The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-04-26
Destitution in this State.

we extraot the following from the
New York Times, of Monday:
Col. John B. Palmer, the agent of
the New York Southern Relief Com
mission, at Lexington, S. c., gives,
IN recent report, some facts that af-
ford glimpse of the terrible destitu-
ton of the people about him. He
says, among OF nr things, that two
cases of actual starvation have como
to his notice-an aged widow and q
daughter. 1t seems that these poor
creatures, left penniless by the war,
had subsisted as best they could,
living from hand to mouth, selling
their furniture, bedding and clothes,
until finally they shared with the dogs
the garbage of the street, living on
the filth and refuse of the town, until
death released them from wretched-
ness and debasement.
The commissioners record is full of
dismal but suggestive reading, and
the number of "extreme cases" is
startling. The fact is, we have be-
como so familiar with destitution.
starvation, hardship, suffering and
kindred phrases, that we take them
In at one ear and let them out at the
other. Our contributions have not
been liberal, not even ordinarily ge-
nerous, and the same remark applies
to the subscriptions in Boston, Phila-
delphia and other large cities. The
church collections, about which so
much was snid, resulted in nothing
the day was stormy and the matter
was postponed. Since then, dribblets
have beeu sent to the authorized
commissioners, but nothing of any
consequence.
In the meantime, the accounts
from official sources continue to ap-
peal to Northern sympathy for help.
''s3|aN S2me officials send word of the
zion, throughout South Caro-
lima more particularly, of anti
Northern intercourse societies among
the "better classes" of Southern
people-word which, in certain quar-
ters has preiudicial and unfair effect
upon the minds of those who might
be disposed to give. It is unfair,
because assistance is withheld not
from the anti-intercourse people, but
from the poor whites, the ''sand-
hillers,". who were forced into the
Confederate armies, and, after years
of unpaid service, return to their
families, unable to support them, per-
haps needing support themselves.
A letter from Gov. Orr states that
the wheat harvest, on which so much
depends, cannot be gathered until
the 1st of July, and that at least 400. :
600 bushels Of corn will be needed to
support tho destitute by gratuitous
distribution in that State alone. The
store of corn on hand at the date of
his letter was not sufficient to provide
the very poor with three weeks ra-
tlons. What will, in the meantime,
appease the cravings of the unfortu-
nate, mono can foresce.
Within the week, letter has been
received by well known scholar of
this city from q lady, with whose
family in other days frequent cores
pondencc was exchanged, in which
she states that her hnsband-a pro-
mlnent literary man of South Carroll
na-ls confined to the house by i'll
ness. Her little children, accustomed
to luxury and refinement, are hungry
and half-naked, and she is almost
crushed under the cmbarrassments
that encounter her single handed
strength. She asks no money, but
clothing of any kind for her children.
such facts as these should arouse
the vcriest Gradgrinds to the terrible
reality of Southern destitution.
----->
The Springfield Mass Republicn,