The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-10-21

We have been familiariZed with the |
life of the soldier in campaign and on
the battlefield by the mastery hands |
of great artists. What Erckmann-
Chatrian and lola have done in this
direction Lionel Decle" has accom-
plished for the life of a private soldier
in quarters and in barrack. 1t must
be accepted as a genuine testimony, a
faithful account of the hardships
which are to be undergone by that
large proportion of Frenchmen who
have to serve --leir time in the ranks,
and which are shared to a great extent
by recruits in all armies. With the
French, however, the tyrannical prfn-
eiple of lie respect de la chose jugee'
is carried to the last extreme, and
intensifes the cruelty Of military life.
1t is to this principle that Dreyfus was
sacrificed, and in it's extension
throughout the ranks it produces
frightful injustice The colonel forms
his opinion of private from the char
acter given him by his corporal or ser
geant, and the mere fact of appealing
against a punishment is considered an
act of INSTRUMENTATION Decle does not
pose as a martyr. He acknowledges
that some of his frequent punishments
were deserved, but he says: IF I
had been treated like a free human
being and not like a convict-if I had
not been bullied as well as unjustIy
and unduly punished should not
have beeome-as 1 did-desperate, car
ing little whether I was punished or
not l fully understand and excuse
the motives which prompt so many
men to desert-men who nave neither
position nor reputation to maintain
and l frankly declare that, rather than
have served another year, I would
have become a deserter myself" Here
is a drill incident under one of the
severest seEgeants in the regiment, De
Cormet He had ordered the second
position of the coup de sable vers 10
proite, which consists in holding the
sword extended to the right at arms
length; at the end of a few minutes
the troopers became so tired that none
of them was able to hold their bodies
straight, and had to put their left
shoulders down and let the points of
their swords drop De Cormet, as
usual, walked behind them, coolly
saying: Trooper Gabier. four days
more for not holding yourself straight;
Trooper Chirac, your sword is not
straight; you will have two days more,
and so on. All of sudden one of the
prisoners, a poor, weak fellow, said to
him: Sergeant, my hands are frozen;
will you allow me to blow in them for
one minute? / can't hold my sword
any longer -Four days for speaking
in the ranks answered De Cormet, in
his monotonous voice The troopers
fingers were as white as wax. and he
soon repeated his request, with a sim
liar result. At last. unable to stand
the pain any longer. the trooper put
his sword under his arm and blew on
his fingers Hold your sword in po-
sition at once, said the sergeant: L
shall report you to the colonel But,
sergeant, / can't said the trooper.
You refuse to obey said the sergeant.
I can't, 1 can't said the trooper, sob
bling with pain, and at the tame time
trying to grasp his sword, but finding
/ himself unable to close his benumbed
fingers. Again the sergeant ordered
him to hold his sword out, but the
man burst into tears and once more
sobbed: I can't, l CAN'T Thereupon
the sergeant commanded another pris-
oner to carry the sword, and, calling
out to one Of the troopers on guard,
ordered him to fetch the corporal. and
when the latter came he had the poor
fellow conveyed to the cells. and re-
ported him for refusal to obey orders.
The trooper was therefore tried by
court-martial and sentenced to two
years hard labor. Boston Trans
/ cript.