The New York herald., 1870-03-22
Congregational Acts Of Charity and Justico--
But What OF the Claim Of liucoInt


But What or the Claim Of Liucoint
Yesterday, on motion of Mr.. Dawes, from
the Committee on Appropriations, In the House
of Representatives, and under suspension Of
the rules, a bill In behalf Of charitable insti-
tuition was passed which will meet the general
approval Of the American people. We refer |
to the bill appropriating twenty thousand dol |
lars to the Catholic Sisters of Mercy, Of |
Charleston, s. c., for the purpose Of rebuild !
ing their orphan asylum and Gin considera- |
tion Of the services rendered by those Sisters |
to the sick and wounded soldiers of the Union |
army while said city was under b0mbardment |
during the war, the money to be expended
under the direction Of Sister M. Xavier" This !
is becoming recognition of debt due to
those worthy Sisters for services to the govern
ment In their adopted line Of religious duty
services given without money and without
price," 1t was fortunate thing for the sick
and wounded ssboys in blue" held as prisoners
by the enemy in Charleston during the war
that they fell under the gentle ministrations of
those good Sisters, as many grateful patient
thus restored TO health aud strength win bear
witness.
The war in many ways and things has, on
the score of charity and humanity, required the
Intervention of Congress. The Freedmen's
Bureau, for instance, much as it has been de-
nounced, especially by the opposition party
press, as an institution for the encouragement
of negroes in idleness, was, in its day, god
send to the destitute Southern whites, rebels
included-men, women and children-as well
as to the blacks. Witnesses from this Office,
wl.o have seen the distributions of corn and
In Georgia and South Carolina, testify that
large numbers of impoverished whites were
among the benefciaries, and that such was the
general destitution In those States 80 late as
May and June, 1867, that but for the timely
charity Of the government thousands Of their
helpless women and children, whites as well as
blacks, would probably have perished from
hunger. Aud 80 with the thousands Of des-
tltute blacks drifted into Washington on the
waves OF the war; However small their claims
upon Congress. the government could not per-
NIT them to starve under the shadow of the
Capitol
There are thousands Of cases Of Southern
loyalists impoverished by the war whose
claims are beyond the charity and beyond
even the justice of Congress, because, If
allowed, they would soon swell to an amount
which would swamp the Treasury. There
are certain exceptional cases, however,
which have been or should be attended to by
Congress. The recent appropriation, for in
stance, Of six thousand dollars for the benefit
of the, widow and children of Edwin N.
Stanton, and as one years compensation for
him as member Of the Supreme Court,
though given as an act of charity, will, by the
great body of the American people, be ac-
cepted as an act Of justice, but as falling
far short Of the claims of his family upon the
government. So in regard to the services of
General Grant to the Union cause, and Of
many others, men aud women, too numerous
here to mention.
We cannot, however, permit this occasion
to pass without reminding the two houses of
Congress of the claim of the family of
Abraham Lincoln. Under the peculiar cir
cumstances of this case we doubt whether
there is another government than ours In the
civilized world that would not have appro-
priated without debate the salary of the whole
Presidential term involved to the family
Of the faithful head Of the nation whose
life was sacrificed in it's service. But
the bill proposing pension Of five
thousand dollars to Mrs. Lincoln still
lies. we believe, under the table of the
Senate; and there has been such long
silence upon the subject in that body as to
leave the impression that even Mr.. Sumner
has concluded to drop it. But this is not JUS
tice to the memory of Lincoln. 1t is mean
evasion of an imperative duty; and in the
fact that Mrs. Lincoln, for economy's sake,
has been driven to the cheap living of an
obscure town in Germany, we have reproach
upon the government of the United States
which cannot be felt except as humiliation
by any unprejudiced citizen at home or
abroad.
DIsGRAoRFUL SCENES In KEY WEsT.-A
special telegram from Key West informs US Of
the attempted assassination Of Cuban few
days since, and that number of armed
Spaniards who recently arrived from Havana
are supposed to be implicated In the out
rage. This business Of Spaniards coming
across from Havana to American soil for the
purpose Of indulging in little blood-letting
has gone far enough. There are sufficient
opportunities for that kind of work in Cuba
for both Spaniards and Cubans. We want no
more such scenes as those which resulted in
the death of SeIor Castahon. Armed
Spaniards had better remain nearer Havana
than Key West and select other than American
soil for lawless deeds.
HONDURAS WANTS TO CONE IN-The
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