Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1861-10-17

Ihe glorious privilege now exists OF
doing some real service for ones country.
A lifetime time may never present such
another occasion.
GOVERNOR SPRAGUE. of II. IL
TO THE LOYAL WOMEN OF
AMERICA.
TREASURY BUILDING. WAsHlNGToN,)
'''a October 1, 1861.
CoUNTRYwoMEN. You are called upon to
help take care of our sick and wounded
soldiers and sailors.
1t is true that Government undertakes
their care. but all experience. in every 9TH
er country as we'll as our own. shows that
Government alone cannot completely pro-.
vide for the humane treatment of those for
whom the duty of providing. as we'll as
possible, is acknowledged. Even at this
period Of the war. and with much small
er proportion of sick and wounded than is
to be expected, there is much suffering.
and dear lives are daily lost because Gov
ernment cannot put the right thing. in the
right place, at the right time. No other
government has ever provided as well for
its soldiers, so soon after the breaking out
Of a war of this magnitude. and yet it re-
mains true that there is much suffering.
and that death unnecessarily occurs from
the imperfectness of the Government ar
rangcments. This is partially owing to
the ignorance. partly to the Incidence, and
partly to the inhumanity and knavery of
various agents of Government, as we'll as
to the organic defects of the system. But
humanity to the sick must, to a certain
extent. be sacrificed. under Government,
to the purpose of securing the utmost pos
sible strength and efficiency to the militia
ry force. m
Whatever aid is to be given from with
out, must still be administered systcmati-
cally, and in perfect subordination to the
general system of administration to the
Government To hold its agents in any
degree responsible for the duties with which
they are charged, the Government must
protect them from the interference of irre-
sponsible persons.
Hence, an intermediate agency becomes
necessary. which. without taking any of the
regular agents of the Government ont OF
their hands, can. nevertheless. offer to them
means Of administering to the wants Of the
sick and wounded much beyond what
could be obtained within the arbitrary
limits Of supply established by the Govern.
ment, and in strict accordance with the
regulations necessary for maintaining a
proper accountability to it.
The Sanitary Commission, volunteer
and unpaid bureau of the War Department,
of the Government, constitutes such ar
agency.
Under its present organization every
camp and military hospital. from the AT
lantic to the Plains. is regularly visited
its wants ascertaincd, and whenever it is
right. proper and broadly merciful, sup
piled by the Commission to the extent oil
its ability. For the means of maintaining
this organization, and of exercising though
it direct influence upon the officers and
men favorable to q prudent guard against
the dangers of disease to which they are
subject, which is its first and principal OBJ
ject, the Commission is wholly dependent
upon voluntary contributions to its treasu-
~. For the means of administering to
the needs of the sick and wounded. the
Commission relies upon gift offerings, OF
their own handiwork, from the loyal wo-
men of the land 1t receives not one dol
l lar from Government.
A large proportion of the gifts of the
people to the army hitherto have been
wasted, or worse than wasted, because d.
rected without knowledge or discrimina-
ton. 1t is only through the Commission
that such gifts can reach the army with q
reasonable assurance that they will be re-
ceived where they will do the most good
and the least harm. ..-.f..
The Sanitary Commission has estab-
lished its right to claim the confidence OF
| the nation The Secretary of War and
Major General Mcclellan have both re.
Gently acknowledged, in the warmest
terms. the advantages which have already
resulted from its labors, and the discretion
and skill with which they have been d.
rected. It's advice have been freely taken.
and. in several important particulars.
acted upon, favorably to the health of
the army, by the Government. There has
scarcely been company Of volunteers in
the 6ell, with regard to which some speci-
cial defect. error or negligence. endaugsring
health, has not been pointed out by its
agents, and its removal or abatement ef-
fected. There has not been single in
stance in which It's services OF sdvice, of.
fered through all its various agencies, have
been repulsed; not single complaint has
been received Of its embarrassing any officer