Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-03-28
Speech of Hon. Frederick H.. Wood
bridge,
ON THE SUBJECT OF RELIEv TO THE soCTH,
/" the House Of Representation, March
1871, 1867.

Mr.. Chairman, in discussing this ques-
tion shall assume that there are thous.
ands of our fellow. citizens within the
lately rebellous States who are now, and
for few months to come will be, suffer
ing for want Of food. We have a report
from the Christian soldier, Gen. Howard,
that such is the fact; and | may say
that in private conversation with that
gentleman he assured me of the neces-
sity Of material aid aud the propriety of
legislative action. am told by my
friend from Ohio IMr. Binghaml that
since 1t has been intimated that General
Howard was not in favor of this appro-
priatiOn, he has received a letter from
him, stating that no person is author
lied to make such declaration.
will read statement respecting the
condition Of the poor Of the South from
the New York Times:
THE Cay OF ANGUIsH.-'We have
neither money nor corn. Can and will
you let me have fifty bushels till I can
make a crop? | will surely pay you.
have fifteen freedmen hired, and we
can get no corn. If your Christian peo-
pie could see our sutferings, feel that
the sympathetic tear wOsld come to
their eyes. Only think for a moment
last year we had eleven weeks and no
rain. Our C1rn fell in the fields, and
there is nothing but abeCt want before
us.
80 writes Mr.. II. Edmonds, OF Ridge
way, Fairfield district South Carolina,
in q letter received yesterday by the
Southern Famine Relief Commission of
this city. His appeal comes with the
Endorsement of Rev Richard Fuller D.
D., of Baltimore, to whom he is person
ally known. His letter represents dis
tress that reaches through nearly every
district of South Carolina, and includes
not fewer than Il hundred thousand peo-
pie. Planters have no seed to put into
the ground and no bread to feed the
laborers needed to prepare the ground
for crop. Whole families are known
to have lived on corr husks for weeks.
"What is true of South Carolina is
also true OF large sections OF middle and
northern Georgia, and OF more than half
the counties of Alabama. Some sections
of North Carolina and Mississippi are in
the same condition, though not to the
same extent. But it is believed. on the
authority of much painstaking inquiry,
that there are at least three hundred
thousand people In the above States who
must have relief from the oenevolently
disposed people Of the North to prevent
suffering which the heart shrinks from
SOUth G ipnnly
impoverished to feed her own starving
population, and the bread and the seed
must come from the North.
"The simultaneous appeal appointed
to be made from all the pulpits through
out the country tomorrow should be
responded to with generosity that will
give the Commission 100000 to expend
10 its timely and benevolent work. Mr..
James NJ, Brown, No. 81 Wall street, is
the treasurer, and will see that the
money is faithfully applied to the uses
for which it is contributed"
Now, sir, such being their condition,
| am in favor OF the resolution. Sir,
the amendment proposed by the gentle
man from Massachusetts Mr. Butleri
to which | am opposed, as l am also
equally opposed to the substitute for she
same offered this morning. was not, IN
nv estimation, presented with the idea
that it would meet the approval OF the
House, but rather with the Intention OF
defeating the original measure. 1 for
Ole do not like such legislative fness-
ing. prefer to meet a question upon
its merits fairly and squarely. The
gentleman well knew when he intro
duced the substitute that he was placing
the members of the House in disagree
able if not in a false position. The cou-
stituency which we represent Go not de-
mand the passage of such proposition.
The people who are to be aided thereby
do not demand it. 1t is unwise to vote
for It. aud by voting against 1t the gen.
tleman well knows that We may SUBJECT
ourselves to the calumnies OF dema-
gogues as being recreaut to the interest
and false to the necessities OF those wild
ows aud orphans Who have nothing lelt
on earth but the fair fame OF fathers and
h,o,ka-a ,,h,. gsva an their ives on the