Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-28

II
knowledge and enlightenment, exhibits to
an admiring world. Cromwell, the merci-,
less hero of the Ptiritans, has found an eulo-
gfst. Frederick of Prussia has Carlisle
to recommend him. When shall full JUS
tiee be done to Alaric, and Attila be reeog-
nized as the pacifcator and benefactor of
mankind? But modern philosophers have
devised happy -knack of dealing with all
disasters not their own and lull themselves
into contentment with the easy conviction,
that whatever is, is'best"-a very consol-
ing creed: Nay, l perceive that a too SEN
sitive philanthropy hesitates to relieve hui
man suffering from fear lest such suffer-
ing should be the result of error and sin,
and every attempt to mitigate it should
thwart the vengeful designs of an angry
God. Far from US, oh, far from US be this
impious thought. The God we serve is not
Jupiter9 grasping the red lightning of de-
struction;, not Mars, the aTenging and tri-
umphant; not Pallas Athene, all armed,
the personification of reason-cold. pitiless,
severe; our heaven is no Valhalla, where
round the celestial festive board only con-
querors are seated. We. pray to t:our Fa-
ther," and we are his children, white men,
black men, red men-they that dwell in the
palace or 1anguish in the Jail, all living on
his bounty and hopeful of his mercy and
forgiveness. With us Catholics, charity is
not a matter of reason or calculation or
sentiment, but of duty and religion, and TO
our charity no barrier can be known, nor
can any difference of race, or creed. or
language or color exclude any sufferer
from his right to place in the great BROTH
erhood of man, Why are you here to-
night? Not to hear me speak; / know it
well. am but avoice, family striving to
give expression to your desire to aid the
cause of Christian charity, which for near
cause of true civilization, of the true
republic, of liberty, equality, fraternity,
reaching as far as the broad earth
extends, as deep as the sea of human sorrow
mot in word alone or seeming, not in any
action that man mi ght play, but n work,
in acts of quiet, SILENT practical benevO-
lepce. Philosophers may theorize; philan-
thropy may sigh; religion feels not only
for suffering, but with suffering, and flies
to its relief. Look around you. You need
not look far to find sorrow that every natU-
raj tie, every generous impulse, every wise
purpose, every manifest duty call you to
pity and assuage. The voice of mourning
comes to you, not from far away, not from
beyond the Atlantic, not doubtful or Soft
ened or subdued by distance, bnt from near
at hand, and in tones too real, too clear, too
poignant to be unheard or forgotten. Here
in this American republic here among a
people knit together by every bond that
common language, lineage, Inheritance, in
terest and hope could weaye-here among
States not yet one hundred years united
have come civil dissension, discord, civil
war. Aye, in this favored land, on whose
broad expanse iIlinitable fertility, unend-
ing loveDiness, humanity weary of the
error, foilies, crimes of the elder world,
might not without reason have hoped to
find its lost Eden.
Here where nature loved to trace
-f5f As if for gods, a dwelling place..
NHd sTef charm and iSs ssass hath mid
There man, enamor'd Of distress. ..fJ.@
And trample, brute like, Ger each flower,
That tasks not one laborions hour
~. Nor claims the culture of his hand -
To bloom along the fairy land i..**s
But springs IS to preclude his care,
Strange, thaS where all is peace beside,
gs- There passion riots in her pride. @
And strife ard discord wildly reign,
lh, TO darken Ger the fair domain.
It is rs though the fends prevaild
iij Against the seraphs they assail'd,
And, fixed on heavenly thrones, should dwell
81 The freed inheritors of hell. %
Shall go on? Need / say more? Do
you not know that throughout the South
err States there is distress, hunger, misery
in every form, some at least of which
money may relieve? There the pride of the
people is broken, their hopes are wrecked,
their dearest, fondest memories lingeF over
graves. The storm of war; like the red
tblast from hell, has swept aEfQsS tfft; laiafia
land left utter desc ion IN Its track Ifl:
tFegiors but q few years go rich i 4efti
and bloom, neither homestead. nor barn
/ nor fence, nor harvest eah now be seem
Sheep and shepherd, ploughman ami
plough, cattle and herdsman, sewer and
seed, all are gone, and few remain, save
those who are too weak to work-the wild.
ows aud the orphans of the blighted land.
There comes from it no loud voiced lamen-
tation--no Inendicant appeal. But if your
hearts listen, they can hear the low sigh of
hearts whose sorrow is too deep for other
utterance Oh, forget politics, forget fac
ton, forget prejudice. Let no angry
thought break this truce of God. Listen
with all your hearts, as the Samaritan of
old listened to the cry of distress that led
him to hasten to the succor of lie knew not
whom. Aye; who was that wounded way
faref that had fallen among thieves? Had
not his own indiseretion contributed to his
misfortune? Like enough the Pharisee so
questioned and went his way. Was it alto
gether respectable to be seen in such doubt
full company +? Perhaps the Levite was not
| clear on that point, and so he lefG the
wounded alone. The Samaritan did not
lfquestion, did not think, did not argue, or
doubt or reason, but listening to the voice
of Heaven within him. he saw before him a
suffering man, and could not choose but
help him and pour balm into his wounds.
and tend him as brother by brother should
be tended There is a wisdom of the heart
better-far better than all the wisdom of
the head. But 1 have heard people say
what can we do to relieve this Southern
distress Pit is a calamity too large for our
little help. There are times when trifling
services count for much; there are moments
when even word of kindness frankly
spoken is worth more than,the eloQuence of
the orator, or the schemes OF the politician.
A cup of water Is but little; and yet.a cup
of water, set within the reach of feVered
lips, may give shock of pleasure to the
frame more sweet than draughts of
nectar in happier times-nay, dear and
priceless in mans dreariest hours Is the
mere kno Wedge that he is not all forsaken
and another of the great family is near and
feels. So let our help to these sorrowing
women and children in the South, be it
much or little, be given freely and with all
our hearts. Let there be no delay about it.
Let others make speeches about the South,
refashion it, reconstruct it, reorganiZe it,
infuse into its exhausted veins some OF the
energy and fever and unrest of the Yictori-
GUS North. But while they proceed to re-
construct, let US make haste to teed, and
let the future decide which effort has been
more timely or successful. do not know.
1t may be that something in my blood
makes it easier for me to understand and
sympathiZe with the kind of sorrow that
now affliets the Southern communities.
am an Irishman, and the bitter memories
of defeat the eternal consciousness of sub
jugation, have darkly; interviewer them
serves lnLO the texture OF lrlSn character,
Land given even to its music-the last utter
ance now left it-that wild and gloomy
lcadence which sometimes closes its merri-
est, widest sallies with sob of despair
So it is that sympathy with sorrow is innate
to the Irish nature. t'Non ignOYo mali mise
riis succmrere disco.s But not to those who
have suffered alone should human sympa-
thy be familiar. What man can foresee his
own future, or say when he too may need
the assistance of his fellow man +? What
nation so great that it is above the reach OF