Owyhee bullion. [volume] (Silver City, I.T. [Idaho]) 1866-1867, 1867-06-06
RELIEF FOR THE SOUTH.

iannliiiar W Amerlcan ears, none less SuS-
gestive of actual experience, than those
two fearful words, famine and starvation.
For such were the bounties of nature in
this young western world, that there was
always enough, and to spare; the hands
even not sufficing for the harvest. The
poor European immigrant, fleeing from
the old land that held his fathers graves,
but could not keep his life, found him
self among people who knew not the
name of hunger; and the agonies of that
daily, desperate strife for bread, so vivid
ly painted in the saying, common to all
languages, Of the "wolf at the door," be-,
came to him as the fancies of half-rt-
membered dream. For America, the
land of peace, was the home of plenty;
and no portion of that happy land was
richer, more fertile, more Astounding in
the comforts of life, than the States of
the South. The large hospitality of the
Southern households, profuse, and even
wasteful as it seemed, was the natural
product of the region; q region so fruitful
that all men enjoyed as necessaries what
elsewhere were considered luxuries. The
poorest slave had his little piece offs ground
in his own right there was land for all.
Its but few years ago; and to day that
fair region is smitten as by the wrath of
the Almighty. The land is lain waste;
seed time and harvest have failed, and
the earth gives no more her Increase
War, and the misery that follows in the
track of war; ruined homes, desolate
hearths, sorrow and mourning for those
who shall never come again, and that
most bitter memory of the happiness that
once was; all these things the people of
the South have borne for these long
years, in sadness and in silence. But to-
day their cup runs over the last and
most cruel form of misery stalks among
them like the visible presence of Death.
Death by the slow torture that breaks
down the courage Of the brave, and the
faith OF the pious-death by famine, in
the face Of heaven, that shines sereIely
pitiless Of the green earth that withholds
her store-is upon them. The father and
the mother look on the wasting forms of
their children, the husband sees his wife
sinking, hour by hour old age and youth,
manhood and womanhood, perish slowly,
and with none to help. But not unseen;
they are dying without our gates, before
our very eyes, and within reach Of our
right hands. These people of the South
are our people. We have conquered
them in war we have yet to conquer
them by that love which shall make
them ours forever. They belong to us,
and we to them; children of one house,
yet how different in fortune! We pros
pered, and from our superfuity send food
to the ends of the earth; while our broth
ers are falling before us, like the famish-
ed millions of Orissa. Let us turn aside
for moment from the pride of our pros
perity; let us forget to count the gains of
our commerce, and remember that du-
ty calls, more sacred than any other
We know that the misery and the want
exist, and now we cannot hesitate to re-
lieve them. The blood of our brethren
will cry to us from the ground, if we for
get that God has given them into our
hand. The ready charity of individuals
has not waited for the action of ouu COM
munity as whole; but the good report
of our city demands that San Francisco
should act for herself, and worthy of her.
self, in this sharp emergency. The
splendor and the wealth of the great COM
mercial cities we may, one day, more
than rival let us see to it that, when the
day of decline shall have come upon our
power, men write our record as that of
city even more renowned for good works
and human sympathies, than for riches
and enterprise. To-day, what people
more secure than we? Yet a chance
spark, momentary earthquake shock,
may bring keenly home to us the calami-
ties of the Southern land. To-day is ours
in which to feed the hungry, and to
clothe the naked; tomorrow it will be
too late:
For who knows what the coming hour,