People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-27
PEOPLES PARTY PAPER ATLANTA GEORGIA

had it done, all the same. They
knew it would have a big effect on
the troops if the Priest said that
after calmly considering all the evil
dence found in the interior of the
calf, or lamb, or fowl, or whatever
animal they split open, he gave 1t as
his opinion that they would win that
fght-if they fought hard enough.
To send the soldiers into battle with
out mental comfort of this sort would
have been a neglect of time-hon-
ored custom to an extent which
human nature could not stand. 1t
would have been revolutionary. As
much as the soldiers loved Cesar,
and as willing as they were to fight
for him; still it was implid in the
contract that they should always be
told what some animal thought
about it, in his stomach, before they
waded in.
To show you that what say on
this curious subject is true, I quote
you the language of Plutarch, the
Historian. He is speaking Of the
morning of the Battle of Pharsalus ::
While he was performing a purifying
sacrifice for the army, as soon as he had
sacrificed the first victim, the SoOthsayer
(or PRIEST said that within three days
there would be decisive battle with the
enemy. Upon Cesar asking him If he
saw any favorable signs in the victims as
to the result of the battle also, he re-
piled, 'FYou can answer that better for
yourself the gods indicate great
change in the actual state of things to a
contrary state, SO that if you think your
self prosperous now, expect reverses !;
but if you do not, expect better"
This valuable chunk of wisdom
could not have been fonnd in any
place more congenial to its nature
than the inside of a calf. It was
like the prediction of the old man in
Lincoln county just before the fight
described in Georgia Scenes: "You
watch Billy Stallings at the going
in and Bob Durham at the coming
out"
Each side claimed that it meant
victory for them.
After the Priest had delivered
himself of the above prediction,
with very solemn countenance, and
the soldiers had time to chew on it
sufficiently, the battle commenced.
It was stubbornly fought, but Cesar
carried everything before him. Mill
tary critics say that his handling of
the troops was perfect, while Pom
pey Numbered from start to finish.
All [ know about it is that Cesar won
the fight. If Pompey had won it,
the same military critics would per-
haps have praised his management
and censured Cesar's. It is one Of
the easiest things in the world to
fight a battle when you are not
there. At least | have heard so.
Managing an army on paper is al
most as easy as farming on paper.
1t is said that Pompey's cavalry
was mostly made up of wealthy dan
dies and dudes from Rome who
were very fond of their good looks.
Cesar told his cavalrymen to try to
punch these young men in the face
with long speers SO as to spoil their
beauty. Plutarch says the dandies
just couldn't stand it. They turned
their pretty faces aside to escape the
Joe Brown pixies of Cesar's men,
held up their shields in front to
ward off the blows, and thus threw
their ranks into confusion. Then
they broke and ran. Thus they Gre
ated a panic and brought defeat on
the whole army.
Pompey fled from the field of bat
tie. He seems to have lost heart al
the first reverse. In this he showed
the real point in which he was SO
much. less a hero than Cesar. When
ever Cesar was worsted in politics OF
war he grew more cool, more earnest
more patient, and vastly more dan
gerous. The back-set aroused him
All the lion in his nature rose to
action in the hour of trial and gloom
when weaker natures would have
collapsed.
Cesar was very frequently fooled
in politics; very frequently repulsed
in war; very frequently brought tc
the very brink of ruin. A moments
loss of nerve would have been fatal
to him on at least dozen different
occasions in his stormy life. But nc