FOR RELIEVING THE DISTRESS IN GERMANY.
About eight years ago the calamities, occasioned by the war in different provinces of Germany, gave rise to a Subscription and the formation of a Committee in London, to relieve the distresses on the Continent. By the generosity of the British Public, and with the aid of several respectable Foreigners resident in this country, the sum of nearly 50,000l. was remitted to the Continent, which rescued multitudes of individuals and families from the extremity of distress, and the very brink of ruin. The Committee received, both from Germany and Sweden, the most satisfactory documents, testifying that the various sums transmitted had been received and conscientiously distributed; but at no period since the existence of this Committee has the mass of every kind of misery been so great, in the country to which their attention was first directed. Never has the cry of the distressed Germans for help been so urgent, their appeal to British benevolence so pressing, as at the present moment. Who could read the reports of the dreadful conflicts which have taken place in Germany, during the last eventful year; of the many sanguinary battles fought in Silesia, Lusatia, Bohemia, Saxony, Brandenburg, and other parts; and peruse the melancholy details of sufferings, almost unexampled in the annals of history, without the most lively emotions? Who could hear of so many thousands of families barbarously driven from Hamburg, in the midst of a severe winter; of so many villages burnt, cities pillaged, whole principalities desolated, and not glow with ardent desire to assist in relieving distress so multifarious and extensive? To the alleviation of sufferings so dreadful; to the rescue of our fellow-men, who are literally ready to perish: the views of the Committee are exclusively directed. Many well-authenticated afflicting details of the present distress having been, on the 14th Jan. 1814, laid before the Committee, it was immediately resolved, in reliance on the liberality of the British public, to remit, by that post, the sum of Three Thousand Five Hundred Pounds, to respectable Persons, with directions to form Committees of Distribution at the several places following:—
| 1. To Leipsic and its vicinity, | £500 |
| 2. To Dresden and its vicinity, | 500 |
| 3. To Bautzen and its vicinity, | 500 |
| 4. To Silesia; on the borders of which, seventy-two villages were almost entirely destroyed, | 500 |
| 5. To Lauenburg, Luneburg, and the vicinity of Harburg in Hanover, | 500 |
| 6. To the many thousands who have been forced from their habitations in Hamburg, | 1000 |
At subsequent Meetings the following sums were voted:—
At a General Meeting, convened by the Committee for relieving the Distress in Germany, and other parts of the Continent, on the 27th of January, at the City of London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street;
Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P. in the Chair;
The Chairman read a letter from His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, stating, that an illness, which had deprived him of his rest the preceding night; totally incapacitated him from the proposed pleasure of presiding at a Meeting, the purpose of which was so congenial to his feelings, and in the success of which he avowed his heart to be deeply engaged.
The Secretary then read an interesting Memorial from the Inhabitants of Leipsic, praying that relief from British benevolence, which former experience had taught them, to confide in.
The following Resolutions were agreed to:—
1. That it appears to this Meeting that the distress arising out of the ravages of war in Germany, and other parts of the Continent, is inconceivably great, and loudly calls on the British Nation for the exercise of its accustomed beneficence.
2. That this General Meeting, convened by the Committee appointed in the year 1805, for relieving the Distresses in Germany and other parts of the Continent, approves most cordially of the object of the Committee, and especially of the prompt measures taken at their meetings of the 14th and 18th of January, anticipating the liberality of the British Public, and sending immediate succour to the places in greatest need.
3. That an addition to the Subscriptions already opened by the Committee be now applied for, to meet the relief they have already ordered; and that the Committee be desired, without delay, to use its utmost endeavours to procure further contributions, to alleviate, as much as possible, the present unparalleled distress on the Continent.
4. That it be recommended to the Committee in the distribution of the funds to observe the strictest impartiality and that the measure of distress in each place or district do regulate the proportion of relief to be afforded.
5. That the several Bankers in the metropolis and the country be, and they are hereby, requested to receive Subscriptions for this great object of charity; and that the country Bankers be, and they are hereby, requested to remit the amount received, on the first day of March, to Henry Thornton, Esq. Bartholomew-lane, with the names of Subscribers, and to continue the same on the first day of each subsequent month.
6. That the Clergy of the Church of England, and Ministers of all religious denominations, be, and they are hereby, earnestly requested to recommend this important object to their several congregations, and to make public collections in aid of its funds.
7. That all the Corporate Bodies in the United Kingdom be, and they are hereby, respectfully requested to contribute to this important object.
8. That the most respectful thanks of this Meeting are due, and that they be presented, to his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, for his condescending and, immediate acquiescence in the request that he would take the Chair on this important occasion.
Resolved, That the thanks of this Meeting be given to Henry Thornton, Esq. for the zeal and ability evinced in his conduct in the Chair.
A Sub-Committee having been commissioned to examine the documental papers and other sources from which Mr. Ackermann's Narrative of the most remarkable Events in and near Leipzig, &c. is compiled, as some insinuations have been thrown out that much of what is therein related is rather exaggerated, and Mr. Ackermann having furnished them with the said papers, they were found to consist of—
1. A Pamphlet, printed at Leipzig, entitled, "Leipzig, während der Schreckenstage der Schlachten, im Monat October, 1813; als Beytrag zur Chronik dieser Stadt." ("Leipzig, during the terrible Days of the Battles in the Month of October, 1813; being a Supplement to the History of this City.")
2. A printed Advertisement of a large Work, to be accompanied with Nine Plates, the Advertisement itself giving a brief but comprehensive account of the battle of Leipzig.
3. A second Advertisement, giving a similar description of these battles in German and French.
4. A Letter from Count Schönfeld to Mr. Ackermann, describing the dreadful condition of the villages in the neighbourhood of Leipzig, especially of those over which the storm of the battle passed.
5. An Official Paper, signed by some of the principal Bankers and Merchants at Leipzig, containing an appeal to the benevolence of the British Public, in behalf of the sufferers.
6. An Official Attestation of the truth of the statement made in the said Appeal, signed by the acting Burgomaster of Leipzig, with the City Seal affixed.
7. Several private Letters, entering more or less into the detail.
The Sub-Committee, having read and considered the chief parts of these several sources of information, were unanimous in their opinion, that far from any exaggeration of facts having been resorted to, in presenting this Narrative to the British Public, facts have been suppressed under an idea that they might shock the feelings of Englishmen, who, in general, by God's mercy, have so imperfect an idea of the horrors of a campaign, and the unspeakable sufferings occasioned by the presence of contending armies, that, to hear more of the detail contained in the said papers, might destroy the effect of exciting compassion by creating disgust, and doubts of the possibility of the existence of such enormities.
The Sub-Committee were likewise fully persuaded that the accounts contained in these official and printed Papers could not have been published at Leipzig itself, without being acknowledged by all as authentic, as they would otherwise have been liable to the censure of every reader and reviewer; and therefore, comparing them also with various similar accounts, received from other places, they feel no hesitation in expressing their opinion, that the Narrative published by Mr. Ackermann is a true and faithful representation of such facts as came within the Reporter's own observation.
Rev. Wm. KUPER.
Rev. Dr. SCHWABE.
Rev. C.F. STEINKOPFF.
Rev. C.J. LATROBE.
Tuesday, Feb. 8th, 1814.
The following are the Instructions given by the London Committee to the Committees of Distribution on the Continent.
Permit me to inform you, that the London Committee for relieving the Distresses in Germany, and other parts of the Continent, deeply sympathizing in the distressed situation of your town, (or district,) and anxiously wishing to afford some relief to the suffering inhabitants, have devoted the sum of —— to this purpose in the distribution of which they request your attention to the following points:—
1. The express design of this Charity is to relieve those who have been plunged into poverty and distress by the recent calamities of the War.
2. In the appropriation of its funds, the strictest impartiality is to be observed.
3. The distribution is to take place with the least possible loss of time.
4. No one family or individual is to receive too large a proportion of this Charity. The amount of the loss, and all the circumstances of the persons to be relieved, are duly to be taken into consideration.
5. For these purposes a Committee of Distribution is immediately to be formed, consisting of magistrates, clergymen, merchants, and such other persons as are most generally respected for their knowledge, discretion, and integrity. Should a Committed be already formed for the disposing of contributions received from other quarters, they are requested to choose from among its members a Sub-Committee for the management of the sums received from London.
6. This Committee is requested to keep an accurate list of every person and family they relieve, as well as the sum allotted to each, and to transmit to the London Committee such authentic accounts of the distress still prevailing, together with such particulars relative to the good effects produced by the distribution of the charity, as may prove interesting to the public.
7. Finally, the Committee of Distribution will have the goodness, at the close of their benevolent labours, to draw up a concise Report of the manner in which they have applied the funds intrusted to their care, accompanied with such documents as they may deem necessary, and to send the whole to the London Committee.
8. The London Committee, considering themselves responsible to the Public, whose Almoners they are, wish to lay particular stress on a fair, equitable, and impartial distribution of this bounty; and as persons of different ranks, and religious denominations, in Great Britain, have been the contributors, they anxiously wish that the most distressed, without regard to any religious community, whether Christians or Jews, Protestants or Catholics, may receive their due proportion in the distribution.
9. They now conclude with assurances of their deep interest in the sufferings of their brethren on the Continent; and consider it not only a duty, but a privilege, to administer to their necessities, as far as the kind providence of God, through the instrumentality of the British Public, may enable them to dispense.
10. The Committee of Distribution are requested to appoint a Correspondent with the London Committees, and to transmit their letters to
R.H. Marten,
Luke Howard, Secretaries,
At the City of London Tavern, London.
Typographical errors corrected in text: