Year: 1867

abLSuu tuV ubltHlpt, sudll LUt UTtmdn
hesitate until the flames envelope the
child When the drowning man is
struggling In the wave shall the strong
swimmer hesitate to save him lest, per-
chance, the exposure might increase his
cold2 Sii. should this great nation,
burdened 1t is true, with debt, burdened
10 Is true, with taxes, but boundless in
its resources, exhaustless and immeas.
urable In Its recuperative energies, fail
to accord sustensnce to thousands of its
starving citizens7 l have no patience
with such reasoning. IL belongs to the
| politician, aud not TO statesman hav-
| ing in view his duty to his fellow man
and his responsibility to God.


Sir, the next objection is that if we
grant this relief the money we appro-
pirate will be bestowed upon enemies.
What lit should be? Are they ene-
mics at war? Do the cruel and bloody
laws of war which justify a nation in
inflicting every injury in its power upon
its enemy, now prevail? By no means.
Peace has returned. We have turn
ed from the long and bloody night OF
war to the sweet and dawning morn of
peace, and amid the parting clouds the
grand old arch has struck high in the
heavens, If enemies at all, they are no
longer enemies in war, and our divine
Teacher says, "If thine enemy hungers,
feed him if he thirsts, give him drink"
But, sir, these are not our enemies.
They are the poor, downtrodden, op-
pressed whites of the South, whose con-
dition formerly was but little removed
from that of the slave, and whe now, in
their time of trouble and starvation, de-
mand our sympathy and aid. Although
the meu were driven into the war, who
will brand as an enemy the poor woman
remaining at home and struggling for
the sustenance of herself and children,
even while her husband was fighting
against our flag? Who shall say that
the infant drawing a miserable susten-
ance from the half.starved mothers
breast is an enemy of the country ? And
yet, sir, 1t is such as they that cry to us
for help.


The next objection is that there is
enough at the South to provide for all
its people were it properly distributed.
For the sake of the argument grant it.
That it is not so distributed we all
know. That the starving poor cannot
control the matter is perfectly appa-
rent,


The illustrations used by the gentle
man from Massachusetts were addressed
to the passions rather than the reason
of the House. What if Mississippi has
approx rated $4,000 to aid in the de-
fense OF that arch traitor, Jefferson Da-
Wis a.? What if the women Of Texas have
converted soldiers clothing into money
and for the purpose of endowing an in
stitutiOn over which Robert L, Lee pre-
sides, or have sent pair of game chick
ems for his private table? Do such facts
change the question? Are the starving
poor responsible? Not at all. As well
might we say that the children of the
unfortunate druDAard should be left to
starve because the father, if he were
sober and industrious, would be able to
support them,


Sir these are the three objections
which have been urged against the pas
sage of the resolution; and certainly no
one of them commends itself to my
judgment.


Mr.. Washburn OF Indiana. Will the
gentleman give way a moment that |
may send up and have read as part of
his speech letter on the subject from
the poet Whittier?


Mr. Woodbridge. presumei it is bet
ter than anything | can say. I yield Of
course.


Th. GIarI- rood a q follows


PEACE AND GOOD WILL LETTER FROM


THE POET wHTTTIgR.


AMEsBURY, 4th Third month, 1857.


My DEAR FRIEND HASKELL Il have
noticed with great satisfaction a move
ment In our city for the aid Of the peo-
pie South. Threatened as they are in
many places with actual starvation, there
can be no doubt of our duty to relieve
them to the extent of our ability. This
obligation is not affected by the question
of their loyalty or disloyalty. They
must be fed.


| am sure it will be done, and
done cheerfally. Massachusetts, so
fiercely denounced by the rebel press and
hatred with such blind feroCity by the
great mass of the men and women of
the late confederacy, has never enter
tanned any feeling of hate toward the
people of the South. She was forced
sadly and reluctantly to put forth all
her energies for the preservation Of the
Union and the suppression of armed re-
bellion. She made for this object terri
BILE sacrifices of her best blood; her
heart still aches for its bereavements
and the bitter memory of the cruel treat
ment of her sons but now when those
so lately in armed conflict with her are
actually suffering for lack of food, |
think | krow the good old Common
wealth we'll enough to promise that she
will not stop to make nice discrimina-
tons, nor to take counsel of revenge,
but will give liberaly, upbraiding
not"


In the province OF God an opportunity
is afforded US To overcome evil with
good, to magnanimously overlook the
insane hatred manifested toward US I;
and, so far as any action Of ours can do
so, to convince the people of the South
that while resolved, for their good as
well as our own, that slavery and trea-
son shall hayp no nossihjlity of rpSur-