I found out afterwards, that the object of the
procureur-impérial was to get me condemned to
some kind of punishment, because twenty-four
hours' imprisonment even, would have forced me
to serve my seven years in full, whereas my being
acquitted carried with it that the two years I
had been absent since I was twenty-one, would
now count as if I had actually served them.

The French soldier is governed by inviolable
laws, which will admit only of one interpretation.
A civilian may be incarcerated for months au
secret; he may shout and groan, no one will
hear him; until some fine morning, maybe, the
jailer opens the door of his cell, saying, as was
said the other day to poor Rosalie Doise, " It
was an error, go; it appears you were not the
person." Two friends of mine, A. and B., met a
few days since in a café. Said A. to B.: Tiens!
where have you been the last two months?

B. Chut! Not so loud.

A. I've been here two or three times a week
to meet you. Have you changed cafés?

B. No. But chut!

A. I went with your father to the Morgue, and
inquired everywhere. Tell me—-?

B. Chut! (In a whisper) Au secret.

Had that whisper been heard, he would
probably have been au secret again.

Besides the full justice in trial of offences,
one of the most admirable clauses in the Code
de la Justice Militaire is that which recommends
the judge " to inflict the mildest punishment
which the most lenient interpretation of
the causes of an offence may admit of." To
be fair to the military authorities of France,
it must be allowed that everything is done by
them to make the men forget the outrage they
have suffered in being forced into the army.

One of the first lessons the recruit receives,
is, that the honour of wearing a uniform, and
a sword or side-arms, carries with it " that
his word as a soldier must be believed until such
time as it shall be fully proven against him that
he has forfeited it by telling a lie." One of the
severest punishments he is taught to fear, is, to
be obliged to appear in the streets without his
side-arms; in fact, a soldier in full dress, and
without his side-arms, seen in the streets after
twelve o'clock in the day, is a marked man—one
who has abused the confidence reposed in him, a
quarrelsome fellow, dangerous, not worthy to
wear a sword; he is pointed at, noticed, and
avoided.

The young soldier is taught that brawls and
fisticuffs discredit a man wearing the uniform;
that if he strike a comrade he will be severely
punished; and that, if on receiving a blow, he
retaliate, he will also be punished; for the
authorities argue that a soldier wears a sword
wherewith to resent any insult offered to him, not in
the heat of the moment when he is blind with rage,
but after having consulted his captain, who judges
the matter. If the captain consider the affront
of so serious a nature as to affect the honour of
the soldier, he will, with the permission of the
colonel, direct the fencing-master to accompany
the adversaries, with their seconds, to a suitable
spot, that they may " arrange their differences in
a military manner:" the captain never failing to
advise the prévost d'armes to see that the men
do one another no serious injury. If, however,
the officer judge the affair to be of too trivial a
nature, he only punishes the aggressor, and
bids him apologise to the aggrieved. Thus
French soldiers rarely quarrel; they will boast
of their honour, their sword, and their prowess;
but what they so esteem in themselves they
respect in others. Among all their fallacious
arguments in favour of military duelling, the
French authorities have these: " That duelling,
as practised in the army, tends to keep up the
dignity of the soldier; to make soldiers respect
one another; to prevent violent and coarse
language; to abolish bullying, and to put each
man in a position to defend himself from insult."
Five or six duels a year, sum up the number of
serious quarrels in a regiment. All men are
reduced to one equal standard. The giant can
enjoy his strength, but cannot misuse it; for, in
the management of a sword not only is strength
not necessary, but it is actually a hindrance to
good fencing: suppleness and dexterity are to
be acquired by men of all sizes and degrees of
strength, and practice rewards the strong and
the weak alike. The most violent lunge may be
turned aside by a skewer, if the proper angle be
offered to the attacking blade. A perpendicular
cut from a broadsword, given with the utmost
force, if it only meet in its descent the edge
of a weapon flexibly held, and so placed as to
direct it one or two degrees out of its perpendicular
course, must infallibly miss its aim, whereas
it would cut through a firmer guard less skilfully
disposed.

To enable a man to defend himself, he is made
to undergo severe training during the first year
of his service, and is forced to attend the
fencing-room five times a week. When the prévost
d'armes judges him sufficiently instructed, he
undergoes an examination before the colonel and
staff; he is then expected to combat any adversary
the colonel may select, and defend himself
not only from the sword, but also from the
bayonet and the lance. I need not say that the
weapons are buttoned, and that the man is
padded and protected. If the staff do not
consider the young man skilful enough, he is bound
to continue daily practice, while his more fortunate
comrades are only required to practise
once or twice a week. But, during his novitiate,
he is protected from all bullying. The sergeants
and corporals of his company are responsible
for any insult or injustice done to " the young
soldier." He is looked upon as a soldier child,
allowances are made for his inexperience, he is
humoured, his prejudices are not abruptly
violated, and he is chiefly taught through example.
Independent of this sort of teaching, the authorities,
in forcing the men to attend the fencing-room,
have another and a much more important