| Show VANCES SUICIDE honor fidelity and courage are the three grand requisites for distinction in any walk of life but in none are they more strictly enjoined orade or a departure from them or either of them more rigorously punished than in the army of the united states A parole of honor to is recognized as more effective than any bond boad that could be drawn the oath of an officer to be true to the rag flag is accepted as a conclusive test of loyalty till the contrary appears ap peare and the occupation itself ludee any thought or suspicion of timidity when either of these app appears earp the work of retribution is certain speedy and to civilians it appears cruel but no matter the arms of a civilized nation must not be carried nor its uniform worn by those unworthy of the great trust reposed in them the qualifications named are imperative but they are not all by any means the man who holds a commission from the government mua thereafter consider himself not only a soldier and a gentleman which the implied contract calls for but must deport depart himself at all times and in all placed accordingly the rules are not very strict not dot so strict that those who agree to observe them will find anything irksome I 1 in n complying with the agreement if one should be violated a court martial to is held the evidence for ana agal against ast to is brought out and judgment found in accordance therewith the findings are sent to headquarters and whatever is decided upon is done sometimes the offender is shot with or without the honors of war as the occa occasion gion may require sometimes he is suspended from active service on part pay or no pay at all or he be may be suspended and his pay not disturbed and sometimes he is dismissed from the army this last proceeding means in disgrace whether those words accompany the sentence or not for the summary expulsion of an officer from the army means that there to is a brand upon his brow that la Is likely to be regarded as indelible and enduring RB as that of cain realizing all this and assuming that thenceforth a respected life was out off that all in the future was dark alaci and forbidding and while listening to sounds of revelry nar mar by in which he could no longer participate lieutenant vance brought his physical life to a close it was wag a dreadful thing to do for it added crime to what might have been nothing more than indiscretion it was cowardly too for let the world say what it may about honors honor there to is much more bravery in honorably living down a fault than the weak rush to death to escape it the deceased decea aed in this his instance was a handsome popular fellow rind and among his bis many friends la in this city there is a strong belief that he would have hare eventually come out all right those who knew him best beat declare that there was nothing against hla his character with this personal one oz exception cep tion and it is commonly under stood though there is really little in fact that the excuse the wine cup can had more to do with his fall than any turpitude on his part |
