The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-04
THE T1MEs-RICHMoND VA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, lo's

,resented themselves. and then all the vapa-
nnuds in Europe whom their agents sersennn'
could enlist in the neigh boring o'ates. -
as this did not suffice. the PrusslAn lo0i .,
sergesuts carried of q great nuihooi - -
NV main force. and these having oscv.n9
soldiers wlthOuttheir own consent W. ~.'''.
g. serve till they were past tue az ~, ST.
Then they were given begga "'O t-''., -
Prussia was too poor 10 give tny'4' " - -
or retiring pensions Durib. siI Win gou-
service these soldiers were inlnEico wv go
nine Prussians. the number OF whom nau 70
be ut least half OF the strength u ea0u So'N-
uany in order TO prevent Te'ol's,
'To maintain an army compounded OF such
Heterogeneous elements an IRON ulaC'P'1Hs
WAS needed whereupOn cyrpolea' Pu" 81 ~ ~
,ros inflicted for the slightest iaut. Inc
,,,,,,s-nms non.comrnissioned officers, AL
prussians. carried cane. WHICH lue' ~
ouentlv used. According 10 the recognized
saving they reckoned one cane % every seven
nan Amonr the foreign soldiers desertlon
vas mercilesslv punished with death. You
may imagine the terrible position OF tns9e
foreigners who. having enlisted IN hoAIeuI
~ Drunkenness or been carried Oh bV
force. found themselves far from ther
own country. and IN bitter climate, con-
den1ued 10 be prusslgn soldiers that Is 10
say slaves during their whole lives. Ah9
what lives they were With scarcely foOd
onouyh To keen them alive sleeping on straw,
very lightly clothed, no clOaSs even IN the
coolest winter and with pay insufficient 70
meet their wants. Indeed, they dld not "hi1
10 beg until they had received license 10 vo
so with their discharge, for when ont or signI
ali their officers they would put out their
hands Both at POttsdam and Berlin IL LAS
happened more than Olce that grenAdleIs az
the Kings very gate have begged aims o. mo
We make no apology for this long extract IL.
p0rtravs "A state OF society most graplically
and as il can nowhere else tie found so poI-
trayed that We know Of Discussing the con-
dition of mankind with one ~ his Ministers
who urged that men were al the tiine grow
inc better. Frederick the Great once eald
81 on don't know this id race. ana ne
constructed ms army upon the theory IN
yOlved IN that expression. ntl We Ioau 1Hi ,
massage IN Naroot's Memoirs we never could
understand how IL wa, that tho Wnole rus
san army dissolved before Napoleon army
ike mist before the sun. 10 was because Tue
prussian army was an army OF lnelceuhi -
and slaves. while the French army was AZ tLat
time composed * the patriots o. the Revolt
ton. Ia 1873 the conditions Lad becoine III
great measure reversed. The frusaihhS
had discarded the mercenary idea wno.y anu
entirely rom their military system ana tnelI
army was composed of Irusslau CITIZENS pa
triotica.lv performing three ST four years OF
service that they owed o. their country VIII"
the French army. under that incompetent
called Napoleon IT,. was little better Ia ITS
morale than the Prussian army of 1906. Con
sequently we saw the French army OF 1913 20
to pieces before the Pfussan army as the
prussiau army Of l-Oi went % pieces before
the French army of patriotic citizens. Inc
French army provided IN their reyolutionary
war. in all ITS essential characteristics. IKE the
Confederate army an army composed OF tue
citizens who yielded military service as u"ly
due 20 their country. and the same Is true Cd.
the Prussian army of to-day. No army OF
mercenaries or slaves will ever be able 20 race
on equal terms an army composed ol SUCH
material as this.