The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-09-17
Tho pontineal zouavss.

ment with the profession OF arms. Peace
has returned in France-the hydra.head OF
the Commune has been crushed-the hres
Of insurrection in Algeria are nearly
quenched-the inevitable war to retake
Alsace and Lorraine is yet remOte-sO that
the occupation of the volunteer is gone.
great deal of soldierly work certainly re-
mains to be done before discipline will be re-
established in the army and order placed
on an assured basis throughout the nation;
and the ''Pope's grey jacket" was just the
corps to offer an example to the rest Of the
rest of the service. so the French Gov
eminent thought, and the Minister of War
sent q most fiattering letter to De Cha
rette intimating that he would accept the
Louaves as an Independents regiment IN
the French army in recognition OF its gal
liant services. Bnt the colonel declined the
offer; they were soldiers of the Pope be-
fore they were soldiers of France, and they
had no right to commit the uniform which
was identified with one cause to what
might be done under the flag of another
Therefore their existence has ceased for
this time i; the Poutifical Zouaves are dis
embodied; the ''grey jackets" are scatter
ed. We are sorry for it in one sense it is
n pity that some nucleus of q new forna-
tion, If only skeleton depot, is not kept
up; but the colonel is right notwithstand-
ing NJ. Theirs is virtually king of France
to-day; his will is law, and he is no friend
usurping King of Italy or the
unlawful foreign King of Spain struck him
as likely to be useful to his country, he
would have no hesitation in patching it
up; to fight Prussia he would take help
from the devil, even as help was taken
from Garibaldi. What an homogeneous po-
sition the ZOuaves of the Pope would find
themselves in serving under government
linked with Victor Emmanuel, perhaps
called on to do battle some day in q divi-
sion commanded by Piedmontese general,
one of the very men who directed the
slaughter of their companions at Castel
Fidardo! They would be no longer the
Pontifical Zouaves, the soldiers of the
Cross, but hirelings prepared to fight for
anybody or nything. We admire the
loyal and faithful Frenchman who las so
long commanded them, for his self-denial
in having rejected proposition that
would have given him q high military rank
danger. He felt that he had other interests
entrusted to his care than his own, and
that for no mean motive of personal ambi-
ton had he the right to submit his men to
the risks of a false position.
The end of the; Pontifcal Zouaves was
worthy of their beginning. The were es-
tablished to wage war against the disciples
of disorder and disbelief. Their ranks
were recruited by appeals to the sentiment
of Christian duty, and not to the baser in
stincts of lucre on which Sergeant Kite
makes play when he ties the ribbons to his
cap, and after short but bright and
chequered career of eleven years they have
chosen to melt quietly out of sight sooner
than be untrue to their origin. With the
occupation Of Rome by the Italian troops
their raison Tetre vanished; guardians were
no longer wanted when there was nothing
to guard, and If they rallied to the banner
of the French republic subsequently, it was
only because their officers and they flor
the most part) were Frenchmen, aud that
they believed in fighting for France against
Germany they were doing some possible
good for the Catholic Church in Europe.
logical or we'll advised in this course; butat
all events they were inspired by a patriotic
mp ulse, and they did their part SO bravely
as TO draw down the encomiums OF their
enemies. We have heard gentlemen who
were qualified to speak, and whose Judg-
ment may be taken as unbiased, declare
that but two regiments on the French side
fought decently after the catastrophe at
Sedan. The first of these was the Foreign
Legion, the other the Pontifical Zouaves.
Prince Frederick Charles had long since
borne testimony in his pamphlet on the
manner of fighting the French, to the cour-
age and efficiency of the Foreign Legion;
he said it was the best corps in the Imperial
army. But no non Catholic foreigner spoke
up for the Pontifcal Zousves; from the
purlieus of the Turin barracks to those
of the Times Office, they were made
the butt of undeserved ridiouie. Yet.
when it came to the test of hard knocks in
a desperate struggle against the soldiers
who had overwhelmed Napoleon'e picked
troops, the despised Papalini proved that
they were made of the genuine stuff. They
were obedient to their officers, cheerful
under privations, untiriDg on the march,
watchful in the bivouac, and dauntless in
the combat; and when disaster fell like
pail upon PROSTATE France, their glory was
one of the few points of relief that shone
out star-like from the general gloom.
The history Of the regiment is fitted to
rank eide by side with that of the most dis
tinguished of antiquity. 1t has been a sort
of sacred phalanx, like Caesars Tenth Le-
gion. We hope that its exploits will not
be suffered to sink into oblivion, but will
be treasured up to serve as models to fu-
ture imtators. Without breach of conf
dence we may state that we have more than
the hope, for it has been limited to us that
the Viscount lie Poll, author of " De Paris
q Castel Fidardo," meditates continuing his
chronicle of the life of tis old corps, SO as
4.