The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1870-11-05
0pelousa Parish Of st. Landry, La, November s. 1870
the virtue Of the modern soldfat For
merry, with the old smooth -bor@snusket,

the virtue of the modern soldiat For
merry, with the old smooth bor@snusket,
the soldier fired in the air; hs !. enemy
was onl y u MASS in front of In; now
with the Chassepot and ne sule gun,
where man could kill at 2sD wards,
he fred upon an individual eismy he
could not select him. 1t had asecone an
exact mechanical task for the soldier to
Kill his enemy. He General b. had
one advice which he constantly gave to
his soldiers on every occasion; it was
his dogma, his constant remark whenever
he had the opportunity to speak to the
private soldier: Fire low and fire slow"
The common fault of the soldier in the
use OF musketry was throwing the eye on
the sight at the extremity of his weapon /;
thus instinctively, unconsciously-it be-
ing below the level of the eye-to raise
it too high; and the DETECTION of hairs
breadth in any of the modern arms of
long range made all the difference in the
world. The obvious remedy was the
double sight near the breecll to correct
this instructive elevation of the piece.
But, above all deliberate firing had been
his point of instruction. Modern war
was becoming an affair of death dealing
machinery; it abolished much of the ro-
nance and chivalry Of arms; but after
al the speaker came back to the leading
idea tat the close competitions of mod
ern war were to be decided by mechani-
cal differences. these sometimes of the
slightest description, and that a single
defect in the French military. System
might supply all the explanation that
public curiosity has needed tor theis Sc
ries of defeats.
General Beauregard remarked that he
thought Prussia would prove a generous
enemy, and would not exact humiliations.
He spoke with great feeling of the un-
worthy frenzy of the French people to-
wards the unhappy Emperor 49, even
climbing tive-story houses to tear down
the arms and insignia of his empire! Ma
poleon had given France not only pres
tige but d development and prosperity
the most undoubted. He could testify,
visiting France in 1865, tlnst there was
not a happier people in Europe; ''even
happier than the romantic peasantry OF
England"
General, what do you think of Trochu
Governor of Paris The attention of the
| whole world has been suddenly drawn
upon man Of whom never heard be-
| FORE"
General Beauregard - "Well, sir, he
may be the coming man. know his
record we'll he is one of the most thor
ough soldiers in France--a man who
adopted that deliberate, characteristic
choice of the thorough soldier, to serve
up through all the subordinate grades OF
the French army. Remarkable of him
he made himself unpopular in the French
army for his freedom and independence
in pointing ont what he thought the de-
tccts Of its 81 stem.
| 1.-THE French, nice and exacting in every
other affair of life, pride themselves on
not giving attention to military details
Gen. Tfoehu> has had Che boldness tc
criticise repeatedly that affected magma
nilnity that neglects details, and thai
has often lost the great opportunities o.
history. He is the reputed author of the
remarkable military views just showed
you in the Pail EcN Ga-ette. CuriousiS y
enough, France has not been fortunate
in her recent military traditions. They
are those of Algeria, China, Mexico; II
every instance excepting Solferino) that
of an inferior and despised enemy easily
conquered by that system Of attack ii
which the quality of the soldier is elan
dash, sudden enthusiasm rather thai
the quiet, sedulous confidence of the MAJ
behind the machine who is taught th'
value of position and the virtue of per
feet self possession, 49,: -
q The New York Werld says: "Nev
York cannot possibly fall behind Penn
sylvania and the West. We have re
deemed Indiana electing Democr crasi
State ticket and Democratic Legisla
d ture. We have defeated the most pro
minent Radical me nbers Of Congress il
Ohio, gained several members Of Con
eress from Pennsylvania, and secure
, four thousand Democratic majority
the lamer State oni the popular sNot4
y Now for New York. With the tide run
;. mug thus in our favor. the Empire Stat
can and must give at least 'seventy-:fiv
, thousand, majority for Hoffman an
Beach, . s,.i; ~. ! 'Ihf. -.i.s@5:1 II
:. vpa von13v ra1nkin