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Entered according to Act of Congress, in June, 1867, by J. W. Bukke & Cos., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the So. District of Georgia.
Vol. I.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
THE CONSCRIPT.
i||TWOU all remember that,
during the late war,
when we were in great
x danger of being over-
powered by the vast
armies of the North,
the Congress at Rich
i mond passed what was
know T n as “the Con-
script law,” under which every
able-bodied man above a certain
age, with some few exceptions,
was called into the service of the
South. Some persons thought
that this was a very cruel and rigor
ous law, and that it would have
been better for the country if we
had continued to depend upon the
voluntary enlistments of our peo
ple, and not forced them into ser
vice. Ido not propose to discuss
that question now, but it is not
improper to say that the very best,
and wisest, and truest men in the
South believed that, in our great
extremity, this was the only course
left us, and if it was a mistake, it
was an error of the heads and not
of the hearts of those who framed
and passed the law.
In France, and other monarchi
cal countries of Europe, where
wars are almost continually going
on, it is necessary to keep large
standing armies. In Prussia, and
other of the German States, every able
bodied man, except among the nobility,
is required to serve a certain number of
years in the standing army, and many of
them leave their country to avoid this
service. In France, the conscript law is
always in force, and every man between
the ages of twenty and twenty-six is lia
ble to be forced into the army at any
MACON, GrA., APRIL 25, 1868.
time. The engraving below represents
a young Frenchman, who has been drawn
as a conscript, and is bidding farewell to
his parents before starting off, probably
never to return. His poor mother is sad
enough at the thought of giving up her
o nly boy to fight, and probably die in a
[* 11 1/1 7
: i
cause of which she knows nothing, and
in which she feels no interest.
How many hundreds of mothers, du
ring the disastrous war through which
we have lately passed, were called on to
give up their sons, many of them to die
upon the battle-field, and many others to
return maimed and erijipled for life. But
they went forth in defence of their homes
and firesides, and in a cause dear to every
patriot heart.
War is one of the greatest calamities
with which any people can be afflicted.
Let us all pray for the time spoken of in the
Bible, when wars shall “cease unto the
end of the earth,” and “ nation shall not
lift up sword against nation, nei
ther shall they learn war any
more.”
—
Big Boys and Little Boys.
Jemmy and Willie came in cry
ing, and with anew red sled too.
The tears were almost frozen into
icicles on their fat cheeks. What
is the matter ?
“ The big bo3 T s will not let us
slide. They drive us off the hill.”
This is not the first complaint
against the big boys. The big
boys would not let them work on
the snow fort. The big boys would
not let the little boys go on the
grand sleigh ride the other after
noon. I am sorry the big boys
love to tyrannize so over the little
boys.
Sometimes they hardly allow the
little boys any comfort at all. It
is so mean and selfish. It is big
ness so badly used.
Well, Jimmy and Willie, I cannot
help you. But this I want to say
to the little boys: When you grow
to be big boys, if God lets you live,
try to make the little boys feel
comfortable and happy. Ho not
stretch so very far above them ; do not
talk big; do not scare and torment them.
Always keep in mind that you were once
a little boy yourself, and how you felt
when the big boys troubled you and made
you cry.
That, in time, will cure the difficulty,
and make the little boys in tbe future
have a better time of it.
No. A3