Gazette Of The United States And Daily Evening Advertiser

For the Gazette of the United States.
To Doctor JEAN DEVEZE.
SIR,

Will you permit an entire stranger to
your person to address to you a few
words on a subject as deeply interesting
to yourself as it was to the inhabitants
of this city?—On a subject which con-
cerns not only your candor, but like-
wise your humanity? From the benevo-
lent mind which I discover in your
treatise on the epidemic disease which
aflicted our city, I presume to think
that the liberty I take with your name
cannot be offensive to you.

In your account of that fever you
have very justly and liberally offered a
tribute of eloquent applause to Mr. Gi-
rard. There is no one who could wish
to efface a single line of your encomium,
or who would not have felt more lively
emotions of sincere joy if you had ex-
patiated more largely on the virtuous ser-
vices of this hero of humanity. But
there was another manager, whose
labors, in the cause of the sufferers at
Bush-Hill, you seem to entertain an er-
roneous opinion; an opinion, at least,
so far erroneous as to place him, in your
work, in a less honorable point of view
than that to which you have elevated
Mr. Girard.

Every citizen, whose heart is capable
of feeling the sensations of gratitude,
must regret your omission to particular-
ie his services as minutely as you have
marked those of his heroic colleague.
Permit me to observe, Sir, that the ve-
ry manner in which you have introduc-
ed the name of HELM has derogated
from that applause which is his due. If
private attachment, and national affec-
tion, have conspired to draw from your
amiable heart that deserved panegyric
on your worthy countryman, it is to be
lamented that Justice and Humanity did
not excite you to bestow equal applause
on the equally meritorious, benevolent,
and indefatigable HELM.

You have said, Sir, that it was to-
wards the termination of the epidemic
that Mr. Helm entered on his dangerous
office and commenced on his affection-
ate labors. Remember, Sir, that Mr.
Helm offered himself as a Manager of
the Bush-Hill hospital at the same time
with Mr. Girard; that their toils be-
gan together, and that the sufferings,
the personal dangers, the tenderness and
attentions of Mr. Helm to the patients,
were equal to those of the active Girard.

Thus, Sir, instead of doing justice
to the philanthropy of Mr. Helm, you
have innocently dishonored his name by
giving, at his expense, to Mr. Girard
the palm of praise.

That candor, which is the compani-
on of genius, and that peculiar good-
ness, which I have heard ascribed to
your heart, give me the expectation of
seeing your error acknowledged and cor-
rected in the public papers, and in the
future editions of your work.

I am, Sir, with esteem,
Yours,
Z.