The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-01-12

right enough year ago, but, thank
God and our brave army, a year has
made a happy change Tor us all. if we
have only the sense to improve it.
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
The report Of the Surgeon Gener.
al Of the State will sufficiently explain
to you ourproccedings IN that behalf
1t will he seen how useful and bene
licent have already been it's manage.
ment and results. This experiment
now awaits, with the advantages de.
rived from its experience, the action
which, in your generous wisdom. you
may determine to take in regard TO it.
The question is in some respects
new one, aud like all novel expert
ments Of such magnitude, it will nat
urally and necessarily disclose the
truth that many arguments for and
against the pHnciplc OF this form of
doing good-and justice, too-may
be well and honestly entertained by
most sensible people.
Its chief difficulties and disadvan.
tages are: That it can make no pro-
vision of married men Ia large class }
except in separation from their lami-
lies, and that it is an obtrusiye lorm
lot open, public charity, which disre-
CARDS and violates the national spirit
of pride and indepenGondc in men,
and is, therefore, not in consonancc
with our past national habits and in
situations. TO these allegations we
may only reply: First, that If other
large classes of claimants upon our
bounty and Justice can be better or
alone provided for in this manner, the
unavoidable exclusion of the class in
I question is no objection to the plan ;
I because we are bound To do all the
good to all the classes which we can
do. And if the obligation really cS
lists towards the unmarried, we should
be doing them an injustice hy neglec.
/ ting it for reason not pertinent to
/ theirs, but 10 another case. The true
rule is, to do the best we can for each
class, according to the circumstances
and capabilities which appertain to
each. IL married men can not he
provided for ia n public soldiers
Home, we must devise some other,
and for them better, system Of sup
port. Secondly, the apparent disre
gard of the feelings of the pensioner
is merely apparent. The fact Of the
same relationship between the person
and the Government will in reality
exist just rs much if he lives in pri.
vate at home, or with lis original
friends, as it would in a public ins;i-
tuition. And my own opinion is, that
this dependence is all the more obyi
Gus and painful than that Of the pub.
lie form. 1t is more Obvious and di.
rect in It's haarine ur"". Il,s intl,~i,lu
nj, because everybody who il neaI
him in private life will see and know
Ihis stipendlry support. 1t is more
painful for that reason, and also be-
cause he will not he braccd against
his humiliation, by the esprit du co, pS.
OF the many associates who sulr ound
him in the public institution and by
the praises OF il, which tho visitors
will bestow in their hearing or thro'
the press.
In a body, organized into clcanli
ness, dccency order and comfort, the
invalid volunteers become pride to
the whole people. Scattered in the
neglect Of sickness, rags, dirt, idle.
ness, and the many vices which idle
ness and the contempt Of others will
produce, many OF them must become
most unhappy in their own constant
feelings and a dcspi ed nuisance to
the people around them. This Is Il
strong contrast, but | fear will be
found a trUe one. II the one plan
makes pensioners, the other creates
both pauperi-m aud vagrancy. And,
rs to tie other incompatiLilities with
our pnst national taptcs and ideas, il
Is sufficient To say that they are PAST,
and past praying for, too. The ma
ton (Which has, aud must have the
very largest list, both Of pensioners
and paupcrs, 10 be supported by pub
lie justice in the one case, and Ly
cHaity on the other, which is on the
earth or that ever was on the earth,
must make up its miad to cease It's
cant about its having none, and about
the false pride Of its Independent
poor, The Frccdmen's Durean must
tell IFS true story Of the pauper char
ity for millions. The records Of our
Soldiers Homes and Hospitals must
expose their armlcss and lcolcss vic
tim heroes Of this awful war, rs the
expression of our pensipnaiy Justice.
Or else some of them, perhaps not u
few, will, ot much greater expense To
us, shlycr and starve, get drunk,
grow rioious, commit crimes, and iill
our prisons, or IL may, alas shame us
from every village and n every cross
roads throughout the land Vhoi'
lives must become cruel burden to
Themselves, and a burning disgrace
TO us, so long as they shall live. And
is this a fate winch we are Wiling to
see and cause for these noble patri
OTIS ? | cannot believe il.
Retrcuchmcnt in Our enormous OK
pcusoS IS ind c an especial dcsir,
OF mine, Bat here, rs in our Ben
cvolent Institutions, is not the place
for false economy Aut thai tho
economy IS r,lsr, let amy man VIII
may be frightened at the number o
these Soldiers llo acs, and the con
seqncnt startling sums necessary il
the aggregate TO maintain them. lro
pose lis alternative schcmes for Ind