Paul and Victor Margueritte: The masses voted for peace but were given war
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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
French writers on war and peace
Paul and Victor Margueritte: Selections on war
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Paul and Victor Margueritte
The Disaster
Translated by Frederic Lees
He heaped scorn upon the shameful mockery of a Parliament; it was simply duping the people. The mass of the nation did not want war. For example, this famous garde-mobile could not be constituted. The deputies had only secured their election by promising to vote for peace.
The plebiscite was a fraud. He rose brusquely, and took from a drawer a picture which was being scattered broadcast by the million. At the head of one column was the word ‘No,’ underneath a pictorial representation of pillage – the burning of cottages and harvests; at the top of another, the word ‘Yes,’ with a pleasing picture of peace – barns overflowing with plenty, and cellars full of wine. The peasant had voted ‘Yes,’ for peace, and they had given him war.
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War might be the means of raising souls above themselves, but it also let loose the fierce animal natures of brutes.
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An officer had just put a bullet in his head.
“Such misfortunes must happily be rare,” said Mme. Bersheim, moved to pity.
Boisjol, again helping himself to asparagus, replied:
“It is true that the officer has a higher conception of duty than the common soldier, but suicides among the rank and file are common. More than one blow out their brains when a comrade, worn out by fatigue, marching continually under the sun, sets them the example. Examples came under my notice in Africa.”
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“Yes; there is something great about war. War is a terrible angel. There is not a man of us at the present time who is not ready to do his duty….But when one thinks of those who meet with their death, and the grief of those who loved them with their whole heart and soul, is it not enough to accept this curse as a necessary evil without hoping for it?”
For peace, against war: literary selections 