The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-05-01
mo. 45
Destitution in the South,

| Destitution in the South.
/ The following letter from Governor
Orr exposes the necessities Of our pco.
pic:
CoLuMH1A,S S. G., April lG 1867.
Lamrc"cc .Sungston, Esq, Sevehyy
bo"'| Of Commissioners, No. 70
South street, BoHimorc Nd.
My DEAR SIR: Your esteemed fa-
ror OF the 18th inst, was received last
Night, informing nc that tho Board Of
Commissioners for the State Of Mary
land, Tor the relief OF the destitute Of
! thc South, propose sending to this State
Itt2cn thousand bushels Of corn and
| lorty thousand pounds of bacon.
The humane action of your Legisa-
tare challenges the admiration and alice
ton OF our people ono and all, and tho
starving thousands whom your donation
will relieve from their gr,cvous distress
Will never forget their generous bone
factors.
The extent Of the dcs,;tut;on is truly
appalling, and without the most liberal
donations from more favored sections,
do not know how it is possible for our
population to be subsistcd until tic
gathering 0. amcthnrcrop
IN unusually large quantity of wheat
Las been sown in those sections whero
IL has heretofore been grown, and if tho
harvest should prove to be full one.
much OF the suffering in the northern,
wctcrn and middle'portions orthc State
VIII be relieved by the middle OF July.
In the Southern and eastern sections,
embracing one kali Of the State, very
little wheat has ever been grown, and
no reEci IS promised from brcadstulrs
until the corn crop shall DO gather
ed.
Up to the first Of July I am satisfied
that ono hundred thousand bushels of
corn must be imported into the State
Tor gratnilous distribution to save tlous-
amos from the scVcrcat want and hun.
drcd' from actual starvation.
AiLcr that time, Il, rs already stated,
the wheat crop should prove to be a
lnll one, the wheat supplies required %
sustain lie up to the corn gather
ing season will be greatly reduced.
The bacon sont will be gratefully re-
ceivcd. Ono fourth Of the entire popu.
lahon OF tho State, in my Judgment,
have been sphSicing for himv 1oys
past 'c'hout nacat and this contribution
Will therefore afford in reality luxury
to many who have not tasted it for
weeks. | would not, however, advise
mat any large proportion Of the funds
which you propose donating to tho
suffering Of tins State should be in
meats, as human life may be subsistcd
upon brcadstutiS, and the want is so
universal that bread and meat cannot
be furnished in adequate quantities to
supply all.
l telegraph you this a. Mr., request
ing that four thousand bushels Of corn
and ten thousand pounds of bacon should
bo shipped to Wilmington, N. c.,
which may be distributed over the cast
crn section Of the by the Wilmington
and Manchester, Chclaw and Darling
ton and Northeastern Ra.lroads; and
the remainder to Charleston. Supplies
are in the the hands Of the Frccdnicn'a
Burcou, and are in process of dstribu.
ton along the coast. I therefore havo
not requested you to mako shipments
either TO Georgetown or Beaufort.
BE pleased to communicate to tho
Board whose representative you are.
and through them to the Legislature of
the State Of Maryland, my profound
Acknowledgements in behalf Of the suffer.
ing people Of this State for the noblo
and generous relief they have been
pleased to extend to us in this hour Of
ttibnlation and distress.
I have the hcnor to be, very sincerely
your obcdcnt servant,
JAMES l.. ORR,
Governor Of South Carolina.