Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-06-18
Communicated.
The Christian Commission.

EDITOR NEWS While conversing with
gentleman this morning upon the subject Of
the Christian Commission, found that he
supposed it to be organized for the same pur-
pose as the Freedmen's A,sociation-viz: to
render aid to slaves who had become free by
the progress Of the war. This is an entire
mistake, and l shall be glad to correct 1t
through the medium of your columns.
The Christian Commission was organized
to secure the following results: lst-To sup
ply the army with Chaplains, whose piety,
ability, and trustworthiness were well known,
and who could therefore be depended upon to
do the work for which they were sent. This
measure had become absolutely necessary,
from the gross abuses Of the old system of ap-
pointing regimental Chaplains. Some regl-
ments have been so fortunate as to secure
good Chaplains from the beginning; but in
many cases men were appointed to this post
who had no religious or moral qualifications
for it, whatever. | have, myself, known a
broken down, sixth-ward politician, of in
temperate habits and diSsolute life, to be ap-
pointed Chaplain of New York city regi-
ment. There were many such cases. The
Christian Commission undertook the work
of sending suitable men for this work and
the universal testimony Of officers and men
throughout our armies has been to the faith
fulneSs and competency Of the agents whom
il has sent.
9. To supply the soldiers with reading mat
ter. Any one who knows anything OF camp
life knows how the harpies who live by prey
ing upon the souls and morals OF men; Hood
the camps with their obscene and filthy pub
Ecations-at the very mention Of which de-
cency would blush. Our soldiers are all of
them, enlightened men, and many of them
well educated, reading and thinking men.
They have been in the habit Of reading at
home, and they crave something to read IN
the leisure hours of camp life. If there is
not good reading at hand, they will read any
thing they can get; and many young man
in our armies has contracted fondness for
obscene books, from the mere lack Of better
matter to read. from which, before his enlist
ment he would have shrunk with disgust.
This work the Commission has faithfully ex.
ecuted, and is still carrying on.
8. To furnish nurses and attendants to take
care of, and relieve the sick and wounded in
the different camps, and especially after every
great battle. In this particular the work OF
the Christian and Sanitary Commission is
the same, with this addition, which every re-
| ligious man, and we may safely say almost
every wounded and dying man will consider
not little thing; the Sanitary Commission
sends to the suffering soldier kind nurse to
bind UP his wounds and to make his condition
as comfortable as possible. The Christian
| Commission does the same, with this addl-
ton, that the nurse is Christian minister,
or pious man or woman, who, besides caring
| for the soldiers body, can speak to him OF
his soul, tell him of his Saviour, and direc:
| him to the Lamb of God, who takes away
the guilt of every sin. Dying men feel the dis
tinction. Delegates tell us that, often, Sc
vsrely wounded man appeals to them in lam
guage like the following d" 1t is no use to
try to do anything for my body, | am so badly
hurt; talk to me about my SOUL The agents
of the Christian Commission have thus a
higher work than merely caring for the wants
of the body, and their labors are gratefully
appreciated by the wounded and dying men
to whom they minister.
These are the chief ends which the organi-
cation of the Christian Commission was de-
signed to secure, and in each Of these depart
ments it has been eminently successful.
There are some respects in which this Com
mission has greatly the advantage of the
Sanitary Commission in carrying on its work.
One Of these is its cheapness. All its dele
gates are unpaid. There can be no question
that q thousand QolldIS gwen u Tic SltlStldll
Commission will relieve more suffering, and
be distributed to more men, than the same
amount given to the Sanitary Commission.
Again, the system of appointingit its delegates
gives it great advantage.
All these are pledged to go wherever they
may be sent, and to attend faithfully to the
work assigned, whether it be removing the
| wounded in time of battle, doing hospital
| duty, assisting the surgeons, or whatever else
| may be appointed to them.
In the office Of the Secretary of the Com
mission is kept a list Of delegates who hold
themselves in readiness to leave their homes
at a moments notice to hurry to the battle
field. This system enables the directors to
send any number Of nurses to any point that
| they may be needed at an hours notice. This
plan of concentrating nurses and attendants
| is peculiar in many Of its features, and this
+ commission is found to be as seryiceable in
saving life in the ranks Of our friends, as the
policy of concentrating troops in battle is in
causing death in the ranks Of our enemies.
The Rev. DR.. Patterson, and the Rev. Mr.
Mingen will speak eloquently Of the work OF
the Christian Commission, at the Odd Eel
lows Hall, in Gold Hill, tomorrow Sunday,
the 10Th inst, at s o'clock. We bespeak for
them a general attendance. -"