Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-01-14
VOL. 43: NO 2.

q T. tSoNaAibtAs VI Ol4iSi DuDiAN bfsalrNis ADui1
: be ready at once to iInperiI itself 70
& the enforcement of the laws, and tht
= protection of the lives and property o
/ the citizens. 1T il, therefore, desirable
7, that the Legislature should give this
e volunteers suen practical aii as would
/, IN some degree, compensate them fol
D the time and money expended to main.
tain their organizations, in which The
people are as much interested as the
2 volunteers themselves.
: The report ef the Adjutant General
VIII be found very interesting docu-
: ment, containing much valuable infor-
nation and many important snggeS-
! tlons. a careful perusai of its contents
J and such action thereon. as seems TO be
: demanded by their Importance, is re-
commended. Gen. ID. B. M'Creary
has been elected to membership in one
of your honorable bodies, and with his
last report he closed his career as Adiu-
tant General. In losing his valuable
services from position he has so ably
filled for more than two years, the hOpe
, IS INDUCED that the department Will
gain an intelligent and devoted friend
and an able and efficient advocate ia
the halls Of legislation.
Military History.
The report of the State Historian is
/ deserving of your careful attention. In
it you will find a detailed account of
the operations of his department from
its commencement to the present time
The work entrusted to his care is one
Of no ordinary character and responsi-
bility, requiring talents ofa high order.
patient industry, careful research, and
unbiased judgment. The labor to be
performed is immense, and can only be
properly appreciated by those fully ac-
qIainted with its magnitude. 1t en-
| braces a faithful account Of all the or
/ ganizations of Pennsylvania troops du-
ring the war of the rebellion; the col
lection and adjustment, in a compre-
hensive form Of each military organi-
| zatiOn, and an unprejudiced description
! OF all military transactions of import
ance, so far as the volunteers of this
State are concerned, in the camp and
| in the field, throughout the most ter
! rife conflict Of arms that has ever oc-
Cured in the history of the world
! The prOpriety Of such a work must be
| apparent to every intelligent citizen of
/ the Commonwealth. Certainly it is
/ due TO the citizen soldiers, who offered
their lives in the defence Of their coun-
/ try, that their names should, at least,
/ receive place in the archives Of the
State, toward whose honor and glory
| their gallant deeds have so largely con-
/ tributed.
/ The work Of the Historian, when
completed, will embrace four large oc-
tavo volumes, in which the name Of
every Pennsylvania volunteer will
/ have lis appropriate place. Two of
[ these volumes are already completed.
n manner ornr1sfa bTo -
Commonwealth. The third is RAPIDLY
progressing, and with = generous ar-
preparation on the part of YOUR
honorable body the entire history will
/ be executed, if not before, soon after
the close of the present year. Most
other States are publishing histories
similar to this, and it is due 70 the im-
portance of the subject, and to the
credit of the State, that PENNSYLVANIA
should not be behind in this patriotic
undertaking.
Home for Disabled Soldiers.
There l., probably, no -tatg IN the
American Union that has contributed
more literally toward the support Of
charitable and benevolent institutions
than that of Pennsylvania. The ap-
preparations annually made for the
benefit of the soldiers orphans schools,
asylums for the deaf and dumb, blind
and insane, and many similar worthy
establishments in which the poor,
helpless and otherwise friendiess are
cared and provided for, reflect great
credit upon the Legislatures who have
donated the requisite means for their
support. But there is one other insti-
tuition needed, and the claims for which
are more strongly urged by every prin-
ei nj of humanity nd r1atriOfiGFr1 than
any other now in existence, which has
not yet received the attention its vast
importance imperatively demands
This is a home for the soldiers who
have "borne the battle" in defence Of
the honor, integrity and perpetuity of
the American Union. No men living
have as powerful claims upon the gen.
eroSity and nurtuTing care of the Com
mOnwealth of Pennsylvania, as those
/ who, upon the battle field, fought TO
I protect it from threatened devastation
/ ana destruction, ana who IN TINS patFi-
| Otie service, endangered their lives,
sacrificed their health, lost their limbs,
and became enfeebled and disabled for
/ life. And yet we daily see these men,
/ land who does not blush to see them p
/ TO whom we owe the preservation of
! our government, the homes we enjoy,
and almost everything we possess,
! hObbling about our streets upon crutch-
/ es, with missing limbs, and otherwise
I so enfeebled as to be entirely united
| for any Temunerative employment,
| begging their bread from door to door
! or sitting upon the corners of thestreets
/ turning an organ for the few pennies the
charitable passer by may feel disposed
to bestoW. Every one Of these helpless
/ men, whose patriotic devotion TO his
country has brought him to this de-
/ plOrable condition, is a burning re-
proach to the State for whose welfare
he has met the most serious and la
mentabie of all misfortunes. All OF
them appeal, by their wounds and des-
titution, to the people Of the Common
! wealth for that care which, in such
: contingencies, was promised the soldier
Of the Union, his widow, and bis or
phan children. 1t is time that all such
promises should be redeemed. The
wounded and helpless soldiers have q
/ claim upon the State which should not
and cannot be ignored. And / do earn
estly recommend in their name, and In
thtic behalf, that measures be taken by
yOar honorable body, to establish for
FthCm a home where they shall be am
plv provided with the necessary COM
> fort. of life, and no longer be compelled
| ! to be pensioners upon the scanty chari'
ty of the world. This debt the State
, absolutely owes, and no time should
, be lost in its honorable liquidation.
Insurance Department.
Ia two former communications your at
: tention was called TO the importance of es
! tablishing IN the State an insurance depart
: ment similar to those existing in othe
: States But the Legislature has thus ia
failed to give the subject that consideration
: which interests Of such magnitude to th
) people seem 10 demand. Insurance depart
e ments iu some OF the States are regarded
: paramount importance, as. they eiectuail
e guard the interests of the insured, an
/ through their healthy influence frauds an,
h spurious companies, SO common in PennSy
e vania, are rendered almost impossible. tn
e greatest benefits would certainly accrue bot
!. T "a the companies and policy holders as ha