American National Red Cross; Red Cross and Red Crescent
Then, being in Europe at the time of the French and German war, she
again flew to the battlefield. Returning at last to her own country with
enfeebled health, she determined to give what strength remained to her
to the service of the Red Cross, and took for her task to plead its
cause with the influential men of the American government. Quitting her
home at Dansville, she passed long months at Washington to carry
conviction to the minds of the President, of his ministers, of members
of Congress, writing for the journals, publishing pamphlets to spread
the ideas the triumph of which she had at heart. She had need of much
perseverance and energy to avoid renouncing her plan, for she waited
long before finding a favorable opportunity. It was not until the
accession of President Garfield that she could catch a glimpse of
success. She then found in the Chief Magistrate of the nation a man who
warmly espoused her cause, and in the Secretary of State, Mr. Blaine, an
auxiliary as zealous as he was devoted. We have seen by the quotation
which we have borrowed from the last Presidential message that Mr.
Arthur shares the sentiments and ideas of his predecessor on the subject
of the Geneva Convention, and it is hardly probable that he will
encounter upon this point opposition from Congress.
The name of Miss Barton will probably not figure in the official
documents which will be the fruit of her labors, but here, where we have
entire liberty to render homage to her devotion, we are happy to be able
to proclaim her imperishable title to the gratitude of the Red Cross.
To the name of Miss Barton we should join that of M. Edouard Seve, who,
after having rendered important service to the Red Cross in South
America, where he represented Belgium to Chili, has continued to use his
activity in favor of the same cause in the United States since he has
been called to the position of consul-general at Philadelphia. His
efforts have certainly contributed to render the Government at
Washington favorable to the Geneva Convention.
The preceding article was already printed when we received from the
indefatigable Miss Barton a new pamphlet upon the Red Cross and the
Geneva Convention. This little work is destined to initiate the
Americans into the origin and history of the work, with which they are
as yet but imperfectly acquainted, and for which it is the aspiration of
the author to awaken their interest; in particular, we find there the
confirmation of the steps of which we have spoken above, and especially
the text of the two letters addressed by the International Committee,
one on the ninth of August, 1877, to President Hayes, the other on the
thirteenth of June, to Secretary of State Blaine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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