Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-07-20

WAC luteiilSeuCei energy anu AhNNsil1
order and control them, rather than the
| Official Journalism which must Of neces
sity be found In such institutions pass
ing into governmental hands. Such
asylums should be started on q small
scale, In a temporary way, feel their
road, and gradually adapt themselves 70
their experience Of the wants OF the
men. To erect great edlhces upon any
present knowledge Of what our Amer
lean life and spirit requires, would be
10 stereotype our ignorance and petriiy
our dreams.
The nation, through some BOARD II has
learned to trust, should take some one
or more OF the cheap pavilion hospitals
the war has erected, and which must
soon be in the market, and having thor
ougAly purged it, open one OF moSe
wards at q time, testing the want and
gradually developing the best system
for the care, and comfort and happiness
OF the men, making the institution in
all cases mixed, so as to destroy the uni
formity of classified asylums; putting
the wholly and the partially disabled
together-the blind and the halt-and
by the greatest diversity of industries,
and light, even if useless, employments,
seek to keep up selfrespeCt; restore to
society as many as possible, and make
those who cannot be restored as little
miserable as their wretChed cirCum-
stances will allow. The wan and woful
countenances Of many blind, lame and
helpless soldiers, utter strangers to any
homes, have stamped an image on my
mind OF their long, weary future under
the best care they can possibly receive,
which is full Of motive and full of sOlic-
itude."
In accordance, therefore, with the
strong wish of the officers of the Com
mission, we intend, after our supply
work is over, to carry on the branches
Indicated in the above letter. 1t is diff
fcult to say exactly what shape the
work will take; but this we know, there
has been great need, during the war, Of
an association which undertook to do
for the soldiers what no one else could
or would do. When q man is suffering
from sickness, cold or hunger it is use
less to stop and ask Is it not some
special PERSONS duty to relieve him 2"
The man dies before the question is an
swered. Relieve him first then if there
has been any fault, trace it to its source
and have the mistake corrected, or the
offender punished or recognjze-what
we have had good chance to learn in
four years eXistenCe-that with the
best government in the world there is
yet much for Americans to do as indi-
Viduals. God forbid that our freedom
of action should ever be shackled by the
strong hand of a government no mat
ter how good, grasping every form of
social life.
The work of the Sanitary Commission
has been needed up to this hour. Sup
plementing government in some depart
ments, in others originating and carry
ing on separate branches of work and
we believe it will continue to be needed
for months, perhaps years to come. And
for those months or years, we mean to
be, in Boston, the representatives of the
Commission to every soldier, or member
OF a soldiers family, who needs snch as
sistance, advice and sympathy as we can
bestow. We stand roady to hefriend
the needy. How this may best be done
in detail, we must learn day by day.
We shall ask counsel Of all who stand
in position to give it; and shall seek to
nut ourselves in snoh rotations With me
cxisJlng charitable institutions of New
that we may act in concert
with them gaining strength from them
and doing in return whatever we can
toward making it easy for them TO car
ry on their work. We ask our friends
throughout New England to aid US in
this work, doing in their own sections
of country what we seek to do here;
insuring to every soldier or soldiers
family a patient, sympathizing hearing,
and such help as in the nature of the
case may be possible. , 2. T..
We have not worked side by side with
the people Of New England all these
years and in this great cause, without
knowing that we speak for thousands of
men, women and children, when we
say that the soldier shall be cared for
while he needs the care Of a grateful
people.
LETTER.
N. e. WOMEN AUXILIARY ASSOCIATION. !
BosToS, June 20, 1866
Ny Deer Mrs. Ripley Your box, prom
ised in the letter of June I'd arrived on
Saturday Together with it came two
packages, of which / enclose the inVoic-
es, hoping you can give US some clue as
to who sent them to us. The question
which you say is so constantly put to
you, of what further need there is of
the Sanitary Commission, is one of great
moment You have Of course received
the circular from the central committee
announcing their desire that the aid So
cieties should continue their organiza-
tions, so as to be ready to undertake for
few months, some new work which
will Ally close the labors OF these four
years .......- 5~s ....-.. ..-- ut.
o Isuppose for a time there viii be q
lull just now; the supply work need be
carried on very moderately, though not
entirely given up as the statistics you
quote prove But in a short time when
the returned soldiers have enjoyed the
first pleasures of their return, they will
begin to think Of their future, and then
.