South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-08-20

But open now again that book, and 10,
The sun of righteousness arises with
healing 10 his wings and all around
us, and above as, is love and joy and
hope.
CHANCE.
IT'S priestcraft all, the impious atheist
cries,
1.-THE world was made by cHANcE--the
MIN Bible lies !" n,
It's useless such assertions to repel;
But what if CHANCE has also made hell7
OF A DESERTER.
By late officer in the u. States Army.
v In civilized countries, where war is
Feduced to a science and profession,
The strickest discipline, enforced by
penalties OF the greatest severity, is re-
qoired as a substitute for the ferocious
passions and the deadly hate which, in
aavage nations, are found competent
~ the work of destruction.
The dire work Of war cannot be &C.
|e9mplished when men fight from mere.
~ professional motives, or in obedi-
ace TO their rulers, without system
|d the most rigorous compuIsion. The
eakness, the tender sensibilities, even
nIaDy of the outward vices, must be
to. this system-7;ndividual
Noition must be suppressed-and the
hole army move like SO. many ma
hines, only as the will of some con-
|liplling agency shall direct. With the
|dFeadiul seventies, not TO say atroci,
ties, Of this system, l believe the com
lnunity at large are very little acquain.
i'd. Sometimes, indeed, the severity
falls on one iIlustrious by birth, or for D..
tune, or character-an Andre, an AS
gill, Haync, and then public sympa-
my and commisseration are excited,
and the cruel severity of the laws are
ldeplored. But the fate of the poor
private soldier, who is more generally
'the victim OF such severity, is rarely
Known beyond the circle Of his family,
or bis fellow neutrality-suspicious. or
lsctors in this melancholy tragedy.
believing that more general knowl-
edge, among the citizens, Of the camp
and a more perfect acquaintance with
the particulars which make no the
compound of war, will have a tendsn.
cyto diminish the warlike spirit,I shall
relate scene which occurred in the
last war with England, and Of which
! vas an eye witness.
in 1914, | was stationed, with de.
3achment Of United States troops. at
ireenbush, in the State of New York.
One morning several prisoners who
had been confined in the provost guard.
house. were brought out to hear the
tentences which a court martial had
dnnexed to theis delinqusncies on pa.
taue. Their appearance indicated that
their lot had already been sufficiently
hArd. Some wore the marks of long
eon6nement, aud on all the severity Of
the prison had easlamped its impres.
Sioa. They looked detected at this
public exposure, and anxious 10 learn
Weir fate. l had never seen the face
" any of them before, and only knew
HAT a single Que Of them had been ad
jhdged to death. Soon as their names
We're called and their sentences pro-
bounced, l dlscerned by his agony and
GESTURES, the miserable man OH whom
HAT sentence was 10 fall-a msn in
The bloom Of youth aud fitness OF
health and vigor.
Prompted by feelings of sympathy,
called the next morning, to see bun
i /, his prisoe. There, chained by the
he to the beam OF the guard house me
AS reading the Bible, trying to pre-
bare as he said, for ,he fatal hour. !
Earned from him the circumstances oil
he case. He was the father of la
hiiy-havlng a wife and three small
(Shildfen, thirty or forty miles distant
Tom the camp. Ills crtme was de-.
ertion, OF which he had been three
Vines guilty. Ibis only object IN leav-
4g the camp in lne last Instance, he
fclared Was to- VISIT his wife aud chill
den. Having seen that all vas r,gh
WI them, it was his intention 70 Ie.