The St. Mary banner., 1900-07-07
COURAGE IN BATTLE.
The INHERENT BRAVERY OF
EVERY MAN.
fudjv1duals Who at Home Are the Most
Peaceful Of Men Become Demons In
the recs CT an Armed Ensmy-StOries
Of Heroism.


Of Heroism.
Among the millions Of citizens
whose lives have run along in peaceful
channels and who have never been
urged by duty or inclination to forsake
the ordinary routine OF life for the
camp and battlefield there Is q senti-
ment OF warm admiration and love for
the soldier who performs daring deed:
in time Of war 1t matters not the ma
tionallty OF tho warrior, or on which
side our personal sympathy may De
placed, the announcement ofsome dare
devil act OF heroism calls forth our
hearty applause And why should 1t be
otherwise7 1t Is natural 1t is the
strong heart that wins. The dashins
blade or free lance who with his lie
In his hands faces death calmly IL to
be respected, for In most instances
really brave men are always true men.
The great majority OF people who
have casually noted and dissected this
universal applause for feats OF mill
tary prowess have completely mlsun-
derstood the real meaning. The per-
formance OF great traged!an may
thrill us and bring forth our unstlnted
admiration. an admiration Increased
perhaps by the knowledge that we our
selves have mono OF the qualities he
possesses and that century OF train
ing would not bring US an inch closer
to rivaling his wonderful genius. And
not one man in a hundred who has
read the stories OF heroism that have
come from Cuba and the Philippines
or later from South Africa, but place.
the possibility OF his ever performing
similar deeds Just as far above him.
He Is In error. The Unborn genius o!
dramatic fire Is the properly OF the
favored few, but the recklessness and
courage OF the soldier on the battle
field are simply an outcropping OF the
common heritage OF mankind. At
home, in a progressive community, a
man may be a merchant or bank
clerk. but, whatever his station. the
environment OF civilIzing influence Is
strong upon him, and most OF his
chances for the display Of courage
come to the moral side or his nature
But out IN the open, with most OF the
trammels cast OF and the enemy IN
front, with the ripple OF the colors
about him, and, more than all. the
feeling that comes from companion
ship In a common danger with many
Of his fellows, 1t IS the animal that
gains supremacy. And man, being by
nature a brave and fearless animal
the most fearless OF all the animal spe-
cies-simply remains true to his birth
right and goes through the ordeal In
the natural way. What can be the de-
duction7 There is only one. 1t is
that battle gallantry and battle bru-
tallty, sprinslng as they both do from
the same source, must necessarily be
allied. You cannot slip tho leash OF
a bloodhound and stop him half way
to his scent II any proof were needed
| to make the fact OF inherent bravery
and-the other thing-certain. 1t Is to
be found In the marvellous change In
face, manner and even speech that
comes to nearly every man when he
Is engaged In battle. Those who have
seen their fellows under such condi-
tions Will have no difficulty in calling
to mind what this change means. Re-
fined men. and rough, uncultured men.
too, for that matter, with the tenderest
and most humane feelings, men who
would shudder and turn sick at the
sight OF a slight accident on their
homo streets, have been frequently
known to stand and deliberately watch
| the writings and death agonies OF
their comrades who have been hit and
torn to pieces by bursting shells. es II
it were tho commonest sight in tha
world 1t may be urged that the ex'
citement Of being under fire would be
sufficient reason for this callousness
but such an explanation will not ac-
count for the entire subversion Of q
mans whole life training. The real
reason is that at such times It Is the
animal nature that takes full and com
plete possession OF the human body.