Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-17
DO BRAVE MEN PEAHf
Opinions of Veterans or Undoubted
 va1or on This Questien.

Opiutons or veterans or Undoubtcd
 vaIor on This Question.
 From the Richmond Dispatch.l
 The question whether brave soldier ex- periences the sensation of fear Is one on which there is great diversity of opinion. Yet no authority can have more weight than the statement of warriors themselves, and here are the opinions of many of our famous southern sghters. General Jubal Early, whose bravery has made his name illustrious, gays:
 "In response to the inquiry, Ts fear In 6 soldier cowardicer I would say that while cowardice is the result of excessive fear, it does not follow that fear Is always cowArdice. We are told in the Bible, Psalm cI-, 10, and in several other places, that The fear of the Lord Is the begin ming of wisdom That. Of course, is not cowardice. Fesr is s word that has va. riety of definitions, among them being anxiety, solicituds, reverentiAl regard, re. spsct mingled with ave- Viewing it in the sense of au apprehension of danger, I do not know how I can better express my opinion on the subject than by referring to the adjective brave In worcester's die tionary. In defining it he quotes from the Scotch poetess, Joanna Baillie, ss follows: The brave man is not he who feels no fear. But he whose noble soul no fear suh5ues' From my own experiences and obserya- | ton can say that the bravest soldier in | action is never without fear or spprehen- sion of danger, but he encounters that | danger without shrinking. It follows, therefore. that fear Is not always coward Ice in c soldier"
 | General Bradley T. Johnson, who, m der the immortal Jackson, won unfadipg laurels for himself, writes:
 "fhe q"estion, Is fssr in a soldier cow | srdicef answers itself in the definition. Fear, as understand it. is the physical shrinking from physical struggle with op- posing physical force Cowsrdice is the refusal of the physical and intellectual na- ture of man to face opposition, either physical or intellectual. Fear Ia control fable by superior will either of the man himself or of another, who for the time dominates and directs him Cowardice Is uncontrollable. Both cowsrdice and fear are physical ss we'll as moral conditions. Some men are unconscious of fear-they are actually unaware of what danger is and in the real gaudium cerlsminis, the ioy of battle, they sotusliy delight in the fierce excitement of the fight. I really be- lieve that Nsjpr Jim Breaihed, of the Stu art horse artillery, and Msior Harry Crit ner would rather fight than eat. Stuart enjoyed battle, SO did Stonewall Jackson, and my analyeis of Lee was that when his blood was up-snd the smell of guppow- der always fired him-he was ss fierce as any far of Morse ancestor.
 Though know nothing personally of Grant, am of the opinion that the scent of blood drove his pulse up. I know Hancock blszsd sll over with enthusiasm 6. the sound of the guns and the cheers of 6 charging line. have no doubt that many men facing death have felt their fiesh shrink and their nerves give way, and were sorely afraid. But pride of chsrac- ter, regard for the respect of those st home, and the presence and example of thousands around them crushed out fear and made them ss firm and self controlled ss the brayest.
 sI do not recollect ever having seen q coward-that ie, a man whose fear over came his sense of duty, personal pride
 and regard for reputation I have seen | lines of battle afraid, seen them wsvel In front of hostile batteries, seen then
 hesitate to meet the coming shock; but
 have seen these very lines spring up q
 once, animated by the brilliant exampl,
 of personal dash of their commsndin,
 officer, who, riding to the front, wouls
 ewing his sabre above his head and shout
 Follow me. mem And the thousan.
 men, who c moment before were afraid 3 were thrilled by the electric shook of sr