The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1880-03-05
Hississippi's Gratitude.

resolution in relation to the yellow
fever epidemic OF 1878 in our State
senate, which was unanimously
adopted
WHEREAS, The assembling OF
the legislature OF Mississippi Tor
the krst time since the fatal cpl
demic of yellow tever by which our
citizens were scOurged in the sum
mer aud autumn OF 1878, suggests
the propriety of some permanent
memorial OF that affecting calamity
and of some official recognition of
that worldwide charity which 1t
worked. Seldom in recent history
has the human family been smitten
by a disease so sudden, so wide
spread, so fatal and which so sue
eesstully baffied the researches OF
science, alike as to Its origin aud Its
cure. Originating, so far as the
United States is concerned, Ia our
neighbOring city of New Orleans,
il leaped at single bound to the
town of Grenada, a distance of
more than 800 miles, aud prostrated
more than fifty victims before the
wiscst of the medical profession
suspected its existence. Thence
rapidly spreading to many towns
aud cities in our own State and in
Tennessee, it made its way as an
epidemic as far North as Paducah,
KY, and in sporadic form to Louis
willie, Cincinnati and st. Louis. In
the brief space OF four months more
than a hundred thousand persons
were stricken down, of whom twen-
ty.6ye thousand died. Our own
PEOPLE were called upon to mourn
the death of thousands of our best
citizens in every rank and condi.
tion OF life. II attackrl rich aud
poor, lofty and lo,.ff alike. No
wealth or position warded of It's
cunning, and no poverty or obscuri-
ty escaped it's attack.
Such was the terror caused by its
approach that cities aud towns
wer depopulated by the outbreak
OF a single case, while the places
that escaped its ravages guarded
their avenues of approach byaImed
m-n who pitilessly repelled the fly.
lug victims from less fortunate 10.
calities. Business suspended the
lines OF travel aud of commerce
were broken up; aud through a
large portion OF our territory for
many mouths, men had no other
occupation save to care for the sick,
and no other thought than how to
stay the gyages OF the plague.
In the hours OF darkest gloom
there came an outburst of spontane.
Gus charity-world. and allen
bracing. Wherever the tidings of
our calamities travelled, the hearts
of men were touched, and their
purses opened for our reliei. From
England and France, and Germany
and Russia. there came contribu-
tons for our tever-stricken people.
Our sister States of the South,
though poverty.strieken, and wait
ing in hourly dread OF being them
selves attacked, forgot not our dis
tress, while onr more fortunate
Northern brethren seemed 80 de-
termined that the memory of our
misery should be forgotten in the
magnitude of their bounty, that the
future historian will doubt whether
the year 1878 must be characterized
as darkened by the direct calamity
or illuminated by the mostspleudid
charity OF modern times. From
every city and town and village
and hamlet from Maine TO Caliior-
nia--from the Canada line to the
Ohio river-there poured out
steady :stream of contributions
which swelled higher and higher,
and knew no cessation or abate.
ment SO long AZ there remained a
fevered brow to be cooled, or a
dead body to buried. The rich
gave their tbOusads, the comfort
able their hundreds, and ther poor
their dollars, while little children
and beggar women dropped their
dimes aud pennies into the contri-
button boxes, which in every pub
lie padae appealed for the relief of
the people of the South. It was
no short lived charity, which died
as suddenly as it had sprung up,
but through all the weary days
grew larger and larger and ceased
not until theenormous SUN of one
million three hundred thousand
dollars had been poured in upon us,
and We ourselves begged them to
desist.
The legislature of Mississippi
feels that 1t will not do its duty il
It fails to put upon record some fit
ting memorial of this unparelled
charity, and give expression to the
heartfelt gratitude which then stir.
red the hearts of our people, and
grows deeper with the lapse of
time; therefore; be it
Rcsolred, By the legislature of
the State of Mississippi, That to
the friends of humanity through.
ont The world, who, during the
dreadful epidemic with which our
people were afflicted she summer
aud autumn of 1878, heard our
cries Of distress aud 90 generously
poured out the offerings of their
charity in our behalf we retn,n the