The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-07-28
COURAGE IN BATTLE.
THE INHERENT BRAVERY CT
EVERY MAN.
individuals Who st Homo Arc tho Most
Peaceful of Mon Become Demons In
tho Face Of an Armed Enemy-Stories
of Her0ism. v

Among the millions CT 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 a senti-
ment of warm admiration and love for
the soldier who performs daring deeds
in time of war. 1t matters not the ma
tionality of the warrior, or on which
side our personal sympathy may be
placed, the announcement ofsome dare.
devil act of herOism calls forth our
hearty applause. And why should 1t be
otherwise? 1t Is natural. 1t Is the
strong heart that wins. The dashing
blade or free lance who with his life
in his hands faces death calmly Is 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 misun-
derstood the real meaning. The per-
Torrance Of great tragedian may
thrill us and bring forth our unstinted
admiration, an admiration increased
perhaps by the knowledge that we our
selves have none 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 hundred who has
read the stories of heroism that have
come from Cuba and the Philippines.
or later from South Africa, but places
the possibility Of his ever performing
similar deeds just as far above him.
He is In error The Unborn genius Of
| dramatic fire Is the property 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 progressive community, q
| 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 OF his nature
But out in the open, with most Of the
trammels cast off 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. it 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-
duction? There is only one. 1t is
that battle gallantry and battle bru-
tality, springing as they both do from
the same source, must necessarily be
allied. You cannot slip the leash OF
a bloodhound and stop him half way
to his scent If any proof were needed
to make the fact of inherent bravery
and-the other thing-certain, 1t Is tc
be found in the marvellous change In
face. manner and even speech thai
comes to nearly every man when he
Is engaged IN paltle. nose VINO nave
seen their fellows under such condl
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 tenderes
and most humane feelings, men WHIT
would shudder and turn sick at thu
sight of a slight accident on theil
home streets. have been frequentl,
known to stand and deliberately watch
the writings and death agonies o
their comrades who have been hit ant
torn to pieces by bursting shells, as /
it were the commonest sight in thu
world. 1t may be urged that the ex
element of being under fire would b.
sufficient reason for this callousness
but such an explanation will not &C
count for the entire subversion Of
mans whole life training. The rea
reason is that at such times 1t is tn
animal nature that takes full and com
plete possession of the human body.