New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-21


The Sanitary Commission has lately published
an appeal for contributions from the churches on
Thanksgiving Day. SO far as VIC have observed.
the appeal has been seconded with cordial good
will by the press, with a single exception. The
leading Coppcrhesd orgsn in this city seizes it
ss the occasion for an elaborate and inalevOlcnt
ottack upon the Commission ITSELF the incentive
to which is apparently personal hostility to the
President Of the Commission. During the cam
paign, DIR. Bellows, not thinking himself alb
solved by his relations to the Commission from
his duty az a citizen, spoke heartily on several
occasions for the Union cause He was assaiied
for il at the time with the coarse imputation that
he was seeking TO convert the Commission into
a political machine. The spirit Of that attack
reappears when the partisan necessity which
first stimulated il has ceased to exist, and for
tho sake of n sheer at an eminent clergyman,
The UorlH does not hesitate to SANDER and mis-
represent the noble charity Of which he is the
steward.
An effort is made TO show that the necessity
for volunteer associations in aid of the army is
superseded by the completeness with which the
Surgeon.Genersl's Bureau does its duty. live
admit all that is urged in behalf Of the latter. 1t
does not touch the Sanitary Commits
sion. The work Of the latter, as has been
thousand times stated, is auxiliary to
tho Medical Department Of the army
by no means in conflict with it, or in
opposition to it, or with view to im-
pair or mpeach its efficiency. The experience
of many nations has made it maxim
that the best efforts of government fail
to provide perfect system for the medical and
sanitary administration Of the best organized
armies. Probably our government has done as
much rs most TO insure kind and careful treat
ment to its sick and wounded soldiers. and has
doue something to anticipate and prevent the
ordinary, and what has been deemed the newt.
able, sickness of camps. But the truth remains
that no government eau afford to do all which
private benevOlence attempts. The Sanitary
Commission spends nearly $3oo,0c0 month.
viii the Medical Bureau undertake TO add that
amount 70 IL estimates for the next year, If
IT did, would the money he spent for the same
purposes, would IL be spent ss economically as
by the Sanitary Commission
Let us tnke two illustrations Of Official opera
tions in behalf of the wounded soldiers. First,
the reformed ambulance system; whence did
that come Not from the effort or by the pro.
curement. nor With the good will, Of the Medi-
cal Bureau, bnt smos, wholly by the effort Vi
one man, entirely disconnected with the army
organization Dr. UrSRY BOwplTCH OF Boston.
But for his zeal, intelligence bnd energy, we
should have been stumbling along to-day upder
tho old system which the SurgeonGeneral
deemed good enough, hut which every officer
aud every wounded soldier in the army knew
TO be clumsy, inadequate, and utterly unsuited
TO the exigencies of the present service
For the second illustration we take the begin
ming OF Gen. Grants campaign in May OF this
year. We know, on the testimony OF our own
correspondents, and from other sources that the
medical arrangements Tor the transportation,
Tor the care, for the nourishmeut even, OF the
wounded in the great bates OF the Wilderness
and of spottsylvsnis. were scandalously Insult.
icient. Yet if ever there was case w''cn the
efficiency Of bureau had chance for display,
this was that chsnce. The time OF Grants cross
ing was perfectly known al Washington;
the occurrence Oft battle could lo predicted
with accuracy; it was certain that great num-
Der Of wounded would need extraordinary pro.
vision. Were there at that ascertalned, fore
seen, known emergency competent facilities for
the wounded! We refer the dOubting TO the
letters which at that time appeared in our col.
umns ffom fredericksburg. We declare that
az that moment, when the medical officers
in Washington aud in tie army had full
knowledge of the tendency Of a great battle,
when they were bOuud to provide 10 advance
for certsiu casualties, when if ever, the bureau
System was to be proved-tLst ct this critical
moment the Surgeon. Generals Office in Wash.
ington proved utterly incompetent TO deal With
the emergency. Not from any fault of DISPOSE
ton or capacity in the oiEcisls-we do not
charge that-but from Inherent, necessary DO.
fects in the system they are sci TO execute. The
Forty Thousand wounded of those terrible bat.
ties knew not what il was--we speak acusrslly,
but positivcly-knew not What il WAS TO
ror;ys ion the Arst tbraa tAvs