Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-04-19
THE FINERY OF WAR

| " Halt Attention Present Arms ~ One man speaks
the Words as il by mechanism thousand men obey him.
les look down the column, that long extending line o
red and white crowned with steel and feathers Every limb
every muscle like limbs and muscles directed by one
mind, and yet there thousand minds, thousand wills
thousand hearts hrobbng with manhood feelings and emo
tons, yet all cubed checked pent up giving no outward
mark OF their presence than if they naugh than
if the flesh and which clohe them were but so much
| steel and brass
II is great thing see machinery initiating man-lever
and crank apng muscle and snewbu is il great thing
see man initiating machinery muce and snew apng lever
| and crank
,"Atenion !" IT'S serried rank-compact regular as
mathematical diagram Legs, arms, muskets sabres the
same movemens-evey eye gancing, every pulse beating
but as discipline ordains.
Crashing past with ringing and trampling horses
whirwind of gaudy appings, gay pumage and sparkling
steel body of cavalry flies past Their array seems more
loose but tbs appearance only. The trumpet their word
OF mouth and not only the men, but the brues they be-
stde can interpret the language. To the right Ito the
le halt forward y rings from out the brazen the silver
tube and the doce steeds and doce men, equally well dis
cipned, think little, the the other of the why and
the wherefore, but obeyaultlessy mechanically obey.
And then the loud melody of martial music ringing
through the air spiritmoving strain march, trium-
pha march, in all its cadences, all its bursts Of rich harmony
talking Of glory, Of pomp, and lying while il talks
Why not interpret martial music Alright 1t might be DONE
An morally tuned hear amid the breath Of its
ody, mournf waing sheks such surgeons shrink from
when the scape deep in the flesh the lamentations of de-
sparng men and women muttered lowly roaring Of
burning homes and anon, when the strain ceased silence
like the silence Of deserted hearths I.
Nothing could be awkward it, when looked at
regiment, only body Of slaves, vowed perform
any killing work which might be demanded Of them-f the
sight merely called up thoughts of unjust wars men and
dead and dying, cities burning and paged
and manufactures checked civilization itself retarded This
would do. The system would be tolerated. We
must deck it in borrowed pumes Fine feathers make fine
brdsthe eye must entrap the mind Cohe war; therefore,
gayer coors than peace make IFS ministers respondent in
their robes Of sacrifice let the steel which glitter like
valued gems the evoutons which destroy be graceful the
motions OF dapcing girls
In review have all the beauties the pcuresqueness
Of the real field The curling smoke weathes as gracefully
from the lannon's mouth as Of iron had sped through
IFS folds; the charge beautiful to behold sweeping past
tempest Of men and horses flags and steeas If oppo-
sing line awaiting it. and slaughter and widespread
death and desoaon the inevitable results Of the meeting
And the spectacle takes il does its duty, throws dust in
eyes, and not unwilling TO be thus temporarily
blinded. Did truly should well for our
mental comfort We must have the glossy skin stretch
ed the bony skeleton have the and science
Of killing CLOSED with the fairest appliances
Look that man, sturdy ANIMAL full of health and vgor
and bounding spirits his eye is bright and his frame newy
The gances from beneath waving plume, the other
swes under rich tuppings and gaudy clothing. All the
which hehcn and show of 20 the best advantage
physical symmetry have been expended upon him, and he
marches by, with proud port and clankng he
favored creature something better than ordinary flesh
and blood, than sombre-clad humanity.
But he is bought and sold he is not his his strength
his vigor, his animal spirits, anothers These muscles
must swell and work only when another orders that eye
only glance do anothes bidding Chains and letters
wetchedne and nakednes the general badges Of
tade but not the universal marks Gauds and nkets, "trip
pcres TO take the eye nsc glitter and rich coors to nj
lure, may equally tell when is free. livery is often
moral chain, badge often moral brand. But mus
have lveres and badges, chains and brands the
pleasing tokens Of the dreaded thing.
[Dougkass JeroiFs Shilling Magazine.