The Van Buren press., 1867-09-27
The Yankees at Home.
FROM A srErcTt BY BENJAMIN y. BrTLER
ESQ, At CnhILrsrowN, MAssA-
i cnrsErr, IN 1859.

Esg, NJ fuisIfNIoNNs MAssA-
cnrsETT, ~ 1859.
Let us look at another thing by which
propose 10 show that while our Ropub
llcan friends have been so busy looking
after the interests of the negro, that they
have neglected the interests ofthe whites.
The subject to which l would now call
attention, has been already alluded to by
the chairman-thc evils are now, here
shown in clearer light than in our sys-
TEN Of pauper charity According to the
statistics furnished by the present State
Legislature, rs a report ofthcir own COM
mttee, it is moro dangerous TO spend n
year in Massachusetts almshouse than
it would have been to have led the charge
of the Zouavcs at Magenta. ] see that
this statement strikes some ofyou almost
with dread Let me repeat There was
a larger proportion of the regiment which
led the attack at the battle of Solferino
came ont from the battle than there were
Of the paupcrs of 1858 who came out
alive from the State almshouscs or Mas
sachusctts. Sensation Allow me to
give YOU the figures. How many was the
average number Of paupcrs in the State
almshouse during the year 1888? Tween
ty-sevcn hundred and some odd How
many died in the year ending October,
1852 Six hundred and sixty six -one
in every four. Every fourth man, wo-
man, and child that went into tho State
almshouse Of Massachusetts died and was
buried in the Pottcr's field Of paupcr's s
burial ground Three hundred and for
ty.ono children, under the age Of five
years, died in those charnel houses, and
the physician of one of these houses,
says he does not expect to rear but three
per cent Of the children brought there I'M
der one year old Three out of hun
drcd-all the other ninety seven to go TO
namcless grave! Why this whole
Commonwealth felt outraged because
there came report from Kansas that six
or eight men had been killed aud yet our
mothers, and wives, and daughters
secured the country for old clothes and
other comforts to send to the people of
that Territory. Laughter. In the
same year, three hundred and odd chill
dren, Of Massachusetts soil, died like
dogs in kennel in our own almshOuses,
while we were weeping over the imagin-
airy wrongs of Kansas! Cheers Again
ask, my friends, is it not time that We
looked at home? Where is Mrs. Stowe ?
Where is Greeley in the 7ribuaeg Where
is the extra philanthropy Of the humani-
tarians? Where is that denouncer of
great and good men, Wendell Phillips ?
Where are all these men who regulate
the affairs of the people afar OFF, Is
there not ample room for their charities
here at home? One hundred and sixty
five people dying at Bridgewater; one
hundred and fifteen at Tewksbury, and
one hundred and one at Munson! Forty
infants died in two months Oh! but
they were Uhae children. Laughter.
Why look after them? do not wish to
harrow your feelings further by going in
to statistics. l only ask you if 1T is not
time we ceased to look after the wrongs
of the negroes at the South, and look a
little after the people at home But if
any Know Nothing friend of mine will
say, this is Of no consequence, that these
people. or the largest portion of them,
were merely Irish paupers, to him / an
swer that the great majority of them
were native born citizens Of Massachu-
sets, entitled to every protection that
Massachusetts gives to any of her citi
zens, applause, and the very largest
proportion Of them were born on this
Continent III am told that, Oh, these
were the old, the infrm, and the sick, .
| have to say that out Of these 66l, 34l-
more than half--were under five years OF
age immortal souls, brought into this
world, and placed in the care of Massa.
chusetts charity, Massachusetts philan
thropy and they have gone to God who
gave them, and it is for US to render an
n A