The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 419, 3 December 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1868.

"We desire to direct particular attention, to the letter from Dr G-iles which appeared in our columns yesterday, and to that part of the report in today's issue -vvliicU relates to the case of the woman who was, a few days ago, brought from Giles Terrace to the Hospital. Regardless of the opinion of the Hospital Committee, we may say that the prominence which was given to the statements which have been the means of educing this letter and report was given as much " in the interests of the institution" as anything the Committee have done since their appointment. And it is equally in the interests of the institution that we desire our readers' attention to be specially given to what we believe to be the fair and correct statement of the case. The Committee must not flatter themselves by the thought that we do so as a sort of apology for what has gone before. A\ r e •do so, and should wiilingly do much more, as achieving the very object for which whatever was written was written, and the object which we hope we have quite as much at heart as any of the Committee.

The Committee are at a loss to understand the Hotspur haste of taking up an "ex parte statement," and of giving publicity to it without a system of inquiry which would include household visitations on •each member of the Visiting Commit't?e. Believing as they do, and as we do also, that it is rather the duty of the Press to promote the interests of a necessary and valuable institution like the Hospital, they seem to conceive' that anything but favorable notice is not a becoming course for the Press to pursue. Such, we know, is not unfrequently the course that is adopted, and, though there is a temptation to describe it, we need not now elaborate upon the manner in which it is done. Here, however, the circumstances seemed to require theapplication of a strong, and probably an apparently rash remedy. If the Committee are not aware of it, they should at least be informed that there prevails—we refer especially to the diggings—what we believe to he a perfectly groundless aixd unjustified feeling, that there

is an exclusiveness about the institution, and a jealousy as to admissions, which should not characterise its management. Absolutely from lack of information, and from nothing else, there has been growing a delusion that the institution is a sort of magisterial and medical preserve. We believe that nothing could be further removed from fact than this false impression, but that something of the sort exists is indicated by such a letter being written aa that which we publish elsewhere from an intelligent correspondent. Believing this to be the case, we judged it to be a most unfortunate thing if a party of men were to return to their homes, and the society of their companions, with statements and impressions such as some of them had represented to us ; and, however rude the remedy, we considered it better to put the Committee on their mettle by something that might flavor of the "fast and furious," rather than, by the exercise of doubtfully discreet silence, the public feeling should be allowed to drift into a conditiou that would be anything but desirable. In that spirit, and in that spirit only, was there so much made of the statements conveyed to us. If the Committee' consider it better that such statements should be allowed to be disseminated from mouth to mouth, rather than that they should at once be openly given and questioned, we are sorry to have to differ from the Committee. We •believe they are more calculated to sap the usefulness of the institution than the most rash writing that could be penned. Space does not permit us to refer more to the matters of the Hospital than to say that we hope Dr Grileswill fulfil his intention of explaining the mutual relationships of patients, subscribers, and the institution ; and we shall be glad, with the assistance of the Committee, to give as complete a digest of the rules as may be desirable for public information.