Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1876 — The Russian Soldiery. [ARTICLE]

The Russian Soldiery.

Thamuy wilier Russia canplace inlhe field tn-oppoMtioii to tho forfesof Turkey numlraPSf irtitslani and water strength, not dqBS than 2,000,000 of men. This Wn>c array o| Gumed human beings would constitute the martial force of the globe. The Russian soldier, whether as aji infantryman, a Cossack or a marine, is a study, and how WtjeKi ’tnoro a-’ Btu4y would he the eonof 2,000,000 of such soldiers in tearfhed bbdyt ■ ’ tJirrqg the prospects threaten that the army, 4t*basiat will.spdn bc'pfialied into a test of its metal by conflict with the s«ni'bariM»rous.hordes of Turkey, it will npt be uninteresting to consider the charthe eomponenU which would go *to up its columns.. In the first place, man in the Russian Empire is compelled to serve for a Certain lengft. pf tipm in the Caar.’s Everyoßfieslaa isi/ therefore, a trained soldier, who must stand ready formarching orders whiJievsr'national emergency shall dennlmry requirefiient of Russia which caused the immigration of* die non-com-of that country to our. own country within a fbw years. Butbesidss AiiQ ,etaforped temporary service of citizens, the Russian Government sustainsa regular standing army—probably the in the world—and‘ it . will be this hggregatiefa Of military strength which turned upon Turkish soil, in case jili.e pending war-cloud of Eastern Europe .develops into ah actual declaration of 1 5 Tffe regular sdld if of l&£n?i creature hardly the honor of being called human. He ‘machine—a savage automaton wßlih steps “when tohito' step; eals Whep told to eart, .forms in line Wen tcjld. ap s |o ,do, and ,l« tjie same manner loads his gim, charges the enemy infantryman or Cossack -does all things t* M orders”. but this will not hold true in, one* dr tWrf Y&picts, fbr IreWAars atafl J drinks,Wlflstjr at all convenient opportuI iWicy wfiijph can only be checked by checking his breath. The Russian officers are more removed from the comnw soldiers probably than are the military Officials of anv other nation. They ateimperious . and exacting -wen to brutality. The soldier is taught to tary salute, stands not abjectly until the glittering uniform has passed by! The cause of this prohibition of familiarity of I army officers with the men amder them is diers to a point of reverence which will preclude even the possibility of disobedience to an order on the- field of battle—a place where the officers are empowered

Io push their 1 phalanxes Into bkridy contest even at the point of the sword. Buch been entirely reorganized. The old system of placing the men miscellaneously together, regardless of tne district* from which they came, has been done away with, 'and, as a rule, those born in the same localities are now placed in the same companies and battalions. It is believed that tills arrangement fosters patriotism and.makes better soldiers. In the field 1 forces of Bugsia there are found infantry, artillery and cdvalry, as in other armies, but. the armament differs in tliat some of the divisions still use long spears and shields, as in olden times. In battle these ancient implements are made most effective, since the men who carry them become altUoet detrfoniacal in their savage fury when pressed against the foe by their heartless commander*. With an army of the character described locked in desperate struggles with such forces as it will have to encounter in. the march against the followers of Mohammed, what tales of bloody horror would come up from the battlegrounds {—Chicago Journal.