New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-07
RATIONE.

The acknowledged dependence of q
large portion Of our people upon the sym
pathies, public and private, of others,
raises some right upon their part to regu-
late the application of their generous dona-
items. This so far at least as to see that
they shall not be misapplied in their dis
tribution. 1t is to be regretted that Sen
ator Alcorn should have implied any
doubt of this just administration, espe-
cially since it has been coupled with some
sectional imputations which Hon. Mr..
Cameron seems inclined to resent This
doubt and this spat, between Senators,
seem to threaten reduction of the appro-
priation intended by Congress.
There seems then dilemma among our
benefactors. It is to withhold supplies
indispensable to save human beings from
suffering, or to bestow a charity which
may be perverted in its way to do good,
and even so applied as to encourage
idleness.
Let, however, the charitable world
obey its impulses in giving and let us do
our duty in seeing that this charity shall
be conscisntiously applied as intended.
Indeed, iii of more consequence to our
selves than to these donors that these ra-
tons shall not be misapplied. We do not
like to see people live on largesses: from
the days when "bread and the circus
was the sole demand of the degenerate
Romans to that on which European COL
onies in America depended on the home
ships for food, this systematic depend
ence has always engendered political in
significance. We deprecate it according
ly and assure our friends in Congress that
if they will award the aid, the Repub-
lican administration will, so far as de-
ponds on its agency, see that it goes to
the purposes for which it was intended.
But the question recurs, shall this
distribution of rations be perpetual
An immense extent of our arabic land is
under water the crevasses are in good
part open, and our relief will come
chiefly from the decline of the rivers.
Then the same danger will be repeated
next year, unless some immediate steps
shall be taken to guard against its recur-
renee. We will but add to the annual ap-
peal to Congress for rations, the annual
loss to the nation of crop of cotton,
sugar and rice upon these abandoned
lands. We assume that Congress and
the people of the Union will not see !
their fellow-citizens perish by starvation,
and that they will not like the loss of |
crops and revenues to result from the
abandonment of a highly productive
region. Why, then, should not Con-
gress commence the work of reparation
at once? Why should not the Gov
ernor, even, call the Legislature
together to devise some plan for
the immediate prosecution of these
works? If these rations can be employed
to some extent to pay for the labors neces-
sary to repair the broken levees, would it
not assure our charitable friends that their
gifts were we'll applied? Would not Con-
yress and the American consumers of
cotton, rice and sugar see that these
rations would not merely subserve the
cause of humanity, but also likely pre-
vent the recurrence and necessity for their
repetition? We expressly decline to
argue the power or propriety of the
lonors prescribing the condition upon
which their rations should be issued.
The importance of direct and honest
application is before US. 1t is important
% secure the confidence of our generous
friends. Let us then consider how this
nay be effected. If the sordid and sensual
MOTTO of the Romans under the Emperors
vas ''bread and the circus" let the noble
sentiment of the American citizen be
shraad opd honoc% Labor