The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-06-14
BEAUTIES OF WAR

a Paris correspondent of New York Jour
nal states that the Empress Of France is in
the constant receipt of petitions, impioriny
her 20 exempt young men from the necessity
OF joining the army. But the Empress, says
the correspondent, has taken determined
stand aot to interfere in the matter, and the
reply made by her Secretary, universally is,
that the conscription is entirely an affair of
chance, and to reverse the decree OF Hazard
would be to prevent and destroy the princi-
pie upon which the army is recruited from
year to year. The Councils of Revision, it
is added, are always ready to listen to such
reasons as disease, bodily imperfection, nen-
citizenship; besides which, substitutes may
be bought by those who can buy them The
correspondent gives the following account
of one of the petitions to the Empress, which
he had seen:
lit was from mother who has already furnish
ed four sons to the State, and whose fifth has lust
been drawn. They were born year apart and,
regularly drew bad numbers, as they excessively
attained the age of 81 One was shot in Alberta.
another ls manned for life; the third is at Gaipoi
and the regiment OF the fourth s on It's wav there
me same lliiuck which attended their drawing
when he was summoned to the Mavors Office of his
commune. There were IS candidates for enroll
neht; the number demanded by the State out of
the 80 was T. The numbers, from l to As were al
ready in the draw. II so happened that six out of
the seven were decided by the first eleven draws so
tnat, as there was only to be taken out of the
thlrty-tour remaining the young man felt safe The
number was the only bad one left. To make as
surance dcubly sure he picked out pretty girl
from among the lockers on-for it was a gala day
IN the communicated entrusted his fate to her
hands.
She plunged her thumb and fore-fnger into the
draw rejected several convenientiy-lying tickets
and chased very slippery one that had hidden it
self away in corner. Number s. by all that's hor.
rlble!-and the fifth son had become food for DOW
der. The circumstances have been laid before he-
Majesty and she begged to consider the situation
OF mother who, after having given four soma to
the army Is now bereaved Other last and youngest.
No other woman in France has ever yet been call
ed upon TO drink such a cup of bitterness. One
would th Ink that clause ought to be inserted in
the statute book providing that no parent furnish
more than three children, as long there are fam
Ines OF nall adozen that have never yet given one.
Sal1 woman, whose only son bad been drawn:
your say III luck that regulates this matter; If it
was Luck, wouldn't care; but it isn't-its Bad
Luck!"
These are some of the beauties of war
Parents can appreciate them as they look
around upon their own little groups, and ima-
gine them made food for powder, in a war for
the aggrandizement Of selfish and inhuman
men. In wars like those of the American
Revolution, the American mother buckled
the sword to the side of her son, and sent
him forth with her blessing and her prayers.
But what interest have the mothers of Eu-
rope in the wars of the tyrants! No wonder
that all European emgrants to this country,
lovethi land of liberty and law so passion
atelyi that, in the language of one of their
number, they bless it every day of their
lives" and that they shudder at the thought
of the dissolution of the Union. No forced
levies here; no sons torn from the household
of which they were the joy and light; no un-
availing petitions to Emperors and to EN-
presses, who know nothing of a mothers
love for her offspring. A miraculous change
indeed for the poor serf of Europe! He
crosses the Atlantic and becomes transform
ed from chattel to man. Would to God
that the whirlwind, now rising in the Old
World, might sweep every despot's throne
from its foundations ~