The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-10

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In another column W oommeat u length
on tho disastrous nrs which has made such
havoc with our young, hopeful, aspiring and
confident sister city Of the West Chicago ID
In damea Chicago may be in ruins. In
Europe - in America, In London ~ at San
Francisco, In Calcutta a. in Melbourne, the
news WIN be received with sorrow In rapidity
Of growth Chicago has been worlds wonder.
Some thirty-fve or forty years ago It was an
unknown village ON the shores Of Western
lake. But yesterday Il was ono Of the largest,
fairest and most dourishing, not only of the
cities Of America, but of the world. Our
Chicago friends were not without good reason
for speaking of their own city as possible
rival to New York. To-day, If We can Judge
from our latest news, not moro than one
third-if indeed any considerable portion-of
the city has been saved from the destructive and
devastating confagration. From the time that
Rome was reduced to ashes by the fierce bar
barians ofthe North up until the recent effort Of
the Commune to destroy Paris there have been
many disastrous fires but unless reports have
been greatly exaggerated this Chicago fire will
rank with tho most disastrous that the world
has ever experienced. II will be sad, indeed,
II Chicago. which sprung up a. rapidly as
Jonah's gourd, should perish a. quickly. In
this case the mourning Jonahs win be many.
It is not our business, however, to dwell
further on the destruction Of our sister city.
Our purpose rather is, taking it for granted
that there has been enormous destruction Of
property and that thousands upon thousands
have been rendered by one fell swoop of the
destroying hand not only homeless but penni-
less, to appeal, on the broad principles Of our
common nationality, our common Christianity
and our common humanity, to our fellow citi-
Gems and to our millions Of readers, in proper
ton to their ability. to come to the rescue. Now
or never our charity and selfsacrifce must be
tested. We measure this sorrow not BY the
nfty or sixty or seventy millions Of property
which has been destroyed, not by the thou
sands upon thousands who have been loft
without homo and without cent, not by the
unknown number Of precious lives which have
been lost. We forget none of these, but we
think also of the total destruction of all or
almost all sources Of income for some time to
como, and particularly of the countless num-
bers Of old and young and middle aged who
cry for bread when there is no bread to give.
1t is sad and sorrowful case. No such case,
in fact, has appealed to the worlds sympathy
in many generations. When was such sorrow
so condensed as in the message of the Mayor Of
Chicago to the Mayor Of st. Louis 2-'tSend us
food for the suffering. Our city is in ashes;
our water works are burnt. !"
II il gratifying to fnd that President Grant
has como 80 nobiy to the rescue. Directly on
hearing Of the terrible state Of things Secre-
tary Belknap, at the request Of the President,
telegraphed to General Sheridan to forward to
the sufferers whatever OF provisions and cloth
ing and other supplies was at his disposal, and
If these were not sufficient to call on the mill
tary authorities at st. Louis to do the same.
Such promptitude was wise as well as noble on
the part Of the President; it was worthy of
General Grant; and he may rest assured that
for this fresh proof of his interest in the well
fare of his fellow-citizens the American people
will not prove ungrateful. II is equally graft
fying to know that from almost all parts of the
Union the reports received leave us in no
doubt that whatever can be done will be done
for the relief Of the Chicago sufferers, and
that without delay. Cincinnati has rushed to
the rescue; so has st. Louis; so has San
Francisco; so, Of course, have Boston and
Philadelphia. Even the great cities of the
New Dominion are stirred with sympathetic
terror, and Toronto and Quebec and Montreal
are determined to give substantial proof that
national barrier lines are no hindrance to those
feelings which are common TO the race and
which after all make the whole world kim"
The outburst of feeling has been 80 sponta-
neous, so hearty, so noble, that in spite of
visible degeneracy and unmistakable general
seldshness We feel proud Of our common faith
and our common humanity.
We should not have been pleased If New
York city had Jagged behind. In spite of all
its faults our city has won its way to first
place among the great cities of the world
either in past or present times. Our wealth is
second only to that Of London. Our enter
prise is such that We have no superior, II,
indeed. we have any equal. Our liberality is,
when occasion calls for it, grand and up to the
high mark of our great ability. On hundreds
Of occasions our liberality has been tested,
and when was II found wanting? In 1886,
when New York suffered from great fire,
how nobly we came to the relief Of our fellow
citizens! When Ireland was threatened with
destruction by dreadful famine, which Of
all the great cities of the world was most
generous? It was New York. And what
shall we say Of our own city in con-
nection with the not yet forgotten Avondale
disaster and with the recent sorrows and
privations of the Parisians? In a common