The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-10-28
Thbu.l.

Ane general peace 0turOpes Wnlcn 10HOWoo
land from foreign servl and after reduction 10
one.ihird Of its formerbmber, it Yves distributed
among the military stsjns within the Kingdoms |
and provinces. A lardnumber of the surviving |
officers Of the field of bterloo were garrisoned in
Ireland. They were aslaily men who had seen |
hard service, and ha2esrned their honors and
Offices in the battle I'D; but considerable num-
Der of new men recja appointments through
favor Of their wealthiand powerful friends, and
came among the vejns with commissions in
their pockets which 4 them high rank in the
army. The old soldi}, naturally enough, looked
upon these raw recfs a. mere upstairs and in
truder. They despH them for their inexpe.
rience, and hated thelfcr the injustice they suf-
fered by their promj0n. In profession where
honor is gained by Wing the country's enemies,
it will scarcely be ought immoral to hate the
individual's rivals a supplanters. The Apostle
John says that murf and hating ones brother
go together And king the military sentiment
for the standard of tigenens, it ID mean to beg
buy promotion, with other people have TO fight
for it. But this is de elsewhere, as we'll as in
the British army, f4he Offices which are thought
the most honorablsre often obtained by means
the most dishonorae.
whether he deserh the judgement passed upon
this class or moi, certainly suffered it in full
measure. He hal obtained by patronage, the
Office of Ensign, ser the establishment of peace,
and was quarters with some dozen or twenty
officers of WeliiDpn's army, in one of the cities
Of Ireland. An Hign is the lowest commissioned
officer, and the st.ry or pay, is so SMALL that il
is saying, If aiEnsign has wine for dinner, he
must go withouelis supper" Our Ensign was
very poor-he wafiendless, very young, and con.
stitulionaly ely.
On the other and, the officers of the station
were generally sll supOlied with money, and had
nothing to do b to spend it; they lived fast and
high. and were,py all their habits and tastes, un-
| pleasant compalOns for such as he. Besides his
retiring mannen there was something else to him
which disnclin1 him to their society, and exposed
him to their dixie there was a certain air Of
selfrespect. shwing refinement and strict pro-
priety of langBge and mannep, which qDietly
but all the mfe severely, rsbuked their genera
looseDess of c0duct They hated him for the
manner in whch he had entered the army, ant
still worse, forsis personal character and demeano
among them. All this had its effect upon hin
also, and 80 te breach between them widenet
every day.
A certain asomt and kind Of courtesy he wa
entitled to by he rules of the service this the,
gave him, butso sharply measured out, that every
look was an afroat, and every word an insult, anl
he might hav had cause OF quarrel at any mo
ment he pleasd. 1t was. 10 fact, the settled pur
pose of sevesl Of these men TO drive him out o
the army by heir acclivities, or to drive him int
duel, and dispose of him finally.
This grewwone continually. The contempt O
the older Others for the young Ensign, and his re
pugnance t0them, increased with every meeting
until they pid no kind of respect to his feeling,
| and be avoied them with caution that looked lik
aAtpa,hy. she worst of all was the evident con
victi0n in th minds of the whole garrison that b
was cowgrd-a character most shameful in
soldier. andin any man, a weakness that render
every Othersirtue worthless.
Poor fellev he was alone, friendless and with
out dolla in the world but his monthly pa!
With thess beggarly circumstances, he was
scholar andgentleman, with feelings rendered owe
sensitive b high culture and recent misfortune
But his cief impediment was a conscience
religious sose Of right which left him no libert
to relieve kmself, or mend his prospects by an
means which the highest morality forbade.
suffered mich every way, and most of il all,
endured fo righteousness sake" Of course
had the stength and nobleness which such q sent
ment besbws; but it is easier to do great thinl
than TO bar little ones. There are more hero
than saint in the world. st. Peter was not afra
Of the sohiers in the garden, but he was asham,
Of his mister in the Judgment hall. To bear di
grace AID shame, and scorn, to stand quiet und
suspicious that drive one out Of society, for the sal
Of principle which nobody believes or respects,
cross-bering.
Our pung hero occupied the position Of a $,
der ant gentleman, with the character Of
coward and slave! It was bitter cup, and
enemies kept it constantly to his lips.
One say he received an invitation, as a matter
course, to dine with the General in command, "
had jus arrived at the station. A meeting wi
his brother officers promised him no pleasure, a
he knew nothing Of him but by report Of those W
despisel him. tie managed to arrive at the lat
allowed moment, and he contrived to procure
seat atthe table next to the General, who, both
his host and superior officer, was bound to prot,
him from the insolence Of the company.
l need not say how the dinner hour passed W
him. Totally silent and neglected, except for I
necessary notice Of the General, the time, 50 full
pleasure to the company. wore away heavy a
painful to him but he was contented to escs
rudeness, and made indifference 'compafativ
{ | welcome.
After the cloth was removed, the wine cir
lated, the company drank freely, the mirth gr
loud, and the presence Of our young friend v
nearly forgotten, when circumstance of sta
ling character brought him into notice. The q
. ersl suddenly cried out:
, ''Gentlemen, have lost my watch-I had il
!. my hand ten minutes ago, but it is gone."
{ painful suspense instantly followed; every man
changed glances with his neighbor, until at
every eye settled with suspicion upon the 20,
? Ensign. Who but he, Of all the company, CO
! be guilty Of such crime? Besides, he was
haps the only man near enough to the Genera
effect the theft. Such thoughts a. these wer,
!, every mind they left not the shade Of do'
Q The miserable wretch was caught at last and Il
Z was q little pity as respect felt for him.
"Shut the door," shouted the Colonel Of the
!. giment "let no man leave the room. The wa
!, is among Is, and it concerns every man presen
% fx the guilt where it belongs. propose ths
ii search be instantly made, and let it begin ,
a me.'s4s. p - N.5ll