The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-02-15

1t is true that i'm the. meantime
many Northern people had given
unlnistakable evidence Of their sim
cere desire for. restoration of per-
feet good feeling between the lately
belligerent States; and 1t IN true
that they had specially selected
Louisiana for All illustration of that
desire. They had contributed lib
orally to our relief during the yellow
fever epidemic Of 1867, and when
in 1872 the Mississippi lev4ees gave
way TO the most disastrous flood
which esser swept the fertile fields
of Louisiana, bringing starvation
to thousands of homes, q single tel
egram from you, Mr.. President, as
the then Mayor Of New Orleans, 10
the Mayor and City Council OF Ros-
ton, Mass, brought back the light
ming reply, "Draw on lis for Sl0,-
900, and more ii necessary 1t IL
true 'thatsUtlier Northern cities i'm.
me,liately caught f,ie spirit of that
noble example, and that withthose
of Boston their filoneyed contribu-
tions for che Louisiana sufferers by
that food reached the mnniticent
sum of $4,000, and were stayed
only by your strong and repeated
assurances that frfrther aid WAS I'M
necessary. 1t III true, Mr.. Presi-
dent, that WIfeiI, Nh 1871, you visited
Boston, you were honored by that
city, as d representative citizen OF
Louisiana, with the most brilliant
ovation extended by the people OF
any Northern to IA citizen of any
Southern State, at least for period
of many years before. Yet, not
withstanding these spontaneous ex-
hibitions of fraternal sympathy and
| esteem, when the yellow fever OF
1878 appeared in this city the fell
spirit of sectional animosity had al
most hllshed in the Northern States
the yoice.of sympathy for the South,
and Louisiana, in particular, had
| become the chosen target for the
shafts Of ssenyy, hatred, nfafide and
all Observation-Disclosures"
At first tile fever was OF appa-
rently 80 mild a type as scarcely to
attract public attention, but before
it was officially declared epidemic
the Howard Association of New
Orleans, always first to enter and
the last to leave the yellow fever
field, called In and re0rganized its
forces, aid went iflto that lnemofa
bic battle between life and death
under the express stipnlafi0h IN
the second article 0f its eonstitlf-
ton. that "no officer nor member.
is allowed any compensation what
ever for his services Shortly af
terwards the fever was officially
pronounced epidemic, and it soon
became generally known that, dif,
fering from amy previous type OF
the disease, it attacked All classes
of persons previously regarded as
exempt from yellow Fever, and that
no one was safe from the destroying
pestilence, Instantly uhfttefabie
fear peryaded the country, result
inc in the establishment by nearly
every parish, town and hamlet IN
the State, and in neighboring States,
especially those bordering on the
Mississippi river, Aof d rigid quaran-
tine against New Orleans, thus
closing against the city the door to
it's main supplies of bleadstuffs and
provisions.
AT that precise moment, seem
ingly as if lit had been chosen by
Him whose advent Oh earth was
heralded bg the angelic song,
K Peace on EARTH, good will 70 men,
whistler ran through fhe circle Of
the States, New Orleans j. sick
unto death, and no one will visit
her!n Instantly the voice Of see
tioilal hatred was stllled; instantly
one grand electric impulse OF sym
pathy thrilled all Northern hearts,
and from the Northern, Middle and
Western States one tidal wave Of
beneyolenee swept down td Lonislr
ANA, bearing on its crest the most
prineely gifts of charity tn our snf-
| fering people. Every other State
| IN the Union responded promptly
| to the popular impulse, and across
the Atlantic foreign cities caught
the divine spirit of the hour and
cave liberally to our relief a
grander or nobler exhibition of
pure philanthropy was newer wit,
4 NA..nI Gf.tf GSaaad and rnnp were