Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-01

The wearied of earth, seeking your care.
DRIFrwooD.
Cottage by the River, March 81, 1870.
The Suffering IsraeIites I'm Europe.
From the Jewish Messenger, March 49,
In response to the request of the Pres
ident of the Board of Delegates, we pub
lish the circular which has been for
warded to every Jewish Congregation in
the Union, and the various Lodges of the
Bnai BERTH and the Free Sons of
Israel Several have already responded
handsomely, as the Acknowledgements
thus far published will show.
We hope that every congregation will
take this matter into consideration, and
provide the Committee with funds where
with to relieve the distress of our breth-
rem in West Russia.
This is the circular:
THE DISTRESS IN WEST RUSSIA.
BOARD OF DEL, OF AMERICAN IsRAELITEs,)
Office of the Executive Committee,
NEW YORK, February l, 1870, $500.
To the Israelites of the United States:
The receipt of an urgent letter from
M. Cremieux, of Paris, President of the
Universal Israelite Alliance, admon-
ishes the Committee that the aid of the
benevolent is sadly required in. behalf of
the large Jewish population of West
Russia. Suffering SO fearfully from IA
mine and disease, they are bearing a
grievous burden; and, lacking the i'm
pulse of liberal laws to encourage their
industry, they have lost heart and energy,
and appeal peculiarly 10 the proyerbial
benevolence of their brethren.
1t is contemplated to promote their
migration to the interior of Russia, where
a genial climate, abundant crops, and
immunity from laws discriminating so
unjustly against them on the frontier,
may restore them to comparative COM
fort and Undue them with fresh hopes.
The Executive Committee are satisfied
that their co-religionists will respond with
their wonted generosity to this appeal
for substantial sympathy. In oon6rma-
ton of their cries of The urgency Of this
case, and the importance of speedy and
liberal aid for the unhappy lsraelites of
West Russia, the Committee present an
extract from the circular of the Alliance
Of last summer, and the present letter of
NJ. Cremieux.
Contributions will be received and
gratefully acknowledged by
Abraham Hart, President, 4S0 Library
street, Philadelphia; Benjamin j Hart,
Vice President, $50 Broadway, New
York; Leopold Coin, Vice President
1913 West Thirty-ninth street, New York;
Alexander S. Saroni, Treasurer, SO
Leonard street, New York; Myer S.
Issaes, Secretary, 243 Broadway, New
York.
lskfRAnT.l
Thousands of Israelites In the West
of Russia are at this moment august,
1862, prey to the horrors Of famine.
You cannot picture to yourself the fright
fnl spectacle which this deplorahle and
more than half decimated population
presents to the world,
In the streets, in the synagogues, in
the Bottle Midrasehim, hundreds are to
be seen daily dragging their famished
bodies along, and begging as last favor
that some friendly hand should put an
end 10 their sufferings. Even in the
schools we had the boys dying side by
side with their masters, the girls expir-
ing in the arms of their mistresses.
fListen to brief narration Of this
fearful and heart-rending catastrophe:
At Telchen hotber maddened by the
sight of the sufferings endured BIZ her
children takes knife and rips open her
body, to show that she had given every
thing 10 her children and reserved moth
ing for herself,
"At Purwine we see a mother, whose
children have brought her knife, ask
ing her TO cut them some bread with it,
plnnge it inta heF heart.
AT Schaulen an Odd woman, stretched
upon a wretched bed, refuses in her last
hour the bread proffered her, saying:
GIVE it to my children, and when | am
dead they will find treasure that | have
hidden for them The poor woman is
no more, they find her treasure 20 CON
sist of piece Of dry bread already half
mouldy.
Upon his return from Kowno, where
he had gone 10 administer relief, the
Rabbi Ruff, preacher at Memel, ex-
claims, in answer to some inquiries put
10 him; What have ! seen? Alas, the
bitter and ineffaeeable memories which ]
carry in my heart IN 9 hall where FIVE
hundred poor, emaciated children were
assembled, saw piece ofbread brought
in at midday and each Of those famine
struck little beings rushed TO eat his
share oft with the most terrible avidity.
Should those children have survived for
the morrow they had nothing wherewith
TO satisfy tbs cFayings of their hunger.
In every street famine and death stalk
fearlessly about