The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-10-07
The East Indian Fund.

their schools and churchee ana nome cuhE-
tiles have too much on their hands to favor
collections for remote parts lightly. In
fact the occasion is really one of the most
pressing that has ever presented itself to
the sympathies of Christendom.
When we hear of people dying in any
of eur-eFeae- cities from an -epidemic Of
cholera or small. pox or yellow fever, at
the rate of hundred per day, when q |
great conflagrasion reduces multitudes of
citizens to a state of comparative poverty,
when an earthquake or q tornado or flood has
destroyed the homes of q community, 1t ia
customary for all kindred communities to
contri butte literally towards the relief OF the
sufferers. Now, when it is question not
of houses, bat of lives, not of hundred
per day, but of four and FIVE thousand
human beings each day famished to death,
Christendom reads of it as of something
transpiring in another world and mods over
the reading.
We republish a correspondence from
india to an English paper, in which
the writer, Bishop of the region prin-
cipaly afflicted, says that this indiffer-
ence could not exist among people who had
themselves ever suffered the pangs of star
walton. They would understand the case
| too we'll. India is far away from US, but
relief can go thither on the wings of the
telegraph, and Imagination can outstrip
even that. Now, this moment, while we
write, while you read, the Glow, lingering
death of starvation is closing its grasp upon
| thousands of human beings. 1t has al
ready sapped their strength and Frustrated
them in deadly weakness, unable to rise
mp and shake off the monster that laughs
in their faces. Look, and you perceive
them writhing and struggling in vain with
the chains which bind them down, but
which no man can see. 1t is not an anu
sing scene, surely, and il our good people
could only zee it seneibly, their hearts
would be moved even to the sharing of
their last loaf. But while their hearts are
warm their imaginstions are cold, and the
truth is not realized.
. Five thousand people dying to day o
hunger! No bread for TINT skeleton Dar
lately so stalwart and brave no bread TO
that pallid woman whose PROSTATE form
/ and closing eJes look as though death hac
f already breathed upon her no bread fol
that little child now too feeble to ask fol
=, i; or even to wop der why his mother does
: not give it to him. Dying, all of them
# Tonight they will DO dead; but still i
d will not be too late TO save those who viii
be to morrow just as they were to-day.
r. People who can spare something mus
d not excuse themselves on the plea tina
o these victims are the property of England
;, and ought to be provided for by thei
70 owners. Whether they ought to be, o
not, they are not in point of fact. Eagts
s. phiIanthropists are getting up societies
10 prevent cruelty to animals and the Births
" Government is protesting against Russia
=, and Turkish inhumanity, but their help
g less slaves are starving all the same. VIVA
I' makes this worse is that the British Gov
III eminent is directly responsible for this an
similar famines, because it has neglected
le and destroyed the splendid eystom O
At works for irrigation which native prince
y had provided for their people British rul
~ in India has been grasping, improvideG
=, and iDhuman, and now adds avarice to it
X other vicee.
IL cDRIanu "Oulu COHAIlOulO u
=. fractional part from the countless treasure
n that che had drawn from these same PEG
h. pie they would be saved. The million an
n. half of population who have afread
at persisted could have been supported yea
III with an expenditure of thirty OF forty mi
<, lions Of dollars. Would not such an GU
lay have been wise economy Is not pol
lie ulation worth in cash twenty Ave dollars
It head to the Government AS me-
IN question of dollars and cents the Brittle
< people will lose five times that sum
IN this destruction of population, besides t
n responsibility to which their Governme
no will surely be held for the event by all
Indian subjects.
he We who contribute from America do n
St. hope to arrest the frightfnl mortality of
CT, famine stricken people wholly or even I
nu ticeably. But let not that discourage
''t from doing what we can. One single
~. is we'll worth saving.