The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-03-11
GEN. HANCOCK's VIEWS.
The Govcrnm ent and the Lcvccs.

NEW YORK, March "A reporter
of the World called yesterday upon
General Hancock, who has recently
returned from an extended Southern
trip. Said the General: t'[sf
think there is a matter connected
with the Southern people which should
at the present juncture have attention
called to it. The people of the North
do not realize what the kilograms which
they read about the floods really mean.
From what saw believe the South
ern people over hundreds of square
miles are literally drowned out fences
and cattle are gone houses have been
swept away or are uninhabftable; rail-
roads are destroyed, plantations ruined
and the country desolated. Nothing
like it has been seen for many years.
The distress In the flooded regions is
beyond the power of words to describe.
Recollect, what I saw and have told
you was seen at time when the Hood
was not at its height. T. ~ a53- =.
The first thing to be done is to extend
the necessary aid to these people. We
must face the problem Of feeding, shell
terine and clothing them until they can
raise food and shelter for themselves.
The Southern people will do what
they can, but Northern and Western
people must also come to the rescue.
Even If it were right to throw the bur-
den of such an unparalleled and wide-
spread calamity upon the SOutherners
alone, they have had their means of
charity swept away with. the means of
livelihood. We must help, and help Mt
once.
1t is better to send money to Mem
phis, Mobile, New Orleans, and cities
where provisions and clothing may be
bought, than to wait to send food and
clothing.
II is possible that more will have to
be paid there than here for supplies, but
I tell you the people cannot wait for
provisions to reach them from here.
There are thousands of negroes who
are homeless and starving, and they
must be fed; and, what is more, we
have got to feed them. There is enough
food in the South that can be bought to
keep them going until we can send
more from the North. 1t should be
sent by rail, as the steamers are toe
slow. These people must cat, and they
have nothing. --- s.- 3. sr,...
Relief committees should be formed
In every city to receive and forward
supplies. Money should be sent at
once to relieve the most pressing wants.
Arrangements should 6e made with
railroads to forward supplies at first in
through freight trains to carry nothing
else, and to be put through in the short
est possible time. r.r-. ggr IT.:
In regard to the measures for future
of overflows the General
said:
A bill should be introduced into Con-
gress for a survey of the Mississippi,
Missouri and Ohio rivers, as we'll as
their tributaries, such as tho Arkansas
and White.
The survey being made, plnn of
levees should be devised which would
be sufficiently strong to protect the
country. Whether tho government,
States or parishes build them, they
should be constructed on the same gen.
eral plan. ..r t,..... -. = .s..fu
If the Southern people cannot afford
to build levees the government should
help. Protection of the vast bodies of
land now overlooked in the South and
West is, in my judgment, of national
importance, and should be so regarded
by Congress but whether the govern
ment builds or helps to build the levees,
it certainly can afford to, and should
cause surveys to be made at once.