h
i
heart overflowing with sympathy and pity for tlic distress
about her. It is not strange that the soldiers loved her nnd
called her the "Angel of the Battlefield." The Union sol
diers were not the only ones whose suffering was relieved by
her. The rebels also blessed her for her gentle touch nnd
thoughtful care. She treated friend nnd foe nlikc, thinking
only of the relief she could give to suffering humanity.
When the war was nearly ended she was appointed by Presi
dent Lincoln to attend to the answering of lcttcrn from the
friends of soldiers who were missing or in prison. Three dnys
after the appointment was announced she found about four
bushels of letters awaiting her attention. She went at the work
in her usual energetic, methodical way, appointing clerks to
assist her and paying them from her own money. Indeed, she
bore the whole expense of her investigations till she had ex
pended several thousand dollars, when congress wisely voted
that she should be reimbursed and supplied with money to
continue her work. She neither asked nor received anything
for the lime and strength she devoted to her work during the
war. She gave all shc had to give as a free-will offering to
her country. She spent about four years in tracing out the
whereabouts of missing soldiers in identifying and marking
the graves of the unknown dead, and in answering the many
letter that continued to pour in to her.
Shortly afterward she went to Switzerland to recruit her
strength which had been expended without stint in the past
few years, and was now greatly reduced. While she was still
there, a slowly recovering invalid, the Franco-Prussian war
broke out. Again, the misery and want attendant upon war
appealed irresistibly to her warm heart. As soon as her
strength permitted she went to the place of conflict. Her
efforts were now united with the efforts of the Red Cross
society.
This society was organized at Geneva in 1864. Its object
was to secure protection from capture to those who cared for
the wounded as well as to those who sheltered them, and to
give them freedom to go where they wished in the armies of
cither side and carry on their work. The badge of the soci
ety is a red cross on a white ground. This was everywhere
recognized and those who wore it were free to go anywhere
among the wounded of cither army. The society was thor
oughly organized and under its efficient management an im
measurcable amount of suffering was made less or prevented.
Miss Barton found this society doing so thoroughly the work
that she, unassisted, had carried on so successfully in America,
that she turned her attention to a branch that was quite neg
lected by others.
After the scigc of Strasbcrg was ended and she had gained
admittance to the city she found the poorer classes of the pop
ulation in a most pitiable condition of squalor and destitution.
Promptly and systematically she began working to relieve
them. It is said that the change in the condition of these
people brought about by her in a short time seemed scarcely
less than miraculous.
Miss Barton was deeply grieved that such an organization
as the Red Cross society had not existed in America during
our war, for,th-oughit,untold distress might have been relieved
that she alone could do nothing for. Her first effort on return
ing to America was to secure the acceptance of the Red Cross
treaty by our government. She was unsuccessful for some
time and it was only through unceasing cflort that she at least
succeeded. President Garfield was on the point of signing
the treaty when he was struck down by the assassin's hand.
It was signed in 1882 by President Arthur. We should never
cease to be grateful to the woman whose untiring effort secured
the adoption by our government of one of the wisest and most
humane treaties ever made.
Miss Barton was appointed president of the American As
sociation of the Red Cioss, organized shortly after her return
from Europe, by President Garfield and to-day holds that
oflicc.
The original purpose of the society to help sufferers in the
war has been extended to cover calamities to which we arc liable
by lire, flood, and pestilence. The society rendered efficient
aid to the sufferers in the recent floods of the Mississippi
liver as well as to those in the great fires of Michigan.
Miss Barton's whole life has been devoted to philanthropic
work. She has expended time, strength, talent, and money
in her labor of love, and has asked nothing in return. She
has worked till her strength was spent and she was prostrated
for long periods. She seems never to think of herself, or to
think ol her work as anything unsual. She does it all in the
simplest most matter of fact way possible. Her strong deter
mination, her irresistible energy and perseverance, her re
markable fncult) for business and executive affairs, coupled
with her warm sympathy, womanly dignity and modesty, and
her self sacrificing love make her one of the strongest, as wel
as one of the most lovable and womanly of women.
LITERARY SOCIETY EXHIBITIONS.
I'AM.AOIAN.
The nineteenth annual exhibition of the Palladian society
was given in the chapel Wednesday evening, June 4. Music
was furnished by the Ad :lphian quartet of Doanc College.
These young gentlemen are very popular with Lincoln audi
ences and the Palladians were fortunate in securing thicr
services. At their first appearance upon the platform they
were cheered by the audience and were encored several
times. The literary part ol the program was as follows: An
essay, "J. J. Rousseau," by T. F. A. Williams. Mr. Wil
liams was not at all graceful upon the stage. His delivery
was rather slow and lacked somewhat in force. His essay
was an excellent one, however, as may be inferred fiom the
following brief synopsis:
'Mahomet and Rousseau were similarly constituted, mor
ally and intellectually. The meditations of the one resulted
in the publication of the Koran. The other's devout con
templation caused thcjpublication of his social contract. The
secret of Rousseau's influence lay in his eloquence and in
his hatred for oppression which he had felt. What made his
work so revolutionary was his appeal for an immediete return
to the state of nature, the former existence of which he as
sumed without evidence. It is not to be concluded from the
results wrought in France and other countries by this theory
of a former golden age, that the French arc inherently less cap
able than other peoples of self-made rule. The excesses of the
French Revolution were ducchciflyto political ignorance pio
duccd by centuries of despotism. At present few men would
have the presumption to attempt to legislate for the whole
human race witli such slight qualifications as Rousseau pos
sessed. He in his prcsumptous ignorance brought the French
nation to dissolution in pursuit of a phantom.
Following Mr. Williams was a recitation by Miss Donna
Wilsons. The lady seemed entirely at case, but she lacked
animation and at times her words could not be heard distinct
ly. Here the quartet favored the audience with music .and
with such good effect that they were encored. The oration
of Mr. F. D. Hyde followed. Mr. Hyde spoke upon "Prohi
bition a National Issue." Mr. Hyde is an enthusiastic pro
hibitionist and looked as if he meant every word he said.
Below is an outline of his orotion.
