The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-28
VOMEN'S CONVENTION.
The international Meeting in
Session at Washington.
MISS BARToN'S ADDRESS
On the Work of the Red Gross So.
clety-Thc Mission of Noble
Band orHumane Women-..Re-
lief of Suffering People,.

} WASHINGTON, D. O., March 27.-Ther,
were many new faces in Albaugh's opert
House when the delegates to the Inter
national Council Of Women were called
to order for the second days proceedings
"Philanthropies" were the specia
order for consideration and a number o.
interesting addresses were made, the
most noticeable being that OF Miss Clara
Barton, President of the American Ma
tional Red Cross Society. Miss Barton
spoke as follows:
The organization OF the Red Cross is
the result of an international treaty
known among nations as the Treaty Of
Geneva" and has for its object the
amelioration of the conditions of that
class OF persons who, in accordance with
the customs OF mankind from the earliest
history to the present, have been called
to maintain the boundaries of nations,
and even national existence itself, by
human warfare.
A GREAT WORK.
BY its international code all military
hospitals under its flag become neutral,
and can be neither attacked nor cap
tured. All sick and wounded within
them remain unmolested. Surgeons,
nurses, chaplains, attendants and all
non-combatants at a field, wearing the
accredited insignia OF the Red Cross, are
protected from capture. Badly wounded
prisoners lying upon captured field are
delivered to their own army, il desired.
All supplies designed for the use Of the
sick or wounded Of either army, and
bearing the sign Of the Red Gross, are
protected and held sacred to their use.
All conveys OF wounded or prisoners in
exchange are safely protected in transit,
and, if attacked from ambush or other
wise harmed, an international treaty is
broken. All persons residing in the vi
cinity OF battle about 10 take place
shall be notified by the generals COM
manding both armies, and full protec-
ton, with guard, assured each house
which will open its doors to the care Of
the wounded from either army; thus
each house becomes furnished field
hospital and its inmates nurses.
Previous TO the war OF the Crimea
civil help for military necessities was
unknown. Florence Nightingale trod n
pathless field. In the wars which fol-
lowed, till 1866, even this example was
not needed, and the wars of Napoleon
Ill. in Northern Italy were types OF
military cruelty, medical insuftiCiency,
and needless suffering which shocked
the world. Out OF the smOuldering
ashes of these memories rose the clear,
steady flame OF the Red Cross; so bright
and beautiful that it drew the gaze Of all
mankind; so broad that 1t reached the
iarthcst bound OF the horizon so peace
fui, wise, harmless and fraternni that aii
nations and sects, the Christian and the
Jew, the Protestant and the Catholic,
the soldier and the philanthropist, the
war-maker and the peaCe-maker, could
meet in its softened rays, and by its
calm, holy light, reveal to each other
their difficulties, compare their views,
study methods OF humanity, and from
time to time, learn from and teach to
each other things better than they had
known.
THE ARMY SERVICE.
Our own terrible war which freed
100000 slaves and gave to us the "Bat-
tic Hymn OF the Republicp had no ray
of this fraternal light. We "read the
righteous sentence by dim and flaring
lamps" and in darkness and inhuman-
ity, sorrow and doubt "our souls went
marching OF"
With the Franco-German war Of 10
II commenced the opportunities for the
practical application OF the principles of
the treaty. Both nations were in the
compact. There was perfect accord be-
tween the military and the Red Cross
Relief. There was neither medical nor
hospital work save through and under
the treaty Of Geneva. The Red Cross
brassart flashed on the arm OF every
agent OF relief, from the medical director
at the headquarters of the king to the
little boy carrying water to his wounded
lieutenant; from the noble Empress Au-
gusta and her court, and poor Eugenia
while she had one, to the patient, tired
nurse in the lowest hospital or tent by
the wayside.
No record Of needless inhumanity or
cruelty to wounded or sick stains the
annals OF TINT war.
l walked its hospitals day and night.
l served in its camps, and marched
with its men, aud l know whereof !
speak. The German, the French, the
Italian, the arab, the Turco and the
Souave were gathered tenderly alike, and
lay side by side in the Red Cross palace
hospitals OF Germany. The royal wo-
men, who to-day mourn their own dead,
mourned then the dead ofiriend and foe.
The treaty has brought the war-mak-
ing powers to know each other. Four
times it has called the heads OF thirty to
forty nations to meet through appointed
delegates, and confer upon national
neutrality and relief in war. 1t has
created and established one common
sign for all military medical relief the
world over, and made all under that sign
safe and sacred.
ITS FlELD DouNDLEss.
The public in general, to large ex.
tent, is coming to the use of the Red
Gross as medium OF conveyance and
distribution for its contributions. The
National Association, with its healquar.
tiers in this city, has n field agent, who
visits, in person, every scene where aid
is rendered. Commencing with the
"forest fires' Of Michigan in 1881, there
has fallen to its hands share of the re.
lief work in the overflow Of the NLissis.
. sippi river in 1882; OF the Ohio in 1888
OF the Louisiana cyclone the same year
the overflow OF both the Ohio and Mis-.
sissippi in 1884; the representation Of
the United Suites Government ut the
international Conference of Geneva,
Switzerland, in 1884: the exhibition OF
"woman's work" in the Red Cross, both
foreign and American, ut the. Exposition
at New Orleans in 1885; the drouth in
, Texas in 1886; the Charleston earth,
quake in 1856; the represe ltation OF the
r United States Government again at the
Court OF their Royal Highness', tho
Grand Duke and Duchess OF Baden, al