Fly-Fi/hing. 37 



fhould be taught fomething more than the com- 

 mon routine to lead them, as they always do with- 

 out flinching, in the path of duty, of danger, and 

 of death. Much wild talk we occafionally hear 

 from fome of our fapient legiflators, more efpecially 

 of broad-brim notoriety, of the dark ftain we ft ill 

 fuffer to deface our military code, in failing to con- 

 fign flogging to the fhades of other departed barba- 

 rifms. Much more good would fuch babblers do, 

 if they would occafionally fpeak a kind word or two 

 in praife of the prefent improved fyftem, that retains 

 the power of flogging, but reforts to it invariably 

 as the laft refource. Who fo likely to tell the 

 honeft truth as my new friend with the large rim- 

 ing rod an intelligent, thoughtful, fober-minded 

 veteran, fcarred with downright hard fervice, and 

 mutilated on the battle-field ? And what faid he 

 upon the fubjecT: ? Why, that if flogging were 

 entirely done away with, it would react upon the 

 army as difaftroufly as would hanging for murder, 

 if repealed, upon fociety at large. Laws of fuch 

 a defcription are neceflary evils permitted to re- 

 main on the ftatute-book for the fafety of the good 

 and the terror of the bad : none but the incorri- 

 gible are ever flogged none but the murderer 

 ever hanged. 



