The national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1860-1862, 1861-12-16
For the National nspubioan.
Justice to Miss Dix and tho Sanitary
Conn m fttRa.

In the Republican Of the 9th instant, there
is an article from the New York Times, signed
TRUTH" harshly rejecting upon Miss Dix
and the Sanitary Committee. There is some
a part, even til t Is made to act the part Of
falsehood. and l, AS one of the medical officers
Of the army, would blush with shame should
!. even by silence, endorse the statements
not in the papers, viz: the widely. copied srti
ole of " TRuTH," but in the consciousness of
their benevolent labors to suffering humanity,
,oahout fee or REGARD. They are but occasional
to the poor soldier often enough for human
capacities, when we consider the vast number
of general, division, brigade, and regimental
hospitals to be visited, with their thousands of
inmates. Though, from the very necessity of
the case, like angels visits, few and far between
those visits ever leave blessing IN their track.
Miss Dix does not live in hospitals. II she
did, the woes Of earth would soon send her
shuddering spirit to heaven, where she be.
longs, and deprive the sick soldiers Of tender
mother. She lives In her comfortable house,
In Washington, rented ,oih her ot1n money
worn with toll and distracted with care-noi
OF her own, but the sorrows of others. Her
store rooms are always filled, because the no.
BILE women Of America respond to her call for
assistance with such alacrity AS to constantly
supply Tho large stream of blessings dispensed
from her hand. Ny hospital carts never re-
turned empty from her door and that Of the
owe very large, II not the greater part
| of the comforts the sick in our division hosp-
tai enjoy, and among them many the Govern
ment does not; and, with The best will, could
| form, but prompt as the want is the supply.
What state in regard to the division hos
pita is also true of the regimental hospitals, rs
all my subordinate medical officers will cheer.
fully testify.
She does not nurse the sick, says" Truth )" nor
shroud the dead. Common decency would
suggest that the living soldier would more suit
| ably perform the latter Office for a dead com
rade than any female; and rs to the first, how
ever exalted In my view the character Of the
| f. male nurse, how little could Miss Dix, u lady
of delicate constitution, broken by innumerable
hardships, of body and mind, accomplish, In
struoting, and directing of hundred of nurses,
and furnishing them the means to nurse with.
As we'll might you blame the general for not
shouldering the musket.
have less to say of the Sanitary Commits
sion. They are men, and can do their own
battles. But trust that, rs that committee was
authorized by the highest authority OF our land
| no GOODNESS or petty jealousy that would only
the sick-oan exist between them and the bu.
rsau. To judge by what is said Of Miss Dix, l
must deem II unmitigated SANDER. Distin
| gushed medical officers of our country, whose
| experience dates from the war Of Mexico, we u
know that that experience, valuable as it is,
| requires to be revised In the light OF mode RI
European warfare; and that what answered
well for the companies and regiments of the
| then United States army, will require consid-
| cradle notifications when applied to the divis-
ions Gas large as the army then waS and corps
d'drnlee, into which the 600 900 brave American
| hearts and hands that rose for freedom, are
distributed, and therefore will gladly avail
themselves of all the aids they can receive by
| reports even OF the military hospitals of the
Sultan of Turkey.
Tho system Of raising hospital funds is, per-
| haps, the worst that could be devised, as every
crooked road is worse than u straight one. In.
stead of supplying the field hospitals direct
with such things as they want, requisition Is
made for the ordinary rations Of the we'll SOL
| der, and rs the sick cannot consume them, a
| part Ia left with the commissary to commute
Into money, to be expended for what Is needed
| In small quantities, thus with all honesty con
shutting 4 necessary loss of time and money
| and opening a wide door to petty fraud. II
" Truth" had seen my hospital nurses at WORK
to-day, he would have seen that we can WASH IN
| CAM, as well as in the city; and our patients
| arrayed in linen, white and clean, would beau
| tifuiy contrast with the blackness Of his heart
Thanks to the Medical Department, Miss Dix
and the Sanitary Committee, we have beds
| bedsteads, and sheets, feather pillows and pill
low cases for the sick, and can carry all that
| we need with US.
A not very distinguished medical officer,
| JOHN G. +. HoLsToN,
Acting Division Surgeon,
Blenker's Division, Army Potomac.