Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-06-26
pRnvInRNRE Ann rHR cHoLERA.


While deeply sympAthizing with the
people of Nashville in their severe at
Fiction from the rsvages Of cholera, and
regretting that the disease has appeared
in various towns in this and adjoining
States. il is source Of satisfaction to
record the fact that the city Of Knox
vile has thus far escaped, and at the
present time is enjoying unexampied
health. The citizens had every reason
10 EXPECT the disease, as it has been
there before, and the place is in its
usual line of march. They were thor
oughly alarmed, and aroused them
selves. as one man, TO use all the
means which bene6cent creator
had put within their. control
to prevent the appearance Of the cpl
demic. They did not sit idly in their
Offices, shops and stores, or gather in
little knots on the street corners to con-
lecture how many more had died in
Memphis and Nashville than the papers
reported, but went to work in earnest to
meet the common enemy. We have
seen persons directly from there, who
state that the city was put in perfect
sanitary order; everything calculated to
breed disease was, il possible, removed.
The streets, alleys and back yards were
swept clean, and then hundreds and
hundreds Of barrels Of lime were scat
tered broadcast, and other disinfectants
were used lavishly within doors and with
out. The good work being accomplished
and still no cholera reported or found, the
people began to regard their exemption
from the expected cslamity as a special
favor from the Giver OF all good, and at
the request Of the ministers and others
of the city, the Mayor, Mr.. Rule, set
apart Thursday, this inst., as a day of
fasting, humiliation and prayer, that the
community may in public and formal
manner inplore the continuance OF
Gods preserving care, and for the re-
moval of His Christening rod from the
towns and cities upon whom it has been
laid. By unanimous consent, it seems
that all places of business are to be
closed, and that all the church-go-
ing people at least will repair to
their places Of worship to observe
the day in the manner indicated.
The movement is eminently proper, and
is all the more becoming since the peo-
pie first went vigorously to work and em-
ployed all their resources and energies
TO avert the threatened visitation and
death, for had they rested supinely in
the midst of unhealthy alleys, green pools
of water and sickening odors, it is not
likely that miracle would have been
wrought SO exceptionally in their favor.
The people up there show their faith =
and their works, but they work first as
4 condition upon which to found their
raith. Prayer is one of the great duties 6
md privileges of life, but prayers with
lut lime will not disinfect city that has
been neglected for years, and while we
commend the devotional spirit which
1ervades our neighboring city of T
he chill country" we are bound to ad-
nire their muscular Christianity as the t
means through which they set their a
houses in order and recognized the great .
ret simple laws of nature. Napoleon I
he /. said that Providence favored the
trong battal;ons," but he never said Z
hat Providence furnished the battalions. I
His idea was merely that the greater o
orce, other things being equal, would V
prevail over an inferior. But while he p
believed himself man of destiny he u
ought to work it out in grand achieve y
nents. And so it is with communities. o
they may prosper or retrograde, be II
Healthy or furnish food for epidemics- Il
hough there are notable exceptions. II
We believe that Memphis has more to be b
thankful for in proportion to the means "
mployed to avert and check cholera Il
han any city or town where the disease W
as been expected, but we know not 81
hat the future may have in store for u.s. ii