The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-07-31
A VAIL OF DESPAIR.
Low the Leading Memphis Paper Faces
the Inevitable Woe.

W ALL VI DbC1 <aAlos
low the Leading Memphis Paper Faces
the Inevitable Woe.
From the Memphis appeal, July 10.
Let us look the situation of affairs to-
day in Memphis straight in the face.
Let US look, if possible, beyond and in
ouire of the future what more of wreck
and ruin it has in store for us. The pres
ent looks as black, ugly and forbidding,
made so not so much by facts as by croak-
ers. The future seems to be surrounded
by lurid hue that dominates the fright
full yellow tint, the sign of horror, woe
and sorrow. The yellow fever, the first
case of which was announced on the 9th,
now counts its sixteenth victim. 1t
counts the present destruction of the
trade and industries of the community,
and threatens the property which repre-
sents the accumulations of the labor of
the present and preceding generations.
The yellow fever is in front of us, but
beyond it may easily be discerned the
torch of the incendiary, revealing the
starving thousands who to-day have NO
resources. Never was city in so deplor-
able condition. Most of her leading
men are absent. Of all who under other
circumstances would be foremost as lead
ers and advisers, but few are now here
the dangers and counsel the bewildered
people what to do. Every man has made
provision for himself, and those depend
ent upon him, but there has not been one
word heard in behalf of the poor, no pro.
vision has been made for the safety of
property, not one cent has been subscrib-
ed to maintain an integrity that once as
sailed by hunger will be found very weak
indeed. The city government is power
less and helpless. 1t cannot use one dol
lar of the money in its treasury for the
purpose of contending with the fever or
succoriug the poor and needy, and it can
not levy tax for that purpose, and if it
could, could not collect it. AS for the
county government, it will take no
thought concerning us, for, if it did, it
would result in nothing. The State can
contribute nothing for our benefit; what
the Federal Government can do remains
to be seen. Our condition is seemingly
without any relief. The doctors are
ready for work, and many of them are
sanguine that they are to have plenty
of it. We are in as bad q condition
as if the sporadic cases had joined their
forces to make an epidemic. Trade un-
til October, perhaps November, has been
as effectually killed as if, instead of six
teen, we had sixteen hundred cases.
Those who have left us went under the
spur of panic, most of those who remain
have parted with that sense of security
without which peace of mind or health
are impossible. All along our lines of
railroad the people are prepared to en-
force quarantine, after their own fashion,
regardless of the rules and regulations of
the sanitary council of the Mississippi
Valley. They will cut off all intercourse,
and save the State board of health the
expense and the people the trouble OF
medical examinations and chemical fu-
migation. Already boats have refused to
land at our wharf. In few days, when
the crazed become crazier and the idiots
more idiotic, we shall, perhaps, find our
selves hemmed in living hell, where to
maintain order and respect for life and
property will be found impossible save
at the point of the bayonet. We
have been warned that some towns
will not wait for the declaration Of cpl
demic by the board Of health that they
have set their own limit of cases, and
will act upon private advices. They are
victims of yellow fever quarantine insan-
ity, aud there is no knowing what they
will do next. The railroad people are
our friends, but they cannot do anything
to help US that the quarantinists will not
permit. But this is not all. Our stocks
of groceries are very low. The demand
for them the past few weeks has been
without precedent. The Howard Asso-
citation has but few thousand dollars to
begin operations with, and the fund that
remained over from last year in the hands
of the trustees has almost reached zero.
The situation it will thus be seen is full
of gloom, not merely on account of the
presence of the yellow fever, but because
of the long train of evils it may bring
with it. Memphis is once more sitting
in the ashes of woe and despair. Out OF
this condition there is but one avenue
flight. The people must get away from
the yellow fever and the doctors before
an epidemic is declared. No one who
has not had the yellow fever should be
permitted to remain here. Blacks as
well as whites, whether they will or not,
should be forced into camps. 1t is better
to 1.-Two bearing the temporary inconve-
niences of camps or neighboring cities
than to drag out q miserable existence
here in daily dread, perhaps ultimately
to die like dog; and it will be cheaper
to sustain such camps than to pay the ex-
pense of thousands of sick and it may be
the funeral expenses of thousands of dead.
To accomplish so desirable and bencfi-
cent plan of operations not q moment
should be lost. The railroads will have
to do better. They will have to take our
poor away free. We say this, remember
ing their unnumbcred kindnesses and
charities last year. We are poorer now
than then, and can pay nothing. Besides,
we cannot expect that the world will
again help us as generously and lavishly
as it did in 1878. We cannot expect that
the world will help people who do not
help themselves, a people who seem to
have no ties, who have regard for none
of the obligations that bind communities,
who sing loudly in chorus in the days Of
prosperity, but sing solo when yellow
fever comes to test their courage, pluck
and endurance. Our trade is killed for
three months. We are without money,
provisions or organization. We are
threatened by a rigid quarantine and the
disorders that are sure to follow, unless