Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-05-22
From the "l'ricnd Of Youth"
THE DUEL.
ny DR.. WILLIAM ELDER.

land was engaged III war without any inter
mission. These wars were with the thirteen
colonis, or United States, France, Spain, Hol-
land, the French Republic Bonaparte, and a.
gain w,th the United States sometimes singly,
sometimes with several Of these nations at once
The battle Of Waterloo was fought OH the
lSth June, 1918. That year the army of Eng
land amounted to three hundred Thousand men ;
and in 1919, although she had enjoyed thirty
years ci peace, her standing army was stil
one hundred thousand strong.
In time y! peace one would think that such
a host Of soldiers could not be required for any
purpose; and they probably are not, but it is
the policy Of such Governments as that Of
Eng land to keep as many men in the public
service as possible. To say nothing OF other
purposes, it is easy, in an army Of a hundred
thousand soldiers, to have four or five thousand
commissioned officers, who generally belong TO
the class Of gen,Icmena class that is found TO
furnish the most Us eiul and the most submis.
sive slaves to those who feed them. The most
useful, because, being wel.born. well educated,
and we'll connected. they are very capable in
themselves, and very influential with others E;
and most submissive because they are SO well
paid, and have no other service than public
office which i. suits them to accept.
The army Of England is crowded with off
GERS who enter it merely as n trade or proles-
sion, by which they may get living. a hor-
rid business il is, indeed, TO undertake 10 Go
any killing of men any where that the Govern
ment may command without asking any ques.
tions, without knowing or caring whether It is
right or wrong But So it is, when rightly un.
dcrsiood; and yet we must not be surprised if
we find, once III while, a man too good for
such a trade engaged III il, for 1t is generally
thought honorable, even the most honorable of
all professions, and but few stop 10 enquire if
it is also right.
My story will introduce The sor, of man that
Is an exception 10 the rule.
To be perfectly candid with my readers, |
must inform them that | have forgotten the
names Of the persons that am to tell about
The precise lace where it happeucd has also
escaped me, but am sure that il was soma-
where in Ireland and the exact date is gone,
too-bnt know that it was after the year 1873,
and before the year 1889, for that was the time
when heord it,
The general peace Of! Europe, which rollow-
ed the tall OF Napoleon, released the army OF
England from foreign service, ard after reluc-
ton to about oue.thrd OF its former number, il
was distributed among the military stations
within the Kingdom and provinces. A large
number Of tho surviving officers of the field of
Waterloo were garrisuned in Ireland They
were generally men who had seen hard service
and had earned their houors ard Offices in
the battle field but considerable number Of
new men received appointments through favor
Of their wealthy and powerful friends, and came
among the veterans with commissions in their
pockets hich gave them high rank in the ar.
my. The old soldiers, naturally enough, looked
has its 4
i!ruIers. They despised lem for their mex
pcrlence, and hated them Tor the Justice suffer.
ed by their promotion. In profession where
honor is gained by killing the country's enc
Mics. it will scarcely be though: immoral tc
hate the individuals rivals and supplan,ers.-
The Apostle John says that murder and hating
ones brother 60 together. And, taking the nil
tary sentiment for the standard Of Judgment, iii.
mean to beg or buy promotion, where other peo.
pie have to fight for it. But this is done else where
as well as in the British army; for the Office.
which are thought the most honorable are uteI
obtained by means the most dishonorable.
The hero Of my story was in this situation
and whether he deserved the judgment we have
passed upon his class, or not, he certainly sui-
iered it in full measure. He had obtained, by
patronage the appointment Of Ensign, after the
establishment Of peace, and was quartered
with some dozen or twenty ilicers Of yelling
tons army, in one Of the cities Of Ireland. Al
Ensign is the lowest commissioned officer, Nnt
the salary, or pay, is SO small that it is saying
"if an Ensign has wine for dinner, he must &c
without supper" Our Ensign was very poor
he was .riendvss, very young, and constitr,.
tionally shy.
On the other hand, the officers of the station
were generally well supplied with money, and
had nothing to do but spend il; they lived ias
and high, and were, by all their habits anC
tastes, unpleasant companions for such as he
Besides his retiring manners, there was some
thing else in him which dsinclinel him to theil
society; and exposed him to their dislike; thi,
was a certain air Of self-respect showing re-
linement and culture, and a strict propriety o
language and manners, which quietly, but al
the more severely, rebuked their general loose
ness and rudeness OF conduct. They hated hin
for the munher he entered tho army, and still
worse for his personal character and deneGio
among them. All this had its effect upon hin
also, and so the breach between taem widenet
every day.
A certain amount and kind of courtesy h,
was entitled 10, by the rules Of the service thi
'hey gave him; but SO sharply measured on
that every salute was an ailroni, and every lool
an insult, and he might have had cause Of quar-
rel a. any moment that he pleased. 1t was, il
fact the settled purpose Of several Of thes'
men TO drive him out OF the army by their Incl
pose of him finally.
This grew worse continually, The contemp
of the older officers for tho young Ensign, ant
, meeting, until they paid no kind Of respect t
, lI;s faal;nps md bo nvoided them with n cau.