New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-03
A TRUE PHILANrHROPIST.

the Rebellion, perhaps there Is one who has larger
claims upon the gratitude of her cOuntrymen than
Miss Clara Barton of Massachusetts, who, besides
nursing the wounded in hospitals as long as the war
lasted formed and executed plan for marking the
graves Of the soldiers who died in the prisons of the
South 1t was natural that this woman, when the
war broke ont between France and Germany, should
have at once determined TO do what she could to
mitigate lis horrors The story Of what she has done
is told in part in the following letter, which though
written in April last, has only just reached us
through the private hands TO which il was ntrusted
1t has lost little by the delay and will be read with
deep interest:
srRAsBoURG, April %, 1871.
To the EditOr Of The Tribune.
SIR: IL seems 90 me that, in a moment IN which all
minds fun Of pity and sympathy for the unfortunate
condition Of France your subscribers, regardless of the
Earring impericctons of foreign tongue. will be CRATE
full your paper you would give place to the follow
ing lines
Your bravo and noble fellow country woman. Miss
Barton, who. the first days Of the war, has
been with the sufferers In Asace. among the Baden
hospitals IS now, and has been since the second day OF
its surrender, in Srasbourg, and by her vigorous ana
charitable initiative has firmly held up and prevented Its
ruined population from falling into beggary She has
founded with her resources, large ana always In
creasng establishment of work for women, which counts
now more than $50 mothers Of largo famies-widows,
wives Of prisoners. or OF wounded soldiers Twelve
hundred rers0ns-little children and aged parents
have been fed and warmed, and clothed all Winter
by the earnings of these wonderland by this means
held through this terrible crisis above tho degTa-
dation Of beggary and the sins of vagrancy. 1t
is sight never TO be forgotten, when twice
each week these hundreds of homeless women,
from their temporary abodes enter the workroons
and depoting their finished package Of wemade gar
ments receive the next and the money which is TO give
bread to their children. The garments all cut and
t1ao md
material for service 100 made and returned each
week. Of all Sizes suitable for men, women, and children,
and this by whose homes lie in ashes and RUNS,
whose last cent OF property is gonedaughters who nave
their father and mother torn in pieces by bombs
and mothers whose babes have been killed in their arms
whose Sons and husbands wasted away in hospital or
prison. or seep peacefully under the bloody sods Of
Hagucnau Gravelottc and Sedan. And when for some
cause one compelled TO resign her work and leave the
city, there touching sight than to see her seek
her faithful patron to beg OF her certificate 10 prove
everywhere ras il she would have it written every
large" that all the world may that she has aDored
all Winter for those honorable workrooms earned her
own and her chdren's living, and has "not been beg
gar"
One wond have thought that with the end Of the
and the return Of peace and SPRING stranger and
foreigner would have grown weary of so heavy burden
and laa il dowu but the dssensons Of unhappy France
t hold its people in unrest There is neither work nor
pay for Them and in Miss Barton the most In
tense desire extend the benefits of her work through
all this destitute country Since the 1st OF January the
ComitG &c soc0urs Stras5ourgeOis" has begged Miss
Barton 10 allow it to associated with her in her
work. but this Comi6 receiving its funds in the name of
the poor Of srasbOurg free TO distribute Its pro-
ceed or receipts IN other places The paid labor and the
1900 garments each week sent out from Miss Bartons
rooms in addition the other gifts Of the Comite have
made strasbOrg better provided perhaps, at this mo-
ment than any war-destroy ed city in France.
We sometimes wonder il this heroic and nObehearted
lady standing day by day among her quarter of regi-
rcn OF Women at the time encouraging, sustaining
and guiding them with tie tenderness Of a womanand
the rmnes OF man. does not yearn for the cooperation
and aid OF yOu her generous countrymen and women
beyond the sea- t. take up her beautiful work and pass
It's products outside the limits OF this walled city, ana
spread them through all the wartrodden villages and
hamets OF France would be work wen worthy OF your
natchless pcOpe-thcn would he put in execution one VI
the best and nobest thoughts which have crossed
living soul, for only who live among them, ana VIII
moss the caates which have crushed these people, can
realize that it would be for the future even more than
the present TO hold up and elevate them above the
degradation which threatens them side We, of
Strasbourg are grateful toMs Barton for all she is
doing and has DONE different is city from what it
would have been if she had never entered IT, that we
would make her work known to you, and proclaim
through all the world what she has done for u.s. We
would that you should be as proud Of this Amer
lean work Of your country woman in Europe as
we are grateful for it, We can fix her form
IN marble aud her features canvas-and this we are
doinc-but we would also have her enshrned anew in
the hearts OF her own people whom she loves so well,
and honOrs so much You will not be surprised to hear
Of her good deeds Cor she has accustomed you TO
this al home; her modesy may never permit her to
sneak o. them herself and Il must be that America does
not know at this moment Of this great and new work in
foreign land and yet here II IS celebrated tcnOugh TO re-
ceive visits from German foyeTeigns, who, with their
1lffY in f1p1 lg mo
rue des Boucers 10 adnirng the organization 80 com
plete q an the work, the rich ripe and more than
golden fruit OF almost eight months Of Miss Bartons
labor who has given TO it her days. her nights her
strength her thought her rich experience and all the
rest she was seeking in Europe. More than deputa-
tion has been sent from the German WOmens Unions
(og which the soycrcgns are always the head 10 in
spect the manner Of Miss BartOn's wOTkIooms
for the benefit of their own; and all alike
have left filed with admiration, and have
exclaimed, comfy American lcould have organized
ANYTHING ike this" know that her noble and generous
countrymen and women who have shown such sympathy
Tor our suffering people will be glad to feel that while
they are working for o of the circle, Miss Bar
ton all the Winter toiling rttin it; and cannot
but think that as the grand thought has preoccu-
ped all they must be glad TO confer with her upon the
means of doing the best possible good for the unhappy
people whom they seek to rescue May the blessings OF
the woman She has saved from beggary or from starva
ton descend upon the head OF your noble sister.
Ian. sure my dear Sir. that do not need to beg your
pardon for the liberty have taken in wrngyou, which,
admit under ordinary circumstances, would have been
an act Of temety who has never set foot on the
soil of an English speaking country But trust never
theless that you will give place to my letter for its
trthfuness and that other American papers may
do the same; for these facts, however mperecy too,
are they not interesting enough for every American
hearth remain Sir with the highest esteem most re-
spectfully yours, ANIolNEIIL hAhOoI'
-Maison Berqraann Rue deS BOueherS StrdsbObrg.
La o. ln,,.,n,.n H. q lnt4nr frnm Miss Barton her