Litchfield enquirer., 1862-08-14
The Certified COwards.

We congratulate, that is, we commisorate the towards in this County. They are deserving of our sincerest sympathy, and we tender them our tenderest compassion. Their fountain of life or rather their waters of death are dried up, and their healing physician rests from his labors.
 All last week, Litchfeld seemed a hospital of iuvalids. We could have fondly hoped it was a pool of Sloan, did not the sick and the maimed who focked hither, go away fully as sick and maimed as they came A we'll stranger within our gates would have thought this must be the Paradise of tue Unlortunates, since so great a crowd Aocked hither for succor and comfort. And, though it may be considered paradox, those who came to us the sickest, went away feeling best, if they only left with certified as. surance that they went as sick as they came!
 But now we breathe freer in Litchfeld. We walk the streets less fearful of contagious dis ease. We are not shocked with the sad sight of such and so much suffering as we have been. We begin to believe that all is not so bad as it seemed three days ago, ard that the unknown and unaccountable epidemic which has so SC. verely afflicted this County, has in some provi- dential manner boen stayed, or has at least ta- ken itself off towards Wnsted and Washington.
 And what was this epidemic which broke out so suddenly and ragged so fearfully, and 50 many victims of which we saw 1ocking to Litchfeld for certificates We will tell our wondering readers in two small words. It was RANK Cow ARDlcR. It attacked certain class of men in all sorts of ways. Now they felt it in their head, now in their heart, now in their lights, now in their lver now they felt it in their toes, now in their fingers. It was the natural courage and dignity of a man-,hat which distinguishes him from gorilla, oozing out at their fingers and toes'.ends. And they came to LitchGeld, not to be cured of their ills and aches-they didn't wish to be cured-but they came to be certi
 fed that they ,rers towards and some of them got their certificates. l-a
 We do not mean to be understood as saying that all who came were cowar1s, though the first look of the thing is against them. There were some, undoubtedly, who had other ills than these, diseases or malformations of body or mind, which would exempt them from military service before any regimental board of exami ners. But why didn't such wait then to be ex amiuedl Why not stand their very slim chance of draft, and thereby prove that the true spirit was willing, though the flesh was weak? Why be in such terrible haste to crowd the Doctors door. and to pass over their quarter, when nc quarter was required for hcns /? But it was very unfortunate that such should come in a body with those kno9n to be hale and hearty of body and mind, but of notorious Secession proclivi ties, who, having the same certificates with themselves, bring the whole system, throughout this County, into an odor which, to use a milo term, is decidedly odoriferous. Nor can We be lieve that the examining physicians were all tt blame in the matter It wasn't thoir fault, and it isn't their fault that there are so many app
 cants for certificates. Complaints may arise and will arise, that soma of these certificates were granted when there was no earthly reason for an exemption, but, bless our souls, how ar, the doctors always to avoid being deceived
 Cannot coward lie? -sz44 as=ts
 We have single suggestion to make to thos, who have received certificates, for their comfort Let them organize at once into an lNvALIDGuARD for Mutual Protection. Let the lame, and tn halt, and the blind, form one company; let tn short of wind. and the short of sight, and tn short of leg, form another; let the asthmatic and the gouty, and the consumptive, form 1 third and so on and let ltt!o child, or an olt woman in brooches lead them. We apprehene the only difficulty will be as to which company shall guard the baggage of the regiment.