East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-11-09
OoNscRITIoN I'M FRANoE.

From an interesting article in the
Temple E@ Kages ne, we cory tho fol-
lowing:
'In France, whom Ind arrives {
the ago octwenty-one, no is liable to
be drafted in the army. To the poor,
fate is inexorable; to the wealthy she
affords a loop-hole, chance of escape
in the shape of substitute. Within
four and twenty hours of its birth,
every infant is carried by tho nurse,
and its father, or some other relation,
to there its name and sex are duly en-
tered into a vast volume in TIE Reg
istry Office. IL it be a hay il a. fsi
lowed by the police all over the coun-
try. Jcannotte's parents cannot move
from one place to another without CIV
ing notice to the commissaire of his
migration and when, after years of
this civic persecution, lie enters the
threshold of manhood, the luckless
lad finds himself mrited by the minis
ter of war to present himself at the
military bureau.
Too we'll he knows the meaning of
that ominous invitation, and with
beating heart and heavy step obeys
the summons. He knew that it must
come Jeannotte knew that it must
come yet none the less sorrowful he
goes, and they accompany him to the
bureau, and none the less tearfully
they behold him descending the steps
with the gay colors pinned to his cap
in mockery of his misfortune. For a
misfortune it is regarded.
Few, very few Prenchmen, however
valliantly they fight on the field, how
ever loudly they afterwards talk of the
glory or arms, rejoice when they
draw the evil scrip which tears them
from their homes, from their daily
business, from their future career, to
run a will-o-the-wisp chase after the
predetermined marshal's baton which
every French soldier is told he carries
in his knapsack. If anything could
reconcile him to this lot, or soften the
horrors of this forcible abstraction
from his family, it would be the idea
Of promotion--of comparatively easy
promotion which characterizes the
French army; but even this fails TO
cheer, or to compensate him for the
serious check which his prospects in
life receive. A cloud has descended
thick and dark upon his hopes, upon
/ the delicate little projects Of love and
matrimony he had formed and al
twenty-ono lie is compelled to resign
himself to q barren, if not vicious
course of life he detests, abandoning
de~;Sns ho had probably cherished
from his youth. Such is the social
phase of the CONSUMPTION. Yet 100,.
900 youths are thus annually tori
from their homes; by an imperial de-
cree of 1857, the number was fixed a
this high figure. Previously it was
left at the discretion of the war min
ister, who raised it. Substitution
however, is allowed in the French
Army. Up to the year 1855, privat,
agencies existed, where substitutes
could be procured for a stipulated
aum; since then, however, thes,
sgencies have been abolished, ant
the government has entirely monopo
lized the business, with view of ere
ating a donation fund, wherewith (,
encourage ACCOMPLISHMENT when the or
riginal term of service has expired. =
The price of a substitute is fixed an
nually, and varies considerably We
it is at all times a large sum even fo
a youth of the middle ages to pay
In 1889, the sup Has ,Gidilarry on
listment succeeds in France, and also
how the tue campaigning spirit is de.
Ginning, we may record the fact, that
whereas in 1858, 5000 presented
themselves to the recruiting sergeant
not more than 2, 1872 displayed their
martial zeal in 1862 SO little pugna-
cious is your real Frenchman if left to
himself. No army in the world offers
greater prizes; aud it would not be
fair to the military system of France
not to state that rapid advancement is
open to every soldier, and that no
man with superior education ever re-
mains long III the ranks.