The New York herald., 1874-02-24


of ell business values and interests.
the East and ask what would be the effect
There was an empire larger than any civiiized
nation, as large. perhaps, as all the ciViizeo
nations of Europe combined 1t was an an
cient, subtle and, in some respects, spiehdio
civilization. There were the arts, ana mous-
tries, and developments of skill ; language
which had made it's impression upon our daily
speech literature which we are only De-
ginning to comprehend in its beauty and
value religion going back far beyond the
time of Jesus, and anticipating many OF the
Masters noblest precepts. This Empire,
which was perfect, if not fruitful. civiliza-
ton when the early Britons we're leading
wild and savage life, had passed into the
hands of some daring English adventurers.
in time to become part of the British En-
pire What the cloud threatened was famine.
Generations had passed since there had been
famine in Bengal But those who remem-
bered the visitation spoke Of it as one OF
the most appalling calamities that had ever be-
fallen the human race.
The threatened famine in America came
from business panic which threw thousands
OF workingmen suddenly out Of employment.
These workmen were of the worthy, deserving
poor. The failure of great houses and rich
companies, upon whom they had depended for
labor and the consequent means of support, at
the beginning of winter threw them into
condition of want. But tho misfortune was
not beyond control, for Providence had blessed
the land, its harvests and its industries The
famine if it came to be famine, would only
be limited to one section of the people The
rest of us could, with an effort of humane ZEAL
suppress it. This effort has been made and the
result is that what menaccd us with the pro-
portions of calamity has only become an in
convenience and privation, and has enabled
New York to display the fertility of her resources
and the magnifcence of her charity. But the
inevitable famine in India was direct visi
tation of God. In that densely settled country
the majority of the people depend upon the
rice crop for their food. The rain only falls
in certain seasons. as it falls in our tropics or
in California. The time was if we are well
informed before the English became masters
of India when there were methods Of irriga-
ton which always insured crop, whether the
season was wet or dry. The methods were
known in Spain under the rule of the Moors
/ When the Christians came irrigation WAS de-
stroyed, and many of the fairest and richest
fields in Murca and Estramadura under the
Moors are now worthless, barren plains What
! ever the early Hindoos, like the Moons, had
succeeded in doing in the way of irrigation
has been destroyed by the rapacity of Give
and Hastings and those who served them, to
aggrandize their own fortunes and secure
dividends for the East India Company. So
when the rain did not fall, and "the wet sea-
I SON. was barren and dry one, it was notin the
power of the people to compel the ripening of
the crops. They had only to bow their heads
and die unless England could give them aid.
| The problem, the sore and heartrending
problem with the English government has
been how to prevent millions of these Hindoos
from starving. problem Of this nature,
when it comes to our DOORS is serious
and sad enough. There was the potato famine
in Ireland, within an easy sail Of fat and
prosperous England, and yet all efforts could
not prevent many dying from want. When
Paris surrendered after the siege it required the
utmost exertions of the German and French
governments, with the generous help Of En-
| gland, to prevent general famine. We see what
only recently occurred in New York, and what
strenuous exertions were needed to protect the
poor. But in India the problem was a thou
sandfold more momentous. With all the
knowledge Englishmen possessed of India
they knew very little about it. Perhaps they
cared little about it. Certain it is that to the
average English mind, nay, to the mind of
the average English ruler India was little
more than a name and legend. How could
the famine be reached? What would be its
extent? What would be the promptest method
of supplying food? Could not ships be sent
from England laden with corn and wheat and
beef and pork? How much money would
be required from London from Liverpool,
from the great guilds, from the rich and gener-
GUS Englishmen who are always lavish in we'll
doing? What could America furnish from the
richness of her harvests? All these practical
questions were asked by men who were only too
anxious to check the famine. But it so hap
pened that these Hindoos were peculiar peo-
pie. They had customs of caste and religion
of the most perplexing nature. What would
be food to the American or Englshman the
Hindoo would rather die than eat. Those of
one caste would accept starvation rather than
partake Of food shared by those of another
The country most seriously menaced was hard
to reach. There were no roads, no local COM
merce organizations, no system of central
authorities spreading like arteries, and ena-
bling the Governor General to put his hand
upon any part of India as easily as our Presi-
dent could put his hand upon any part of the
| United States. The Inscrutable decrees of