Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-11-01
To the Loyal Women Of America.
TRE,sUgY BUttptN0,
WASHINGTON, OcI. /, ls6l. {,
CnrNrKYMnNEN


CorNrKrwoSEN
You are called upon to help take care {
our SICK and wounded soldiers and sailor
I. Is true that government undertake
their care. bat ali experience, in every o'he
country as well as our own, shows that GOV
srumeut alone cannot completely Prov'd
for the humane treatment OF tho-e ior whou
the duty Of providing, as we'll as possible
aeknoslcleci. Even al this period OF ih
war. and with a much smaller proportion
.ick and wounded than .. o. bs expected
thsrut - much sudsTins. and dear hycs az
daily lot tycausc goyvrnment cannot Ia
the right thing, IN the right place. a, 'h
right uue. NJ either government has eve
PROVIDED a, We. cor ID. soldiers. 30 soon Al
ter thr brvating out ol a var 0t thi. magui
tudc, aud ~; ii rvmaius true that there n
much sui uue. and that death unn.,e--ari
" occurs irom the impcricctaes- OF the gov
srum~ut arrangements. The j. partly oS'
ips % the ignorance, partly 90 The indolence,
and partly 10 the inbumanIiy ani SnaVery
Of the various agents OF government. as vel
a. q the organic defects Of the system. But
humanity n the s,ek must, 10 a certain ci'
tent. b. sacrificed. under government. ,n The
purJu-e Of securing the utmo.t pi--,bl'
strength and efficiency 10 the military force
Whatever aid is 70 be gwen from without
must stall be administered systematically
aud in pcrle,t sgborlinatiou 70 the general
system Of administration Of the government.
To hold iis cents ,n any degree responsible
for the duties with which they are eha-scd,
royernusu, mus, protect tbem from The IN
tcrfervDcc Of irresponsible persons.
Hence. an ,niermeiAis agency becomo.
neoessary. which. without taking any Of the
duties OF the regular agents o, government
out of their hands. can, nevertheless. oder
g. them means OF adn,nl.icriu: TO 'he wants
Of the ,iek and wounded much beyond What
e,.II b. obtA,uci within the arbitrary l,m'
10 Of supply established bv government and
m strict accordance with the regulations
necessary i1r nainIain,n; proper account
ability % u.
The sanitary CO. mi--iou.~ volunteer
md uurAil bureau u The War Department
Of the government, constitute, such IA
agency
Uuder its present organization. every
camp and military hospital. from the A
lau,, % the Plain., D. regularly and irS-
oucnily visited. o., want. ascsrtinsd' an
t.c,paiei a. iar a. possible and whenever u
i.r.tt. proper. and broadly ms-c'fal. sup
rli-i directly ~ the Commission TO the eK-
ten, Of 10. ability For Shc means Of main
n.rin. tai. organization. asd of exercising;
through 10. direct iullruos upon the Oh
c,r. and men lav1rably TO a prudent suard
n,,Iu,, the danger. ol disease 70 ~hich they
aie subject. which j, the tr-i and principal
oh,-,t. ths Commission :. wholly tePenirn'
ur5p voluntary contributions % iss trea'
NV For the mean. oi administering o
The need. Of the SICK and wounded, the Com
mission relic. upon gin oarrirs- for their
own harirSork from the loyal women Of
tie land. IL receive. DOT one dollar iron
government.
\ Iar.s proportion Of the sif,s of the reo-
pls 20 ,b, army hitherto have ben wasted,
O, w1-,. than wasted. secause directed with
our suowl,is- or discrimination. l''' only
through che Commission that such sll'' cat
reach che army With a reasonable ASSURANCE
that they ~ilI be roceiyci where they val
q, thr most god aud leis, harm.
Tie >iutary Commission has established
right O., claim the oou6i-nee of the ma
tioa. The Secretary OF War and Malor
General Mcclellan have both recently. ae
knowIsds-i IN the warm-., terms, the al
Nnns,- wh,cb have already re.uliei irou
~. labor. aud the discretion and ,k,,l viii
which they have be IN directed It's advice
ha. been freely taken. and, In se,eral im
raFAnt particulars, acted upou, iA'orabl!
70 The health Of the army, hy 'he govern
msn,. There rs scarcely begu cJuTan!
Of v,.uu.,,r. M tbe field. with regard 4
which some special defect, error, or n"sI'
gepcc. sulangcrins health. has not beet
pointed cut by - agents, and iis removal o.
ahatsment Elected There has not been
single instance IN which IL services or al
wee. offered through all u. var,sas agencies
have been rspalsed 10, single complain
IA. been received Of its embarrassing 50!
oficer IN bis duty, or Of it, interfering viii
discipline in the -ligb,e., degree. II. labor
have, 20 thi, time. been chiefly directed :
induce prccauiion. against a certain elias
Of disease. which have soourgd almo.
every modern EaroPean aruy. wh'eL dee'
mated our army 10 Mexico, and which, a
one sine. rendered nearly halt OF one oi ou
arpir, in the war u lsl2 unit iJE service
lti. ground Tor national sratiiuie that Oh
present. armies have passed through 'h
mu., trying .eason Of the year vordsrfull,
eso.pin: this danger That there are srande
eause. iJr thu. than the labOrs OF the Com
Ini.sion cannot BE- doubted. but that. anon,
human agencies. a large share Of credit 10
1t should he given 70 those IabOrs, u Is neish
er arrogant nor unreasonable 10 assert. II
this assurance, what contribution that ba
hitherto been made to ,hs treasury or th
store OF the Commission 3. not received baeI
again ten told m yaluef
MJro than sNty thousand articles hay
h..r r.......t D.. thn Enrnr.....,.. L.. 49,