the IA
~eili,ies for transporting food from the re-
gions Of plenty to those Of scarcity, the
world looks for a Government to see the
u Of the country brought into use
fer this purpose. Commerce will often
to q large extent better fulfill the duties Of
this transportation than any Government,
and so long as the great natural laws OF
supply and demand can meet these ext
gencies the less the public authorities in
terfers the better. It Is q proof OF the best
sort Of Government when such exigencies
can be met by the operation Of ordinary
laws Of trade, without any special enact
ments. But when exigencies do arise,
then for q Government TO leave millions to
perish without an effort, 10 to show itself
unworthy the possession Of that supreme
social power which is the nearest repre-
sentative Of the Divine Government on
earth. Yet i, is complained Of the Gov
eminent OF India that it is sitting per-
fsctly still, and, so long as the poor people
die quietly and in q orderly sort oil q
way, remains unmoved. It is only when
they become tumultuous that tho officials
interfere, and then to shoot them down.
"Order reigns in Warsaw" is a motto
found insufficient to meet the expectations
Of the nineteenth century.
In France, if there is o famine, or .
food, or a pessilencs, the Emperor gener-
ally goes to the spot in person, inspect, it,
has reports drawn up about it, and re-
lisyes with his own hands, or by his
agents, some Of the worst cases OF dis
trsss. A large part Of this work is very
fussy and ostentatious, and not half 30
thorough as soms English commission,
but it At leas. shows that . French Gov
ernmsnt considers it its duty to concen-
,rass the powers Of society to take care Of
the people and bring food to the doors Of
the industrious, to think for them and
plan for them-a fact which English off,
cisls are far from conceding, even to them
selves. Possibly half this famine might
have been avsr,ed had even tho facts Of
the shortness OF the crop in the particu-
lar dntrict been published to the world
when 6rst ascertainsd. A little pains
would have brought in large supplies, and
had arbitrary power been eIerted, and
dspots Of food been transported and sold
at cost to meet such an exigency, it would
have been both right and wise.
It must be remembered that in India
the working classes live in a degree Of
poverty and dependence that not even the
negro slaves in Louisiana ever knew. To
crowd on these the responsibilities Of ei,i-
zsnS-so expect from them foreshought
and ability to lay in stores of provisions
against famine-is absurd, and the most
dsspo,ic sway on earth would Do infinitely
preferable to q Government which in the
name Of freedom leaves millions only free
to starve. In Ireland, when the potato
rot reduced the country to famine, private
charity was encouraged and drawn out
immensely, the clergy acted As agents,
and the press drew out tho sympathies Of
the world once and again. But in India
there is no press. there are only a few
scattered missionaries, the magistrates are
mere Government agents; and thus the
military and the tax collectors are about
all the functionaries through whom the
Government is represented to the people.
1t will DO ages before the Government Of
India can rightly leave famines to be met
BY the laws Of commerce and Of supply
and demand.