The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-03-09

zen. LliltOCh Oh inc NlOOhS'
New York, March A reporter Of the
World called on General Hancock yester-
dao, who has recently returned from an eX-
tended southern trip and reports the general
as saying: 81 think there is matter con-
nected with southern people which should
at the present iuncture have attention
called to it. The people Of the north do not
realize what the kilograms they read about
the south really mean. From what | saw,
believe that the southern people for over
hundreds of square miles are literally
drowned out. Fences and cattle are
gone, houses have been swept away
or are uninhabtabe, railroads are
destroyed, plantations ruined. and the
country left desolate, Nothing ike
it has been seen for many years. The dis
tress in the flooded regions is beyond the
power Of words to describe or recoIloct.
What | saw and have told You was
seen at the time when the Hood was not at
its worst The first thing to be.donc is to
extend the necessary aid 10 these people
We must face the problem of feeding, shell
tering and clothing this people until such
time as they can raise food and shell
ter for themselves. The southern people
will do what they can, but the northern
and western people must also come to the
rescue. Even if it were right to throw
burden of such an unparalleled and wide
spread calamity upon the southerners
alone, they have lad means OF charity
swept away with the means of livelihood.
We must help, ami help at once. 1t is bet
ter to send money TO Memphis, Mobile and
New Orleans, where provisions and
clothing may be bought, than
to wait to send food and clothing and it is
possible that more may have TO be paid
there than here for supplies, but tell you
the people cannot wait for provisions to
reach them from here. There are thou
sands of negroes who are homeless and
starving and they must be fed, and what is
more, we have got to feed them.
that can be bought to keep them going I'M
i'll we can send more from the north. 1t
should be sent by rail, as the steamers are
too slow. These people must eat, and they
have nothing. a relief committee should
be formed in every city to receive
and forward supplies. Money should
be sent at once to relieve the pressing
wants. Arrangements, should be made
with the railroads to forward supplies at
first in through freight trains, and to carry
nothing else, and to be put through in the
shortest possible time In regard TO
measures for future prevention OF OyertiOWs,
the general said: "A bill should be in
troduced into congress for the survey of the
Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers, as
well as their principal tributaries, such as
the Arkansas and White. The survey be-
lag made plan of levees should
be devised which would be sufficiently
strong to protect the country. Whether
the government or states, or parishes build
them, they should be constructed on the
same Ihan. If the southern states can't
afford TO build levces, the government
should help TO protect the vast Bodies of
land now overflowcd in the south and
west. In my opinion this is of national
Importance, and should be so regarded by
congress, but whether the government
bdilds or helps to build levees, it certainly
can afford and should cause a survey to be
made.