The first inspection made by our Generals
discovers future lieutenants who cannot do a sum in
division, a French class without either a master or pupils,
and an historical class in which, after seven months of
teaching, the professor is still theologically expounding
the creation of the world. It must indeed be a powerful
spirit of emulation which can induce these young men to make
themselves capable of keeping up a conversation with French
officers. You are astonished that they allow the discipline
of their men to become somewhat relaxed. Why, discipline is
about the last thing they have been taught. In the time of
Gregory XVI. an officer refused to allow a Cardinal's
carriage to pass down a certain street. Such were his
orders. The coachman drove on, and the officer was sent to
the castle of St. Angelo, for having done his duty. A single
instance of this sort is quite enough to demoralize an army.
But the King of Naples shows the Pope his mistake. He had a
sentry mentioned in the order of the day, for giving a
bishop's coachman a cut with his sword. You are scandalized
because certain military administrators curtail the
soldiers' poor allowance of bread; but they have never been
told that peculation will be punished by dismissal."
"Well, the scheme of reorganization is in hand; you will see
a new order of things in 1859.
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