The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-27
XII
The Call of the Flag.

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 Manasseh and his comrades were taken to Brescia as prisoners of war. It Is uni versaIly known what was done with them there.
 One morning Adorjan was surprised with the following presents: He received a coffee-brown uniform. trimmed with red lace and a gold-bordered collar, sword with a gold portepee and an official letter containing his appointment to the rank of major of the battalion which had been taken prisoners with him. The sight of these objects filled him with un- usual joy. Now, at last, he had the op- portunity of ayenging himself upon the author of so much suffering. and with the sword in his hand he would cut a path into his confiscated country. To win back hearth and homel To drive from their glittering palaces those who had envied him his family happiness and had torn him away from home!
 And added to this was the falluring pie ture of glory, this fairy with bleod- stained countenance, whose kiss burns like fire! Even now, Manasseh was uni- versally known as the hero of Madonna della Scoperta." His courage. calmness and quick determination are brilliant mill itary qualities. History will record his name. The name of him who has im- proved the plowshare may the next day be forgotten, but the name of him who has cut notches in his own blade remains written in flaming characters. His deeds are sung by poets.
 Oh, how this terrestrial sun, glory, warns! This Is known to all who have known its rising and its setting, who have seen him In the zenith and in the nadir.
 What torture it Is to renounce 1t!
 But can such a moment lift from its hinges a whole worlds system? Can it cause the man who has thrown himself between the contending parties in order to reconcile them, can 1t cause him to place himself now in the foremost ranks of one of the hosts. and proclaim the watchword for the battle? He. who. in the midst of the battle, had appealed to God and His commandment, Thou shalt not kill" shall he now appeal to the God of revenge who had commanded that the Midia1ites be extirpated and that not even their cattle be spared? Shall the flame of revenge be kindled anew from one end of his unfortunate country to the other? Shall powder be the law. weapons the judge, and the battle the judgment of God? Shall the citizens again destroy one another, one city fall upon the other, one tribe upon another with fire and sword. Shall not a single generation grow up without seeing the blood of their fellow citizens flow? And when revenge is the watch-word, will not the family of him who stays at home be the first victims? If you take from them the only God, who will then protect them?
 Oh. this was a difficult struggle!
 On the other hand, is there no possi- bility of escape from this fate? Re- ligion commands. Thou shalt not kill," but makes one exception-the fight for ones country.
 A great question Is now placed before Manasseh. Can he answer 1t in the neg ative?
 The tri-colored flag with the escutcheon of Hungary is given into his hand Can he throw this away? Dare he refuse to fight under this flag?
 Before whom could he dare to say that he would not buckle on his sword? The last among his men, his laborer who serves together with him, will take a handful of sand and throw it into his face. He will become the object of uni versal derision, and his children ssflf he compelled to adopt another name. He can not remain at home, and in the most distant corners of the earth he will fear that his misfortune will follow ht1n. He will be scourged, crowned with thorns. and struck in the face like the bloody image above his head.
 With this he buckled on his sword.
 But the head with the crown of thorns looked at him with it's mild eyes, and this look said
 II will extend my hand to you"
 Manasseh, in his majors uniform. hastened to the supreme commander of the legion. He was anxious; he felt that this was the great turning point in his life; that his future would form a strik- ing contrast with his past.
 His comrades, whom he met fin the streets, greeted him with their loud 'EI-