Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-12

him oI'7'. . : % :" 60 =
Imprisonment is the chief punishment, and
there is a singular provision as to the com para
| tive quantity of punishment. Taking up a
| paper one day in Paris, read of two ladies at
| versailles who, prosecuted by the attentions of
an intoxicated officer, sought protection from a
common sentry standing guard in the chief
street of the place. The sentry, with that
politeness which, in France, is not confined to
the educated, immediately gave the ladies his
| protection and requested the officer to desist.
i He, unfortunately for himself turned upon the
sentry and commenced abusing him The sentry
raised his voice and called the guard The
othcer was arrested, tried and condemned to a
| years Imprisonment for abusing a sentry on
his post. The account stated, that i'm the case
| OF officers, all punishments we're doubled. On
inquiring about this, was told that such was
the regulation. If recollect rightly I was
told ut the same time, that the punishment for
striking a'sentry on his post was death
| A most amusing illustration of the dignity of
q sentry, as we'll as the pecuiarities Of the
| French language, fell under my own Obserya
tion. valet named Joseph n quick
witted and industrious fellow, who laid BY his
earnings and invested them in railroad stock,
| went to the Tuileries one evening to see the
guests come out of their carriages and enter
| the Palace to attend one of Louis Phillippe's
court balls. Pushing for good place, he en-
countered sentry who was posted to keep the
| crowd within certain limits. and who in turn
| ing, quickly. came near stricking his bayonet
| in Joseph's face . - t. IL
g Fais attention dome" said Joseph.
| What's is that, do you speak so to me9,'
Joseph was instantly seized, sent to the
| guard-house and obliged to pass the night
! thore. In the morning he sent word to a
| gentleman with whom he had lived, and who
managed to get him off without further punish
| ment:
In French one has the right to sthee and
| lafiu ipf;n g.
inferior To speak thus to a stranger is there
| fore to treat him inferior. and is always
| looked upon as an insult Instead Of saving
'tFats attention" ,(pay thoW attention,) he
| should have said ''Fgtes attention" (pay vou
| attention) / heard the story from Joseph,
and 1t was corroborated by the gentleman who
Tele sed him.
That social equality which is so wonderfulin
| France pervades also the army. The naughty
| distance Of the English officer is unknown
Mingled with implicit obedience to command
! is the cunstant .sc acknowledgement of a common
brotherhood. Each man Knows his place and
keeps 1t, but not stiffiy. In consequence of this
men are better cared for and their complaints
| meet with more attention. The officer him.
| self who listens to them may have risen from
the ranks: for the French army is far more
| democratic than our owD and there is no law or
| regulation to prevent the common soldier from
| rising to the highest rank. There is, however
barrier which prevents almost sll from rising
beyond certain point, and that is, the want
| of education. Yet this, also, is to certain ex-
| tent cared for.
| One morning while going through the Place
du Carrousel, l noticed file of soldiers march
| ing along, each one having slate under his
arm Asking whittier they were going, was
| told " to the regimental school" There is, il
| seems, school in each regiment where all are
| taught to read, write or cipher. 1t is true
that with indomitable industry and decided
| talent man may rise with knowledge of
I these three, but the higher he gets the greater
his difficulties are. can quote case in point
| l was told that the best shoemaker in Paris
| was Mr.. M, and found he understood his
business thoroughly. Wishing to try pedes-
\ trianism little, requested him to make me
pair of good walking shoes, and thinking
! them rather out Of his line, gave him rather
! minute directions He listened TO me patiently
| and then said 90 1t would be better to make
the sole broader at the bottom than where it
joins the upper"
| Why sO?" .-..
1T will protect your foot better among
Why; you appear 10 know something about
| Il ought to. for I have marched many hun
| dred miles, said he, drawing himself up (he
was fne-looking man, full six feet high and
| well built J. have been in the army"
| Sit down and tell me oil about it,
| Why you see, sir, had learned the shoe
makers trade before l drew my number to
| serve In the army, and was put in the Gren-
adiers of the Guard. L had some education,
and liked to keep myself nice and do my duty
well, so that was soon made corporal and
| then sergeant and, finally, rose to be sui
lieutenant. But then L began to feel the want
| Of education. The young officers who had
| been educated in the military schools knew
| infinitely more than did of the science of war.
though there was none who could go ahead of
me IN my duties. L might have staid officer
| till now IL l had chosen, but | felt could
| never rise much higher, and so began to
think OF leaving the army and Of going back
| to my old trade. spoke to my brother Off
| GERS about 1T, and they acted most kindly. but
| told me, As L knew myself, that was the only
one that could decide it. | made up nv mind
| to leave, and soon began to make money at my
| trade so that married and settled down here
| in Paris. and, as you see, am doing well. |
I have often met my brother soldiers, and they
are always friendly. As for the colonel of my
regiment, whenever he is at Paris, or anywhere
| within reach of il, he will allow no one to
make his boots but me.
| The education Of the officers il is not neces-
l sary to treat Of in detail, for our West Point
| education Is modelled almost entirely upon
theirs. In conversation with a most intelli-
| gent young officer, Mr.. R who. having
taken high rank in his school, won place in
the School of the staff, at Paris, he informed
| me that in the military schools the ratonS are
the same in kind, and are served in the same
way to the students to soldiers in a cam
paigns.
No FIRE is allowed in their study rooms but
| when they wish to warm themselves the word
is passed and all stamp on the floor, and slap
| their hands and sing in chorus until they get
warm, when they sit down again to study.
The students in the School Of the Staff are
| sent out In summer, each to a separate district,
! to survey and examine thoroughly the water
courses, hills, plains, forests marshes, and. in
fact, to make full military report of the dis
trict, accompanied by an accurate map. These
maps are compared with those of the last year
All chsnges are noted, and the best are filed
away for reference in the War Department
Their education is so complete that all the re-
sources Of science are at the command of the
army, and one cannot think, without regret,
that this thoroughly well-trained body of men
Is thus carefully instructed and developed in
every way o9iy to slay and be slain. : '
writer In one of our papers has brought
forward evidence to prove that tho Prussians
were the first to use the portable telegraph