694 
thirty military governments, subject to 
a general and his staff, together with a 
_certain portion of commissaries, and it 
is not a little reinarkable, that Oliver 
Cromwel], after overturning the English 
commonwealth, made a distribution 
nearly siniilar in all its parts. But the 
eivil, as well as military division of the 
empire, is subject to the strictest re- 
sponsibility, for the departments, 122 
in number, with their circuits (arrondis- 
sements), cantons, and municipalities, 
the prefects, the sub-prefects, the com- 
missaries of police, the mayors, the in- 
spectors, the counsellors of prefecture, 
and the adjuncts, are all strictly re- 
‘sponsible in respect to the new levies. 
fhe first grand military efforts of 
France, commenced with the requisition, 
a measure which made no little noise, 
and was succeeded by the conscription, 
which has produced far more powerful 
effects. . This. originated under the 
short-lived and ill-fated directorial go- 
‘ernment; the author was Carnot, him- 
selfa director, and who, although now 
languishing in obsurity, has contributed 
not a little by his plans, to the present 
acerandisement of Ins country. By 
this institution, which seems fitted for 
convulsive struggles alone, and can only 
be employed on ‘the part of a military 
nation, every Frenchman becomes a 
soldier, during that portion of his life 
when his services cau be rendered most 
cfectual. 
If the country, in case of any great 
emergency, is declared by proclama- 
tion “ to be in danger,” all the male in- 
habitants are to be summoned to its de- 
fence. On other occasions of less im- 
portance, the wants of the army are 
also supplied by the conscription, the 
number bemg decreed by the legislature, 
and the contingents for each depart- 
ment are specilically fixed, as the 
guantum of population regulates the 
levy. i ; 
The particular mode by which the 
whole is effected, here follows. The 
executive government, or,in other words, 
the emperor, who is supposed to be 
best acquainted ‘with what is requisite 
for the campaign, specifies the number 
supposed to be required, and of course 
takes care that it shall exceed what is 
really demanded by the nature of the 
service. Having announced the gquan- 
tum, by means of one of his ministers, 
to the phantom of a senate, assembled 
for that purpose, the request, or rather 
injunction, is immediately complied 
‘ We 
Retrosp ect 0 fe French Literature—Miscellaneous. 
7 
with. The precise number of male in 
habitants being known, the quota of 
each department is regulated im the 
same manner as in our Own counties, 
and levied by orders of the prefect in 
the districts, and of the sub-pretect, in 
the cantons and municipalities. To 
this levy is liable every Frenchmen be- 
tween the ages of twenty and twenty- 
five; these are divided yearly into- five 
different classes, and as the registers of 
birth are scrupulously examined, an ac- 
curate calculation is forwarded to the 
minister of war, within the space of 
eivht days. Bo 
The persons thus drawn are then as- 
sembled in their respective cantonal 
the presence of a body of gendarmerie, 
who enforce obedience with their swords. 
On this occasion every one who has any - 
pretext for exemption has an oppor- 
tunity to offer it: if infirmity be pleaded, 
an actual inspection on the part of the 
attending physicians takes place, and 
no delay is permitted, every thing being 
done speedily, and ina miltary manner. 
All absentees are considered and treaty 
ed as déserters. The number compe- 
tent to serve being then ascertained, the 
ballot commences, the tickets are drawn, 
and the names of those chosen for actual 
service, as well as of thelevies for the re- 
serve, or tosupply the placesof the former, 
in case of death, or iliness, are declared; 
the latter are immediately to be armed 
and disciplined within their own par- 
ticular districts, exactly in the same 
manner as our local militia. 
‘The dwectory, doubtless at the insti- . 
gation of Carnot, was inexorable in re- 
spect to substitutes, but the emperor, 
with a view of increasing his influence, 
is less scrupulous in certain instances on 
this subject. Thus, a considerable num- 
ber of exemptions are permitted, under 
the pretext of personal incapacity, or of- 
ficial service ; in every case, however, a 
substitute must be provided, and on the 
occurrence of death or desertion, he,is to 
be replaced at any period within two 
years. But in respect to those selected 
and approved of, the utmost strictness is 
used. ‘They are marched in bodies, who 
are never to exceed the number of one 
hundred, and these are strictly guarded 
by the gens d’armes, a class of men arm- 
ed like soldiers, and at the same time 
provided with a species of authority, 
somewhat resembling our constables.— 
After being marched to their respective 
stations, they are there supplied with 
arms and clothing. As they are still 
imbued 
