The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-04-13
From The National Gueette.

Extract Of n litter from gentleman 10 .
.frienH containing an Interesting .HtHtayg
.1atcdote q .NaPoie0n.
+" claim therefore the right Of 3,
least an attempt 10 vindicate my old proic.
sion.
= say then hat il is very nnn,iliiaru IN
apply this rpithet military where it NAV
mean tyranny or injustice, believing AS I
do, the true definition Of military TO he N
that is upright aud honorable, but mnro
particularly all that is truly courageous
Courage is the characteristic virtue of =
soldier, aud true courage (by which dn
not mean the foolish vanity which induces
cowardly boys, young aud old, To eight
duels) you know, cannot abide any thin
unjust ungenerous, or base. Now wbaJ
is courage but virtue There is nothi,o
better established Than that there can he
30 virtue without courage-and This is ca
true that "A man Of strong nerve naturallv
well disposed, who ;nts uprightly. viii.
out ANY cR"rt and consequently without
IA struggle, is not Il virtuons man. virtue
being only the property ola bling. weak
by his nature and strong by his will. and
hence the ineessant combat between human
prudence and human passions, the one ia
a strong and energetic mind, a MUD Of
fire, can combat and subdue, aud that is
truly aud properly what ought TO be called
military None of the virtues which adorn
the human character and tend to be pro,
mote the good Of society, moderation not
excepted, arc foreign IL the soldier they
all belong to him he embraces them ali,
aud whoever is ungcncroes. unjust and
LIZ.
courage, which the accomplished soldier
possesses in ilir highest degree, is his true
characteristic Tn brave homme, in French
means an honest and good moral man.
" Napoleon, who was no mean Judge Of
mankind, has given IA sincere proof of his
opinion, that real rirtue as real courage,
whatever exceptions he may have been
forced to make 10 the general rule, when
pressed by reverses, b, ordering that no
man should be admitted into his ever
famous and ever memorable guard, who
had, al any Ii - of his life, been Wilfuy
guilty of an action which indicated IA want
of moral reciitude, however highly quail.
fled, in every other respect This astor-
ishinG wonder working corps, a corps that
has never .had, nor probably ever will
have its equal in the military annals of Tie
world, was formed Of the talrst, most
vigorous, best shaped men of the whole
army, SO that it Was the object Of every
well made mans ambition to he thought
worthy of entering the gdrde, as it Was
called, by which was meant the name OF
souldicr by excellence; and where he en-
joyed the grade and the pay of an office
" The certificates produced by the can
ddatss, and obtained from the best sources,
OF their conduct, anterior TO their cnter-
ing the service, were not required to
mention their bravery, but the most
punciious attention was paid tn their
moral conduct, examined in every stage
of their lives from their birth. There Icing
"A large number to select from, the exam
liners, who had strict orders 10 be severe in
their examination, never admitted any on
whom the beast blemish could be sustain
ed.
A particular case occurred which in"
duCed the examiners In refer the Candi-
date to the Emperor himself. An extra
ordinarily fne looking man had been pre-
scented and undergone part of his examine
lion. lie WAS from he old province OF
Picardy. His size, shape, and whole APP
pearance, we're the admiration of every
une who saw him there were few equal
IL him IN stature, force, beauty, and he
Mas also very intelligent and had friends
I" support his prctenSons. The only OBJ
lection to hrs admission into the gdtdf
was that, before he had entered the SER
vice, It's Il private, he had been observed,
by some, in his parish, Ia i'll treat his
father, who, it was added, by the respon-
sible informers, had been very partial
kind and prosdrnt for that son.-The En-
perOr, after looking for sonle time at 50
Zine amt 50 martial 4 looking man, disms-
sed llm and retired, saying 10 the exam
lncrs, "t'tSt dOmn,age Get homme, est IN
tnche ia outrage son pere parce gull II
Pe"ruH 'HSHifer 1mpunemeni IL ne pen;
pas etre IN brore homme. Qu'on obserre.
= Ii is pity: THIS man is coward he
has abused his father because he could
insult him with IMMUNITY: ne cannot be
brave man. Let him be observed" He
was sent back to his regiment, with tho
usual protocol VIZ. " on dtiiberera, "-lb
the first action where his regiment Was en-
gagged, he was detected in the act of stop
ping to avoid the fire of the enemy, and
turned out of his regiment by the g'ena-
dicr company to which he belonged. The
examiner to whom the report was n'd"
ulchtpntu lne cdSt W tle t'"I'',
recalIected the case perfectly, anu Nhp
:" .Je pous nrois 6ien dit. |
had told YOU so-And he added, t'
brare homme n'ea insuf.s jamdis an "pp'
quand al lie pem .laire impunemcat queue
que SAT- Ia cause. @iais unfis qg' ou'fasS,
son pere est tOttourS IN tacbs, lndieHt
entrer da1s ma g0rde.-" A brave h'"'
nr, er insults another, when he can 90 "
with impunity, whatever be the cause'-
But son Who abuses his own father 10
always coward, unworthy To enter my
guard :"