Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-06
TaEFAmINE IN PERSIA.

From across the water comes woful
tSle of famine and death in Persia. The
causes of so horrible scourge are found
in the drouth and in the oppressive rule
of the Mussulmsn. l. is reported in
foreign papers that last wiuter great mis-
cry was witnessed in Persia because of
the poor crops resulting from the drouth.
II is stated that in the province OF Phar-
istan, where the crops were particularly
small, the trouble was great, because this
province was means of supplying grain
TO some of the immediate sections, which
only engaged in cotton, opium or silk
raising. At that time the people were
driven to such extremes as to exhume
corpsss for their cannibalistic purposes,
having eaten grass and roots till they were
exhausted. At the present, also, the ter
rible practice is said to be repeated. We
cannot SO much wonder that the typhuS
fever and cholera rage after slch un-
natural crimes as these. But this ter
rible drought is supplemented and in-
creased by another cause; cause which
should secure the attention of every ma
ton, if not also call for foreign interven-
ton. The country people, against whom
a heavier than the usual over -burd-
ensome tax had been assessed,
fed to the cities for refuge,
where they were exempt. The people
only raise enough produce usually to sup
ply immediate wants, and 50 their great
influx to the municipalities cut short their
accustomed mesgre allowance, thus adding
to the misery caused by the universal
drought. The motive for raising a small
crop is said to be fear of the invasion of
the spoliating party of military despots
who render the peoples life full of fear.
With the soil on the one hand refusing 10
give up its usual products, and on the
other the tyranny of governor and the
raids of the military, the sufferers must
indeed feel that their lot is cast in peril,
Gus places. In the eastern part of the
country the death rate, at last accounts,
was three hundred day; and we cannot
answer for the future. 1t would indeed
be painful to have the story of 1882 re-
peated, when, in Bagdad alone, thirty
thousand died in a population of eighty
thousand. A bad feature of the famine, if
not one of the csuses of it is tina
Persia is almost destitute of com
munication with the rest of the world
The only means of Transporting merchan
disc is by mules, camels aud horses. L
is said there ia not a wheeled vehicle il
the length and breadth of the land, ant
transportation is, of course, very ex
pensive, and all commerce in bulky ar
ticles AMI food is pecuniarily impossible
There are lessons to be learned from thi
dread visitation. This country, once tbs
abode of power and wealth, of all tn;
royal magnifcence that the East could
boast, the fertile land which brought
forth abundan,ly, that was Inhabited by
people numbering many millions, has
been reduced to the hardest lot that Cal
befsll nation. Cities AID towns hav,
gone, civilization has given place to bes'
tisl communism, arabic lands and Verdan
fields have become almost q deseft aud 6
wilderness. The very means of fertility
the canals, which formerly threaded the
land-haye been allowed to fall into
ruins snl the waters of the great rivers
bursting through the banks, have torme'
vast ard unwholesome marshes. Ans
yet the people now inbabitiDg these land
once filled by the highest enlightmen
that existed, can think of the glory de.
parted without Sigh, because of tn
degrading condition to which they are
brought by the emisssries of the Shah
Absolutism in rule must yield. Free in
situations must take the place of Koran
following superstitution. This is tn,
great lesson; and it is this free govern
ment that would ease the condition O
the starving people, instead of grinding
them still lower.