The daily gazette., 1878-07-23
For the Gazette.
THE NANTICOKE GUARDS AND
COMMISSIONER MARTIN.

THE DISCLOSURES OF A PRIsoNrp-
OTHER INTERESTING PROCEEDINGS.
SEAFoRD, July 1s.-The "Guards,
assembled last evening at the tap of tn,
drllm. Sentinels were stationed. and
pickets sent forward to watch the skir
mish line.
The corpo' al announced the presenc,
al headquarters of Ambassadors from GER
tainneighboring tribes. As this was dip.
lomatic business,an executive session was
ordered. After sometime spent therein
the doors were opened and ordinary bust.
ness was resumed.
The officer of the day announced the
capture Of a prisoner. He ACCOMPANIED
the announcement by statement that
the-prisoner had strayed too near to the
skirmish line, and that when he discover.
ed the squad advancing,he was too lazy to
run, and the capture was made without
resistance; that the prisoner was from his
own account one of those ''literary fel-
low" who write up the bulletins and the
dispatches of the enemy.
Inc corporal ordered the prisoner to be
brought to the bar (yciept public opinion)
Tor examination. The officer retired and
soon returned with the captive
who was marched up the main aisle with
Two soldiers Of the guard, the one pre-
ceding and the other following him, hold
ing their arms de resistance. he as
sembled "Guards" gazed with mingled
wonder and establishment upon this new
species OF the genus homo. He was
stoop-shouldered and presented a decid-
edly sleepish appearance. The
most remarkable thing about him was a
well-worn leather collar rivited around
his neck.
THE Observation-Disclosures AND
SUGGESTIVE.
Corporal-"Who are you?n
| Prisoner-"My masters slave!'
Corporal-"Y our masters name?"
frlsoner-"Commiss Martini"
Corporal-"How am TO know that
you are your masters slave?"
Prisoner-"By my admiraton!'
Corporal-Your admiration of what?''
Prisoner-"My admiration of his sup
erior strategy as great commander"
Corporal-"Strategy In what?"
Prisoner-"When, i'm 1861, he was in
command OF company of guards, he
quietly and peacefully surrendered all the
arms and ammunition ofhis company to
a corporal's guard"
Corporal-"No personal reflection
herer'
Prisoner in much trepidation-"Most
grave and reverand seignior."
Corporal-"Oh. blarnyr'
Prisoner-"I have the highest respect
for he magnanimous courage and the
immaculate greatness"
Corporal-"Stop, tell you"
Prisoner-"I am humility and meek
ness personifiet )"
Corporal-''lt seems then that the
Commissioner has had previous en-
counter with acorporal's guard in which
he got worsted."
.Prisoner-"May it please YOU"
ayes Strip
Corporal-''In what respect do you
consider the commissioner displayed any
peculiar stategical talent in this opera
tion?"
bacon"
Corporal-"Oh! ah! yes, see' Rata
tab, rat-a-tab, boom, boom, sounded the
drums in token of military applause and
appreciation.
Corporal-"What next?"
Prisoner-"When in 1866, he marched
to Dover, Joined the Johnson Guards, who
foreswore all former party allegiance;
when he marched ON to Philadelphia and
Joined the grand johnson army which
was then assembled to capture the politi-
cal destinies of the country, when that
grand movement collapsed; and when he
returned home straggler, after the un-
| successful assaults he made to capture
the position of assessor of Internal Rev
enue, he found that you, Mr.. Corporal,
and your guards had held the fort of
democracy in his absence, and were hold
ing grand reunion of the faithful, under
the instruction of our present commander
in chief,who is sans peur ct sans reproche
warning them of the dangers of straying
into strange pastures, he joined in the cele
bration, and followed the commander in
| chiefin the utterance ofa howl of indig-
nation at the very idea of his having
everstrayed frolnthe fold of the faithful"
Corporal-"This appears to me more
like the return of the Prodigal son, re-
member the circumstances well, and the
heavy work had to perform to keep our
''Guards" from following the lead of the
commissioner, where they would have
been lost like stray sheep. But l can't
see where the strategy came in."
Prisoner-"The consummate strategy
of our commissioner consisted in the
bold and adroit manner in which he got
himself out of bad scrape."
Corporal-"Ands so you call that strate-
gy?"
Prisoner-"To my comprehension, it is
the quintescence of strategy"
COrporal-'I don't want your opinionl
you are to to state facts on which you
base your opinion. What next?"
Prisoner-''Ifitw it we'e possible to give
you recital of all the scts of my master
it would be in some respects to betray
confidence, but if you insist that l shall
tell you ALL"
Corporal-"No Sir! cannot allow you
! to betray confidence. Honor is the grand
element ofevery good soldier. And it
would be as much breach of honor in