Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-29
A Plea for the Old Flags.

A Plea for the Old Flags. Deeds of VaIOr Inspired by the COIOrs- How a Prussian General Rallied His Men-A Turkish Charge at P1evna. (From the London Telegraph
 On a cold November day in 1870, strange scene was, enacted in the streets of the village of Ie Bourget in France. For hours fierce fight had been raging between the Prussian Guard and the French troops, and many brave soldier had bitten the dust Of the Konigin Augusta regiment scarcely officer remained alive. Colonel Waldersee and his colleagues had one after another been struck down by the fearful fire which the enemy maintainedsf the houses of the place. and the famous German battalion was staggering under the Chassepot bullets Already 1,700 Prussian Guardsmen lay on the ground :; the situation had been critical to the last degree, and the column app cared to be permanently checked. At this moment General Buditzki, who commanded the brigade thus engaged, rode up on his white charger, and compre- hending the scene at a glance, threw off his cloak despite the sharp frost, jumped from his horse, rushed forward, and, seizing the flag of Konigin Augustus, waved the color in the air and called upon the soldiers to follow him. For moment there pause, then 8 tremendous charge, and immediately the \ street was won and the victory gained The controversy which had just arisen about the proper place for English colors recalls this l despeaate incident to mind Of late sad re- ! taxation of fibre has been showing itself at | home in certain quarters, and one of it's latest ! illustrations has been the demand on the part | of some that the flag which has hitherto 1 ''braved the battle and the breeze" should be 1 locked up at home in cupboard or a we'll | fastened chest while the regiments that own | it are in the thick of the fight. We have had l the misfortune to lose within the past few l months the flags of two regiments. On the 1 plains of Zululand, ssguarded to the death I by Coghlan and Melville, the colors of the
 Twenty-fourth were found lying in the dust | by the roadside, and in the rout of the troops ! under General Burrows the other day the l flags of tine Sixty-sixth were captured by the Afghans. The result Is something like pan ic and an outcry has been raised that these precious emblems ought not thus to be ex- posed, but should be kept for ornament rath- ] CT than use-for the de-ground, not the battle held-for the barracks, and not the trench. There is, perhaps, some excuse in the fact that Englishmen are not enamored l of seeing the Union Jack in an enemy's pos ! session; and it is commendably patriotic on l the part of such would save these sigma to 1 express a-wish that no more will be lost. In
 the old days, however, the plan recommend l ed would have been that our men should al ways gain the victory, rather than, like Indi- I ans without the scalp lock, they should go | into the fray with nothing wherewith to chal- lenge the foe.
 l We do not decorate our flags, it is true, with ribbons and crosses, as is done in other countries, but we inscribe upon them the 1 names of the victories through which they have passed. In Germany, France and Aus trla the plan Is different and iron crosses, or l ribbons of the Legion of Honor, are fastened I to the silken sheet itself It is, nevertheless, understood that the flag has been in action, that 1t has aided to rally the regiment at critical moment, and that it has been shaken but in face of the enemy, and has sduciIy spread itself to the bullet. The very purpose of such an emblem is that of utility. So strongly did the Romans love their eagles that they gave them separate tents surrounded them with guards, who were looked upon al- l most in the light of sacred priests, and ere the eagle fell into the hands of an enemy the soldiers had themselves died around his staff Germany has closely emulated this determin- ation of purpose and, in the ceremony which accompanies the handing over of colors to a Ieuton regiment, emphasizes the firm spirit in which they are to be kept With silver
 nails one supplied by the Emperor himself,
 another by the colonel of the regiment and
 tbird by some distinguished lady present. the
 colors are fastened to the staff with much
 formality, even the imperial hands welding
 the hammer; it being understood that when
 the moment for action has arrived, and the
 flag which was kept furled until then is un-
 rolled, no thought of quitting that symbol
 must ever enter the minds of the soldiers.
 How sacred a trust they are may be gathered .
 from the fact that the colors of the guards are
 never even intrusted to their care except in
 time of war, but are carefully kept in the Elm
 peror's own ante chamber, in @ position of high
 honor, personally watched by His Majes-
 ty, and only lent by him to the regiments for
 the purpose of parade or action to be return
 ed immediately after the event has conclud-
 ed into the Kaiser's own hands, Any thought
 of giving up such emblems and ceasing to
 carry them into battle would be secuted
 abroad. When, few years ago, some tim
 orous persons, having examined the statistics
 of those killed and wounded in the defense of
 the national flag, ventured to suggest to the
 Emperor the idea of substituting for the ea-
 gle-adorned banner a smaller marking flag,
 the venerable imperial soldier sat himself
 down in his cabinet and penned such a com
 ment on the proposition effectually put
 stop to the notion. tEIt is the emblem of my
 house and the pride of the army,' wrote ho
 ''and will never consent to it's ceasing to be
 found in the very thick of the fight" We,
 in this country, may well applaud such de-
 cision, for in many field the orihamme of
 England has been carried gallantly and cov-
 cred with glory. Was it not non commission
 ed officer of the Twenty third Fusiliers, one
 Sergeant Luke, who, advancing between the
 officers of that regiment carrying the colors,
 seized the flag when those who were with
 him fell, and, though shot in the breast so se-
 verely that for an instant he was obliged to
 reSI upon Lne ground, managed to pear the
 banner aloft, and with 1t to lead4he regiment
 to victory, covered though he himself was
 with blood, and almost fainting with pain?
 Endless are the tales that might be told
 about our colors and the deeds of prowess
 they have witnessed But on these it is
 needless to dilate, for so long as any martial
 spirit yet remains to us, the army will not be
 content to allow it's insignia to be rolled up
 and kept at home while the nations cause
 has to be fought out abroad. It is related
 that when on the eventful evening of Sep
 tember 14, 1877, the gallant fellows under
 Osman Pasha learned from the bugle sound
 ed on the headquarters camp hill that the
 time for the final attack had arrived, they
 called for the standard bearers to come to the
 front. As the name of Allah rose on the air,
 a number of stalwart soldiers sprang up from
 the ground seized the crescent and the pen
 dant horse tails, and, with loud shout of vic
 tory, dashed in among the affrighted Rus
 sians with such intrepidity that the Musco-
 vites fled down the sides of the famous green
 hill without making show of resistance. At
 that supreme moment neither standard bear
 CT nor follower thought of anything but win
 ming the fight, and in that spirit conquered. Enghshmen are still as brave and devoted as the Turk, and at the crisis of the battle are
 quite as prepared as he to follow their col ors, and carry them to victory.
 L. P Farmer, the general ticket agent of
 the Pennsylvania railroad, who has been
 spending his vacation at Bolton, had mar
 row escape from drowning in the reservoir
 last Friday. He was fishing from boat
 when heswas taken in a fit and fell overheard.
 A neighboring boat took him ashore