The palmetto herald. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1864-1864, 1864-12-22
CoNsCRIPTIoN IN FRANCE.

Bar Magazine, We copy the following
In France. when lad arrives at the
age of twcnty-onc, he is liable TO be
drafted into the army. TO the poor. fate
is ineXorable; to the wealthy she affords
a loOp-h0le, chance OF escape, in the
shape of substitute. Within four and
twenty hours after its birth, every infant
is carried by its nurse and its father, or
some other relation, to the Marie, and
there its name and sex are duly entered
into a vast volume in the registry office.
If it be boy, it is followed about by the
police all over the country. Jeannot's
parents cannot move from one place 10
another without giving notice to the COM
missaire Of his migration; and when,
years after this civic persecution, he en-
tcrs the threshold of manhood, the luck
less lad finds himself invited by the Min
lister of War to present himself at mill
tary bureau.
Too well he knows the meaning OF
that ominous invitation, and with beating
heart and heavy step obeys the summons
He knew that it must come his brother
knew that it must come; his sister knew
tilat it must come; yet none the less sor-
rowful he goes, ard they accompany him
to the bureau, and none the less cheerful
they behold him descending the steps,
with gay colors pinned to his csp in
mockery of his misfortunes. For mis-
fortune it is regarded.
Few. very few Frenchmen, however
valiantly they fight in the field, however
loudly they afterwards talk of the glory
of arms, rejoice when they first draw the
evil scrip which tears them from their
homes, from their daily business, ftolA
their future career, to run the will-O'-the-
wisp chase after the problemaiic mar
shal's baton, which every French soldier
is told he carries in his knapsack. II
anything could reconcile him 70 his lot,
or soften the horrors Of this forcible abb
straction from his family, it would be tho
idea of promotion which chsracterizes
the French army but even this fails to
cheer or TO compensate him for the seri-
Gus check which his prospects in life re-
ceive. 4 cloud has descended thick and
dark upon his hopes, upon the delicate
little projects oil love AMI matrimony be
had formed, and at twenty-one he is com-
PEELED to abandon himself TO o bsrren,
il not vicious course of life he detests,
abandoning the designs he had probably
cherished from his youth.
Such is the social phase of the con-
scriptiou. Yet one hundred THOUSAND
youths are thus annually torn from their
homes by an imperial decree Of 1857,
the number was fixed at this high figure.
Previously it was left TO the discretion or
caprice OF the war minister, who raised il.
Substitution, however, is allowed in the
French army. Up to the year 1855 pr!-
vate agencies existed, where substitutes
could be procured for stipulated sum;
since then, however, these agencies have
been abolished, aud the Government bss
entirely monopolized the business, with
the view Of creating a domestic fund,
wherewith to encourage enlistment when
the original term has expired. The price
OF substitute is fixed annually, and vs.
ries considerably; yet is at any time a
large sum for youth even Of tue nlidais
classcs to pay. In 1856 the sum was
SIP; in 1859, s72; and 1859, So.
To show how poorly voluntary enlist.
ment succeeds in France, and also how
the true campaigning is declining, we
may regard tue fact that whereas III 1880
$500 presented themselves to tie recruit
ing sergeant, no, more than 1872 display
ed their martial zeal in 1852; 50 little
pugnacious is onr real Frenchmln ii lst.
10 himself No army in the world Offers
greater prizes and it would not be iuii'
TO the military system of France not -
state that raD;Q advancement is Onen ~
every soldier, and that no man With su