The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-18

puny weapons OF his anile spite will fail
harmless on the shield of truth.
The Great Bengal Famine.
The first tidings of the great Indian ia
mine were startling indeed but the re
suit proves there was no exaggeration.
That the fair breast of nature. renowned
the gorgeous East" should have become
barren and thirsty soil is almost incom-
prehensible. Tho Bengal PresideRcy-the
wide scene of the present desolation-con-
tains twelve subdivisions ard, taken as o
whole, is a regien Of the richest alluvial
rivers, invigorated by almost torrential
rains and bathed in the intensest sunshine.
1t skirts the cool southern slopes of the
Himalayan Mountain chain, where are con-
densed the steaming stores of vapor
brought by the southwest monsoon from
the Indian Ocean and thus it is the land
Of fountains-the water reservoirs which
keep ever full the proud courses of the
Indus, the Brahmapootra and the Ganges.
The solitary exception is found in the
Northwest Provinces-one of the twelve
Bengal subdivisions. This district of the
middle and upper Gangetic valley, includ-
ing the country between it and its affluent
the Jumna-and embraces also the de,
tendencies of Benares, Allahabad, Agra
and Delhi. Through this entire region
the soil is more arid than in the other
sections and owing to the vertical depth
or depression of their channels, the two
| rivers are of little avail for irrigation.
Any seasonal deficiency of rains ia there
fore severely felt in the densely populated
country 80 much so, that the old Mogul
Emperors had canals for artificial irriga-
ton constructed on large scale. These
have long since fallen into disuss and ruin,
and the modern governors have never had
the sagacity to repair them nor to build
new and larger conduits. But while the
Northwest Provinces in the dry months
are nearly every year arid and CRASHES
the rest OF Bengal is green as the Emerald
Isle, and tue great wonder now IL that the
whole district of that name 10 involved in
the great calamity.
The latest returns from this famine
plagued territory show a rapid increase of
distress, aud following rapidly on it's heels
an increase of crime. 1t is commended that
good winter rains may yet save the Ben
ares district, go famous in Anglo Indian
history. 1t is, however, startling to reflect
that population of %, 600, 900 is now en-
tered on the worst famine tract, and of
this vast mulsitude the larger portion must
be fed gratuitously after February.
The London Times estimates that in two
thousand tons of food grains will be want
ed every month to keep alive the ten per
cent or 2,225 900 Inhabitants now starving, !
and this allows only one pound Of grain |
daily to each person, or half the average
consumption. The reduction of wages,
the proportionate rise in the price OF hoard
ed food and the terror of the great visit
alton made the poor in the Rsjpootaua
district fly from their homes in droves,
not knowing whittier they went and lining
the highways with their skeleton corpses. |
Such dreadful scenes, in the heart of a
vast and opulent country tributary to the
British Crown, put to shame the boosted
glory of such political dependency, and
are terrible satire on the so-called civil
cation of the century.
The trigonometrical survey of the entire |
Bengal Presidency was commenced under
the auspices of the Duke of Wellington,
and has made the British government
familiar with every square mile of 1t, its
soil and all the resources of it's people.
The Times may we'll say, therefore, "Per-
haps we shall startle our readers when we
say that both the Indian government and
British people are treading new ground
with respect to Indian famiues," for moth
ing could be further from fact. The oc-
ourance of years of drought In the North
west Provinces is proverbial, and the only
expedient within the power of man to pre-
vent these-the construction of irrigatipg
canals and reservoirs-has been overlooked
through the cupidity or shortsightedness
of the Indian government. 1t is not i'm
probable, also, that the deforesting of the
district by the natural expansion of popu-
lation has influenced the climate and re-
duced the amount of rainfall.
But, whatever may DO the causes, the
evil is of such magnitude and horror that
it ehoald at once be met without regard to
pecuniary expense. The English people,
who derive gross revenue of nearly two
million pounds sterling from the famine
districts, and whose Golfers are running
over with surplus wealth, owe it to them
selves and humanity to prevent such an
appalling catastrophe "a now threatens a
population nearly as great as that OF the
United States. Lot us SOC what the so
called Christian civilization of the age will
do.-Netc York Herald Jan. l.