1848-03-02-New York Tribune-A Call for Sympathy
A Call for Sympathy
New York Tribune, 2 March 1848, p. 2.
In the vast and bleak Prairie wilderness, stretching between the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Rocky Mountains, several thousands of human beings are now being wasted away by destitution, hardship, and the sufferings incident to a hasty and violent expulsion from comfortable homes into an inhospitable wild. Many of them must die this Winter, and for these sympathy is now too late, but some thousands will survive,and these are in pressing need of seed-grain, iron for plows, repairing wagons, &c. and the medicines required by their exposures and the fevers thence engendered. Five thousand dollars, seasonably bestowed, will probably save the lives of two or three thousand human beings, whose carcases must otherwise be left to the prairie-wolves in the course of the famished march of this afflicted remnant to their new place of refuge, shut in among the southern spurs of the Rocky Mountains. Col. Kane of Philadelphia, who was casually brought in contact with these persecuted fugitives during two recent visits to the Far West, and who was thus taught to feel, as any true man must, a profound sympathy for their unmerited woes, has untiringly devoted his time and means to the awakening of an active compassion for their sufferings. Moved by his urgent representations, many of the most eminent clerical and lay citizens of this metropolis have united in the following call:
A meeting to take measures for the relief of the suffering Mormon fugitives, will be held at the Chapel of the University on Friday evening, March 3, at 8 o'clock. The Mormons who have come on from the West to make known the condition of their association will be present.
| WILLIAM V. BRADY, THEO. FRELINGHUYSEN, MORT'R. LIVINGSTON, THEO. SEDGWICK, BENJAMIN F. BUTLER, M. M. NOAH, M. N. BECKWITH, L. TAPPAN, J. T. GILCHRIST, J. C. ELLIS, GERARD STUYVESANT, THOMAS DEWITT, |
G. T. BEDELL, THOMAS H. SKINNER, G. B. CHEEVER, SPENCER H. CONE, GEORGE POTTS, GEORGE PECK, JAMES ALEXANDER, ERSKINE MASON, WILLIAM ADAMS, M. S. HUTTON, HENRY J. WHITEHOUSE, THOMAS E. VERMILYE, |
We now entreat all our citizens, but especially those able to give something, to attend this meeting. We do not encourage them to expect any great intellectual feast, though we hope some good men will say what will be well worth hearing. But we ask all to bear in mind that six thousand American citizens are now shivering and starving in the dreary wilds of the West who had pleasant homes until thrust out of them by ruffian violence and cruel rapine, and sent homeless fugitives beyond the sphere of civilized existence. They now ask but seed-grain and plow-iron to enable them to provide for themselves; and a sum equal to the cost of some single entertainments given in our city will save the lives of thousands. Who that is able to do something toward their relief can innocently withhold it?
