The Portland daily press., 1864-05-27
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from the National Capital.
WASHINGTON, May "A, 1854.

WASHINGTON, May "A, 1854.
To the Editor Of the Press:
We can hardly recur too often to the
brighter aspects OF the war, and in this lull of
the storm when above the subsiding thunder
Of battle rises from all the land cry OF be-
reayement, like Rachel weeping for her chill
dren, it is peculiarly at to do So War is de-
struction, desolation, death but from it may
spring in many ways q new and better life.
Everybody except comparatively small num-
ber of stubborn idolaters of wrong, left It
would seem to their own way and smitten
with judicial blindness - everybody sees how
the country is being purified from the great
sin and crime of our age, and in a few years
of war is undergoing a regeneration that
would have occupied centuries of peace If in
deed it could ever have taken place in peace.
What glorious examples of heroism and sub
lime selfdevotion are daily and hourly being
given-examples that shall incite to noble and
lofty deeds the men of all lands anl all time
SO long as our name endures on earth. What
an education in practical beneyoence are we
receiving during these years of bloodshed.
Few. perhaps even of ourselves realize the
forth. Here are few facts which, though OF
asomewhat local sort, are representative and
may help us to form an idea Of what is being
done all over the country. From the WASH
ington Chronicle extract partial list of ar
ticles issued from the store house of the Sani-
tary Commission in this City, on Wednesday
last for the army of the Potomac. They
were 901f lhe rnilk ITO ousbiops y-0 or,toko.
33S arm slings, 20 casks ale, 10 ounces NOR
phine, 270 lbs chloride of lime, 45o doz eggs,
5000 opium pills, 600 bottles whiskey, 600
sherry and 240 brandy. The following arti-
cles comprise part only Of Saturdays issue,
viz, 14oO lbs beef, 1000 tin cups, 1000 wooden
shirts, SO lbs chloroform. 70 casks porter, 100
lbs. crackers, 2500 lbs. chocolate, 90 doz. bot
ties whiskey. So doz. bottles brandy, A barrels
corn meal, 10 doz. prs. scissors, s doz. wooden
buckets, "A dressing forceps, 1900 lbs. canned
chicken and turkey, 1900 lbs canned peaches,
2400 lbs vegetable soup, 200 lbs. smoking to-
bacco, 300 pillows; 100 lbs. candles, 400 prs.
shoes, 20 barrels bandages, Is barrels old linen,
1900 prs. crutches, besides various means of
amusement such as checkers, chess, back
Cannon, &c, and considerable reading mat
ter. Such cargo as that from which these
extracts are made is forwarded every other
day to the army of the Potomac and deposited
at Belle Plain. The hospitals moreover In
and about the City which have received more
than two hundred thousand soldiers since
Oct. last, are supplied with very many com.
forts from the same source and all this is but
one item in the operations OF the Commission
Nor is the Christian Commission whit be-
hind in its noble work. While its pecuniary
means are far less than those of the Sanitary
Commission, 1t makes the most of them by
accepting only such agents as are willing to
labor gratuitously, thus applying everything
intrusted to 1t directly and entirely to the OBJ
ject intended, and it has called into its service
great body of devoted Christians men
whose praise is on every soldiers lips. In
these noble associations those who cannot
fight but whose souls are in the struggle, may
md an opportunity 10 serve their country
very efiectually, and the men of future CEN
turies may more rejoice to claim descent from
those who wear the badges of these Commis-
sions thaa any noble now does TO trace his
lineage back to one who bore the insignia of
the Order Of the Temple or of the Hospital
OF Saint John amid the crusading hosts.
As no army was ever cared for like our own
SO none was ever more worthy. The scenes
Of suffering with which all the hospitals are
now filed may well make one sick at heart,
but they serve 10 deyeope the brightest Chris
tian charity and the most heroic fortitude.
Multitudes of noble women have left homes
OF comfort and elegance to alleviate the suf-
ferings Of these brave men, and are not mere
ly "hovering about them like angels of mer-
cy" but are watching and laboring night and
day with zeal and devotion of which / do
not know how TO speak. And If you would
see men prove their fortitude far more con-
vincingly than upon the field of battle, if you
would see them suffering all that nature can
endure patiently, uncompainingly and even
cheerfully, you need only look into any ward
of any hospital. Some you will see lying pale
and still, quietly awaiting the return OF
strength or their release from earthly suffer-
ing; Others you may find negotiating an ex-
change OF wounded legs, and others you
may hear humming eheerily-
.'Bad luck to the traitor Jer Davis
Who brought these hard times upon me-
or some other ditty Of the camp. Hardly
will you hear moan and still more rarely
will you hear complaint.
Upon one point l think the country has
made up its mind: all this suffering and sac
riace hitherto must not be in vain Whether
sudden and glorious victory is before us or
whether other defeats and future drafts lie in
our way; whether we soon to rejoice in a
reunited country whether for years to
come desolation and anguish and heartbreak
are to smite and wiring the land, still in all
events with Gods blessing the country is tc
be redeemed and the Union at whatever cost
Is to be preserved. TSP.