The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1855-07-07
A Defense of PelIissier.

douln Arabs who had taken refuge in cave.
| As is but too often the case in similar in
stances, the facts were at the time greatly
misrepresented, if not wholly distorted
| PellSsler had positive orders from his supe-
riors either to kill or take prisoners certain
chiefs who had committed many murders
and other atrocities within the French set
Elements. These Arabs took refuge III
cave, in which they also placed their fami-
lies, having previously supplied themselves
with provisions to stand regular siege
The General had not supplies enough with
him to feed his men more than one day. and
none being ptocurable in the neighborhood,
he was obliged to move off the day after he
arrived at the place. He could not leave
the Arabs in the position in which he found
them, for his doing so would have left his
force open to attacks in the rear while he
was retracing his steps. Under these cir
Cumstances he deemed it best to summon
! the Bedouns to surrender, and this he
thought could be done quickly by smoking
them out. Not only had he no intention
whatever of destroying the men, but be had
no notion that either women or children
were present with the warriors Of the tribe.
Instead of surrendering, the Arabs, contrary
| to Pellissiers expectation, remained iii the
cave and, with the determination so often
witnessed in Mussulmans, preferred dying
where they were to the pretty certain chance
Of being condemned by the French courts
! for the atrocities they had committed. 1t
cannot, perhaps, be said that the General
was altogether bamelcss in the matter, al
though the true version of the affair is very
different from that given out in England
some years ago. This is the only act Of Pei
| listers which can in any way be cavied at
and when we Englishmen remember some
similar acts which the stern necessity of
war with a savage enemy has occasionally
obliged our commanders in India to commit,
we should neither wonder at nor too vehe-
mently denounce what, on d solitary occa-
sion, took place in northern Africa. Those
who knew Peillissier best describe him as
anything but cruel or hard hearted man
and by every French soldier-whateyer his
rank may be-who has served in Algeria, he
! is looked upon as the very best practical
officer holding superior commission i'll the
imperial army English paper.
GRADUATES AT WEST PoINT.-The whole
number of the graduating class at West
Point, when it was formed four years ago,
was 81. Of this number only 81 graduated
at the late examination. A curious fact is
developed, showing the powers of endurance
of students from various sections of the
Union. All the states are represented in
proportion to their representation In con-
gress. The south had its due number at the
start and yet, at the end of four years. only
fpe from the slave states are to be found in
the list Of graduates. OF the number who
pass the ordeal, Massachusetts has four and
New York has seven. The discipline is so
thorough, and the course Of studies SO severe,
that the authorities have extended the time
one year. and five classes instead of four
will hereafter be organized. The New York
Courier & Enquirer says the character of the
students who are able to graduate is so high,
that literary institution wrote to the su-
perintendent, offering $l 800 per year and a
professorship to any of the class, but there
were no takers o. S. Journal.
f A few days since spot of land, more