Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-10-09
IP0r Tie InteIligenetr.I
To the Loyal Women of America.
TREASURY BUILDING, [
Washington, Oct. l, 1861.


our sick and wounded soldiers and SAIL
Ors.
It's true that government undertakes
their care, but all experience, in every oth-
er country as well as our own, shows
that government alone cannot completely
4 provide for the humane treatment oflhOse
for whom the duly OF providing, as well.
as possible, is acknowledged. Even at
this period Of war, and with much
I smaller proportion of sick aud wounded
than is TO be expected, there is much sui
fering. and dear lives are daily lost because
government cannot put the right thing, in
the right place, AZ the right time. No 9th,
er government has ever provided as we'll
for its soldiers, so soon after the breaking
ont of war of this magnitude, and yet it
remains trne that there is much suffering,
and that death unnecessarily occurs from
the imperFeclness of the government ar
engagements. This is partly owing to the
Ignorance, partly 10 the incidence, and
partly to the inhumanity and knavery of
various agents of government, as well as
! to the organic defects of the system. Bat
I humanity to the sick must, to certain
extent, be sacrificed, under government, to
the purpose of securing the utmost posi-
bic strength aud efficiency to the military
force.
Whatever aid is to be given from with.
out, must still be administered systematic
cillly, and in perfect subOrdination to the
general system of administration of the
government. To hold its agents in any
degree responsible for the duties with
which they are charged, government must
protect them from the interference of ire
sponsible persons.
Hence. an intermediate agency becomes
neCessary, which, without taking any OF
tie dhties of the regular agents of gov
eminent out of their hands, can, neverthe-
less, offer to them means of administering
TO the wants Of the sick anu wounded
much beyond what could be obtained
within the arbitrary limits of supply es-
tablished by government, and in strict ac-
cordanre with the regulations necessary
for maintaining II proper accountability to
it.
The Sanitnry Commission, volunteer
and unpaid bureau of the War Department
of the government, constitutes such an
agency.
Under its present organization, every
camp and military hospital, from the At
Iantic To the Plains. is regularly visited,
its wants ascertiined, and whenever it is
right, proper, and broadly merciful, sup
piled directly by the Commission TO the
extent of its ability. POrs the means of
maintaining this organization, and of ex-
ercising, through it, direct influence up
OH the officers and men fayorhbly to prn-
dent guard against the dangers of disease
10 which they are subject, which is its
first and principal object, the Commission
is wholly dependent upon voluntary con-
tributious to its treasury. For the means
of administering to the needs of the sick
and wounded, the Commission relies upon
] LII.
the loyal women of the land. 1t receives
not one dollar from government.
\ large proportion of the gifts of the
people to tue army hitherto have been
| wasted, or worse than wasted, because tli-
rected without knowledge or discriminu
ton. II is only through the Commission
that such gifts can reach the army with a
reasonable assurance that they will be re-
ceived where they will do the most good
and the least harm.
The Sanitary Commission has establish
| cd its right to claim the confidence of the
nation. The Secretary of War and Major
General Mcclellan have both recently nc
knowledgetl, in the warnest terms, the adj
vantages which have already resulted from
| its lnbOrs, and the discretion and skill
with which they have been directed. Its
advice has been freely taken, and, in sew
en,l important particulars, acted upon, ia
vOrahly to the health of the army, by the
government. There has scarcely tcen n
company of volunteers in the field, with
regard TO which some special defect, error,
or negligence, endangering health, has not
been pointed out by its agents, audi its re-
moynI or abatement effected. There has
not been single instance in which its
services or advice, offered through ali its
various agencies. have been repulsei; not
u single complaint has been RECEIVED of its
embarrassing any officer in his duty, or of
| its interfering with discipline in the
slightest degree. Its labors have, to this
time, been chiefly directed to induce pre-
cautions againsL n certain class of diseases
which have seourged almost ever modern
European army, which tierimnted onr arr
MY ia Mexico, and which, nj one time,
rendered nearly half of our armies in the
war 1912 unfit for service. It's n ground
for national gratitude that Onr present ar
mics have passed Though the most trying
season of the year wonderfully escaping
this danger. That there are grand causes
for tiils than the labors of the Commission.
cannot he doubted, lint that, amung hu-3
man agencies, large share of credit for it
should bc given 10 those labOrs, it is neith-
or arrogant nor unreasonable 10 ASSERT
In this assurance, AID contribution that
has hitherto been made to the treasury or
the store of the Commission is not receiT-
ed back again ten foIdin valued
More than sixty thousand articles have
been received by the Commission from
their patriotic country women. It is not
known that one sent TO them has failed to
reach its destination, nor has one been re-
ceived that cannot be accounted for. It is |
confidently believed that there has not
naatl of lnfa. slfr
ness in the army of the Potomac nor
wherever the organization of the Commits
sion has been completely extended, in
which some OF these articles have not ad-
ministered to the relief of suffering.
The experience Of the Commission has
so well acquainted 1t with the earnest de-
sire of the vrnmen nF the North tn hn MI