, 1861-05-09
an INSURANCE VIEW.
War Risks OF Life 1HEurADce@AeEseI
from Eii1ur Wright.

from Elizar Wright.
Elzur Wright, Secretary of The Msssachu-
setts Board Of Insurance Commissioners, bav
irr been applied to for Information concern-
Ing wsr risks In life insurance policies, wnsss
the following letter:
s"orxIcx or THE Mass scuusErrs |
IasuEAsoE CoaxEss.osEds: |
BosroS. April II, 1851. |
"Mr DEAR S1R My opinion, not ma hs.
matiea1,y very positive one, a. to the proper
rats to ia charged On northern lives tor psr.
mission to engage In the military service OF |
the goye1pmtp MT in the present emergency,
was formed come time ago, after careful
consideration # the facts then within Hy |
rsach: mud thus far haya seeE no feasoa 10
change T.. ,--.
: "lhe military statistics which We have, as,
sumipg tEeir accuracy, throw hGt fee5l* aGd
hickeriEg light On the q7estion OF military
risks Taking modern Nat6 Ct tarst-ra:e Euro
psan powers Alorg with our own military ex-
peEfenee the extra mortality varies all tie way
1rom Q up to 20 per cent. per annun on tha
meen lo:ee. This extra mortality may &c |
divided Into thrse paris;
+ s>"F1st-fhe enhaceement, of ordinary uls-
eesee, which varies according to circumsteH-
c=s of conm'ssstIat, me3i.al srianSsmea.s,
climate, fatigue marches, etc etc.
s'Sacord-Deaths from casuslties IN actloE;
the ratio Of these to the fcr:es ergsgsd II the
s:r,ice has varied greatly, tut not 20 muca ~
k41--k VI L4G lt1AL45 ny AA6GtaeS 0iN - - ~N-
yearly 80 large. In man very important wars
1t has tesn l: IS thsn one per cent
| " rhifd-'ine mortality WLlel shows lt.e.1
| af1er this war. frcm GiseAse CT Viclous Iaoi's
| contracted III the service. As to the amount
| of this We ere LIFT e1t1rsly to cosj -cture u
must be considerable for the mss, buE Feu:d
/ probably not be large for such Ives a. IN
| TINES o; ;psacs ra:ort to life Insurance, auo
roa!l be guarded against in soma measure a.
| to lives seeking Insurance now by Jad':1ons
I A&- vtSdE
grza: hsr1ehirs with even beneficial et1eet
IN sir vitality.
"Alow,rg 10 blind fortuna its fall share IN
The government Of military msttsEs, i;ls oo-
vious enotlgh sh-t th= ratio Of nersal'y IA
e.st vars Ia. depe9dsd gresty On 1he Rst t,st
| ia predicting that whIch will Tuls ID th1 RS
| eEE war we must carefully consider the Fsla-
| rive position. strength aud mes-s OF the par
siea- This WET has realty no precedent IN the
history OF thu world, either among torsi5r,
| civil ortervue wars
"a government cordially supported BY etgt-
| teen millions Of people, POSSESSED OF am t5te
msaus, inspired WIN q eonm-n enthusi ssn,
Il ca'i=d On TO suppress rebellion got up,
smil-t q population OF ten millions, mere t. Al
one third of whom ara slaves, by small mi
nori.y OF the FREE population, ard entirely IN
| their inter5Et. The county ccntroltd by the
corsp spirat- rs has no navy, small 1aan1faci ure
| little available wea1th aI home, and no credit
| 42TVaE. IL dptta1S W 44E Lkd% ~4AtA1 el0 ~
j | may coat the insurgents much blood, the Go
| 7er1 n Mt must be sadly dsfcient in both
ateemanship and generslship, II it DOES not
conquer permanent peace at very moderate
| cost of Lille. on Its p4rs- Whatever prtjui.c.s
OF prsdilectious may be entertained at the
: North, military necessity now dic.ates
S that properly In elages, the CAUSE OF rebel
e Lon must be sacrificed tor the saiva.ion Of tee
a country. Such sacrifice ilvoiv5a nothing tar
r | bzrous, waste.ul Of life, CT beyond the colst..
!. tntsonal power Of government at such an
emergency.
: slf vii: necessarily take place By throwing
j. unop sou:h h. m soil at two or three core maid
G i1g points, sufficient force to ensure tae pro.
8 lection o. Life, liberty and all other speces q
: | property to all the population ~ho will srand
It ~ their allegiance to the government cr Ee
t, turn TO it. The peculiar Institution OF tht
& South renders it impossible fl lis ex'cmpo;
II IL d government to concentrate iOrea sui
5 ticiens to parry blow Of this sort, AID il
d must nece Early N AXE the best terms 1t ca1
, amer ne which will doubtless he stipulation
], for the ex.ingui5huent of that claim OF prop
a | erty in man whicn caused the war.
The Montgomery Ro7erEleaf, even II
e had full time to organize, consoliaate aRs
IS avail Itself Of all possible TsaoGrces, Wuu''
g only be stIsng for aggressive war on Wal
E. penple. II the BRUSH eovsrnueLt. st t.
= lime OF our rev olutioc, hal rad 10 t1a:es Q
t. its own end only the Slave S 'ates to sIbJue
J think the forces 1t landed en- Southern sol
T. would have dcne the work With nut eufte:ip
Ii al extra mortality Of more than ons Pr ctt1
II Aad while our government can bnVe two hal
! tFe1 teoneaud trooEs FIR I'll arlaicg, I DO no
) believe it nee3 saeritice one per can't OF Ii
u army. or moFa than the time bet seea this Ell
Of Isly 4h, to end tne qaes ion and seal the ps,
sc pa u;ty ct tie Union.
u "EEtre hiss BEEN kreat danger thas the or
e epiraey would gain some impor ant ad7aotag
e, over our government wEilo it was in d.;
gaised state; but that Is passed. Now + "a
y iikeu tue war only 10 that betwf en- the II
1aged bull and the locomotive. The Eatuzs
trute is sura to get the wozst Oft. while vii
caution and o coW-ea:cher, the artitl -ial vi
h convert its antagonist into h.rmless bSef wit
no aterlsl Gam age to itselt.
"Ffor nj these conscientious I am Il
AZ c;!ntd to think the chances are In faror OF tn
- companies not losing hy gran'l1 H,ita-
Il permits at two per cent. B1: their po:i:,o
as is 30 strong that think they can sheu;dt
n n. soma loss, and their constituents would chez
~ fely Justify them IN doing 1t. True pr,ldt re
~ eerms to be Just row n OYER d inss 1a'ts
G than under-dolrg. The flag must b. eu::ais
IS I'd CT our institutions sick ln'o eommo
- Tnin. itur5 fTHlE,
q "EL1zUR WRIGHT"