The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-08


half has been told. The misfortune OF ca
iamities like this is that they can be attri-
outed TO no mishap of administration, no dis
regard of plain and necessary duties, no over
sight or neglect 1t is not like psstilence.
That comes slowly, and we may escape from
Its deadly blight 1t is not like a famine
That we can foresee, and the enterprise
and humanity of favored nations can generally
avert or alleviate its influence IL Is not
like war; for war, with it's trials, more terrible,
we regret to to say, than any other visitation,
has its compensations in the patriotic
feeling which shrinks from no sacrifice,
however exacting devastation, rapine, even
death itselt-when in behalf of fatherland.
This disaster came like thunderbolt, in a
night, without warning and without remedy,
sweeping oil before it in its desolating sway.
In the fine old words of the law books, it can
only be called "the visitation of God"
No part of France is more interesting to
the student and the traveller than the valley
of the Garonne. Its history goes back to the
time when the Roman arms were sweeping
over the Continent and bringing the ancient
dominions of Gaul within the limits of the
gigantic empire. 1t was hero that the Visi-
goths made desperate effort to found their
rude and powerful dynastes. These plains
are memorable from many campaigns-from
those of Charlemagne, when he founded
his empire, to those of Napoleon,
who fought his last battle for
the dominion of Europe before he was
driven to Elba. 1t has a sad and proud
memory to all who remember the struggles Of
the AIbigensians for religious freedom-un-
availing struggles against the supreme and
dely-reachlng power OF Rome. In this
country the beautiful language of DC is
spoken-the language of romance and song.
France has no fields more fair, no valleys
more inviting, no mountain ranges more i'm
posing and picturesque than the hills and
plains of Garonne. And, as if to make the
visitation more cruel the country now suffer-
ing SO fearfully escaped from the exactons of
the last war. The tide of invasion did not
reach the Garonne, and we question if any of
the less fortunate provinces Of France-those
which felt most cruelty the heel of the inva-
der-were as sorely afflicted as those whose
misfortunes now arrest the sympathy and at
tention of the civilized world.
1t seems that heavy rains fell in all parts
of France, and that lew parts of the country
have escaped from more or less damage. For
thirty-six hours the windows OF heaven were
opened and torrents of rain fell upon the
doomed valley. ''rhe water poured in
Sheets" The water rose above the villages
and practically submerged them. In one vii
lage nearToulouse only three houses out of four
hundred were left standing. The railways
stopped their service, Tor the tracks were
submerged and bridges carried away. In
Toulouse alone twenty thousand persons were
deprived of means of subsistence. One
quarter of that city contained two hundred
and fifteen bodies of drowned citizens, s'and
this but fractional part of the death roll"
many people perishing in the houses which
were swept away. In addition to the rains
there was the melting of the SHOWS on the
Pyrenees and the Cervennes. Lands were
overlooked, fields deluged, towns and sub
urbs flooded. 1t comes in the time of harvest
and after q harvest of unusual richness and
promise. ''The corn, the wine and the oil'
says one writer" the fair expanses of the finest
wheat, the clustering and the trellised vines
the olive and the mulberry trees, are the VIC
Tins of the Southern rivers riotous outbursts
when the volume of water became uncontrol-
able, while the banks were overleaped by the
impatient torrent" France has seen no such
food for twenty years, when the valley of the
Seine suffered from similar calamity and
the Emperor Napoleon went into the country
10 remedy the distress. At that time the En-
peror, who was new TO his throne and anxious
to win some surer title to popular favor than
even Russian war, went among the people
at great personal sacrifice and not without
danger-and distributed relief 1t was a
timely and grateful act, enhancing his popu-
larity and remembered to his honor and adj
vantage long after more noisy achievements
were forgotten.
What Napoleon as Emperor did MacMahon
as President is doing now. In government
as paternal as France, where the people, no
matter their stress, look to Paris for aid and
direction, the direct personal Intervention of
the chief of the state is always welcomed. So
we have had the President promptly hurrying
to the scene of the disaster and stirring to
give succor. The Assembly at once offered a
contribution to the aid of the wretched and
unfortunate people. Other countries have
passed in their contributions. England,
always ready and generous in welldoing, has
given large sums of money. The same may
be said of Belgium, Holland and warm-hearted
little Switzerland. In the presence of sorrow
and distress 30 vast and widespread nationali-
ties are forgotten, race and politics are
forgotten, and we have the brotherhood
of humanity, which is only step
toward that complete brotherhood which we
trust some day to see all over Europe. While
we mourn with France over her misfortunes