The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-26

ment is mystery and human wisdom has exhausted
itself in vain through unceasng efforts TO penetrate
its folds and expose TO the eye of medical science its
hideous form and attributes. The only rational
conclusion TO which man seems capable of arriving
is that it is destroying angel drying up the foun-
tans of life II were IN the twnking of eye, of
nearly all upon whom Its icy hand is laid, and, by
It's fearful progress among US, admonshing all that
g in the midst Of life ,Oe arc IN death"
have been remiss in duty in not before paying
tribute Of praise and gratitude to body Of chris
tian and benevolent females but for whose heroic
conduct our list Of mortality would have been
swelled to far greater length than even its fearful
appearance now presents. Iallude to the :" SISTERS
OF CHARITY" of the city OF St. LOUIS. In every
sense of the word they have proven themselves to
be the "good Samaritans" Of this community.
When panic and alarm had driven the relatives of
the departed, in of our most respectable pro-
testant families to seek safety in flight from the
presence of the dead, and none could be found TO
pay the last Offices to such slept in death, and to
robe the body for the grave these dauntless, self
sacrificing, rellglously devoted females have never
been appealed to in vain, but have frequently gone
and performed that which none others were willing
TO undertake. When public city hospitals were
tablished in every ward in this city, where the most
loathsome objects of this loathsome disease were
huddled together in large numbers, and TO take
of whom neither money entreaties could secure
Observation-Disclosures g Sisters of Charity" with heroic
frmness, again threw themselves into the breach,
and voluntarily rendered their services the public
authorities Here, in these charnal-houses
Of the living, for week in and week out they have
stood as faithful sentinels facing the arch enemy,
DEATH with composure and fearlessness that moth
ing but an unbounded reliance in the overshadowing
care of crucifed Redeemer could impart, and
testing inch by inch the combat between that enemy
and his victims with whom they were constantly
surrounded. And when they have found that ma
ure must yield to the king of errors and that the
curtain of death was rapidly drawing around the
sufferer, upon Bonded knees they could be seen re-
clining infected lips, and entreating the expiring
pentent to look with the eye of faith upon the im-
age of their expiring Saviour. In the dens of vice.
and in the humble habitations of the destitute
among US, and that ever found in the outskirts
and the by-places of all large cities, these messen-
gers of mercy, philanthropy, and charity, can be
seen moving by day and by night ministering unto
the sick, comforting the afflicted, and gathering to-
gether helpless orphan infancy, that places of refuge
might be secured them in some Of the different
asylums Of our city. When | see such disnter-
ested benevolence this--at time, too when fear
has rent asunder the ties of affection and
guinity, when many of our clergy, with their
families, have sought in flight that protection which
they 80 pathetcally preach, in time of health, can
only be found of God, and where almost every one
acts upon the selfish and unchristian principle of
Every man take care of himsef''-l feel as if
| that public acknowledgment should be made which
such praiseworthy and benevolent conduct deserves.
| know that the prejudices Of portion of the
Protestant religious world are so great against
Catholics that they most unwilling to acknow-
ledge that good christian act can be per-
formed by any who embraces their faith. Although
Protestant myself, in the strongest acceptatlOn of
| the term, never having been even within the walls
of Catholic church dozen times in my life, yet
| | am not of the uncharitable number of nv own
1 fott oh lid al Irr
concerning the salvation Of the soul, am to some
extent, if | may use the expression, atitudina-
rian. do not believe it is the creed adopted, nor
the form of worship followed, nor the learning nor
eloquence of the divine upon whose ministrations
| you may attend that constitute person Chris
tan. 1t is the depth and sincerity Of the repent
ance Of him who Processes Christianity, and which
can only be manifested by the fruits and the scorks
such repentance produces Whenever, therefore,
behold male or female calling him or herself fol-
lowers of Christ, who in the days of Gods vista
/ ton and WRATH such are now upon us, going
about nom house to house, visiting the sick, cloth
ing the naked, feeding the hungry, binding up the
broken-hearted, caring for the orphan and widow,
| and directing the dying soul to turn from earthly
scenes to the saving grace Of a just and merciful
God-aI such persons | regard and reverence as
| Christians without caring inquiring whether
they be Jew Gentle, Catholic or Protestant. 1t
is the acts and not The prs}sasoms, that designate the
dound to his glory shame in the world which is
to come.
regret to enumerate among those who have fall
len victims to the epidemic within thu last twenty
four hours, the name of Lieut. Col. McRea, of the
| Quartermaster's Department of the U. s. A. He
died at his residence, about three miles from this
| city, yesterday morning early Some ten days
since he was attacked with cholera, but by timely
| medical aid was saved. Previous to regaining his
entire strength, however, he was guilty Of some r-
regularity IN diet or exposure that brought on re-
lapse and terminated fatally. He was perfect
soldier, invaluable officer in the department TO
| which he was attached and his loss TO the service
| may be regarded a national calamity. an
| eyewitness to his invaluable services during the
| campaign in Mexico, but more particularly while
| In command Of the Quartermaster's Department at
the mouth Of the Rio Grande, and at Vera Cruz
during the siege Of that city, its fall, and the adj
vance of Scot's army into the interior. At Vera
Cruz, in particular, his duties and responsibilities
| were most arduous and complicated; but he never
shrank from the performance Of any, and always
met with promptness and despatch the requisitions
made upon his department by his commanding Of
hcers. In this community he has a large and ex-
| tensive circle Of warm friends and acquaintance
4 who deeply deplore his death, and who feel as
though another of the brightest ornaments Of the
| American army had been stricken down in the me-
ridian of life, and at period when his services
could be the least spared. IL is a source OF some
| consolation TO know that he leaves his family in
| comfortable circumstances.
We also buried yesterday, from the same cause,
VIM. r. Titcomb, esq, lawyer Of much promise
and universally respected in this city. The attack
was a violent one, and terminated fatally in a very
few hours. This is the seventh member of the st.
Louis bar that has been called to his final account
since the great fire in our city. No classes in COM
munity have suffered more in proportion TO their
hunters than have the medical and legal profess
sions; while among the clergy, so far as my know
ledge or information extends, but death has
CURED. Some Of this latter profession, however,
have acted upon the maxim, since the epidemic has
ragged among us, that
ole who fights and runs array!
Will live TO fight another day"