This text is part of:
Table of Contents:
[362]
to the higher law when, but only when, the command is so palpably and grossly wrong that the authority can no longer be rightful and subjection to it no longer endured.
This is the right of revolution, and is applicable by way of exception to every human relation and authority.
The soldier, however, has very little sympathy with the right of revolution, or any modification of or exception to the law of unquestioning obedience.
His theory and practice in this regard find apt illustration in the reply of General Jackson to the brigade commander, who gave excellent reasons for having modified the order of march: “Sir, you should have obeyed the order first and reasoned about it afterwards.
Consider yourself under arrest.”
The last lesson of the soldier-life is unquestioned Command.
This analysis of the life and its lessons is not original with me; it is at least nineteen hundred years old, and rests on the authority of one who was a superb development of the most military nation of history, that grand old Roman centurian whose interview with the Son of God is perhaps the most striking of the Gospel narratives.
Said he: “I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh.”
Here are the two great correlative lessons of the life, obedience and command, and both are absolute.
This is the soldier, not ashamed to obey, not afraid to command; knowing how to render, and thus learning how to exact, obedience.
The daily lesson of the life is unceasing Accountability.
The soldier breathes, as it were, an atmosphere of accountability.
His daily routine is made up of inspections and reports.
What he is, what he has, what he does, his person, his possessions, his conduct, are constantly passing under a scrutiny so searching that nothing escapes, however trivial, and all must conform to unvarying “Regulations.”
This is perhaps the most prominent and impressive feature of the life.
I need not enlarge upon it. The fact is patentcan its influence be doubted?
Apart now from your impression
Scanned printed text.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.