The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-23
FEED THE HUNGRY.

that they should be paid.
FEED THE HUNGRY.
o1n faith and hope the world win disagree
But all mankind's concern 1s cnarltyi
Is the noble sentiment of tie poet, but, we
! much fear. not as true Us noble. And although
# almost sounds like travestie, we are tempt
ed to say that here as elsewhere we hnd tne
application of the homely adage that what IS
eyerybody's business is nobodys business
s.The drying up Of single tear has more OF
honest fame, than shedding seas of gore" reads
yery well, but finds unfortunately too little
practical faith among men. No sermon, lee
ture or essay is needed TO tell us that it is our
duty to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked.
The obligation is universally recognized All
that is needed is to bring the sense OF obhga-
tion home in such manner as to cause an efh-
cient discharge Of the duty.
We have heretofore in the United States,
and more especially in the South, been slngu-
larly exempt from calls Of this kind. The poor
were few, and mendicants all but unknown
While this undoubtedly was very pleasing TACT
connected with our late social system, 1t was
not without its advantages; inasmuch as those !
who have the poor always around them' and
from childhood have been taught to look upon
the dispensing Of charity as daily duty, per-
form it, as matter of course, to the extent OF
their means. In times Of famine or any other
unusual calamity, every nerve is strained Tor
it's relief and no spasmodic sensimentallty has
to be called into requisition to further the
laudable purpose. Calls for charity here have
been of such unfrequent occurrence, that we
have almost forgotten that this is one Of our
regular duties. The war also, we fear, with It's
concomitant evils, which have spared but few,
has contributed largely to increase our selfish
ness. We, are too prone, because now less able
to give, to shirk the duty altogether. zzss'
It is unnecessary for us to tell our readers
that never before was there so much want and
suffering in South Carolina, and, in fact, oil
over the South. The efforts to procure relief
have, been many and widespread. Noble
hearts in every part of the country, touched
viii the tale of distress and suffering, have re-
sponded, in some cases very generously, to this
cry. But this relief comes slowly and is en-
tirely inadequate. Why is it that these appeals
90 forth to the North and the far distant cities
Of the West, while we at home do little, almost
nothing, for the relief of those Of our own
household. We know we shall be told that we
are too poor, our resources gone, trade languid,
times depressing, and the uncertain future
gloomily lowering over us. And we cannot
gainsay these facts, and assistance cannot be
rendered without considerable self-sacri6ce.
But this sacrifice must be made. Charity is
not charity when it costs nothing-when we
merely give of our abundance. It then ceases ceases
to be charity, and becomes the qualification OF
sentiment, the indulgence of q refined luxury.
It is clearly our duty to share what we have
left with those who are suffering for the neces-
saries of life. If it is the duty Of those at q
distance to aid the suffering among US, how
much more is it ours to come to the assistance
of our brothers, our friends, our neighbors
<fGoYernor ORR, has recently made the start
ling announcement, that over l00,O 900 people in
South Carolina, do not taste meat once in 81
days.. and thousands know not where to find
bread for their starving children; nay, more
than that, he says that many cases of death
have already occurred from starvation. Many
who have not troubled themselves about the
combination of circumstances that produced
this resalt, express surprise at this alarming
state of things, and permit their prejudices to
mislead them as to the real causes. Mr.. But
LER in Congress, FoRNEY in the Philadelphia
Press, and others equally prejudiced, can only
see one cause for all the ills of the South, i. e.
the politicians So others, nearer home, IN
their se,6shness ascribe all existing evils to
the personal Incidence of the sufferers. How
this will account for the small crop of corn
everywhere produced because Of the general
drought Of last year or the more recent freshet'
or the high price of breadstuffs, and the great
scarcity Of money, we cannot see. The war is
certainly the first cause, the disorder in our sys-
tenn of labor the next, and the unpropitious
seasons perhaps the greatest and most I'M
mediately felt of all.
Some may have suffered because they cannot
readily adapt themselves to the change induc ID
by late events But these arc few, and fewer
still are those who ore suffering, they and their
families unwilling to work There
may be some unworthy; and it is impossible in
all cases to distinguish clearly. But we are
not called upon to do this Shall we let the
innocent perish, for fear of aiding the guilty
Does not all low and policy, both divine and
human teach the contrary! God maketh His
sun to shine upon the just and the unjust.
We need say no more. Our course is plain,
and we earnestly hope this admonition will be
needed. 1t is duty from which no one is cx-
empt. And then when we are doing all we can
ourselves for the relief of these unfortunates,
and still foil short of offering adequate succor
(as we know will and must be the case, we
can with the more confidence appeal to others
to come to our aid.
8Z.Gao-..--..--.N.-
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.