Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/854

* BECOGNIZANCE. 754 BECONSTBUCTION. signed by the person binding himself, as the siniple fact of his assent being made a part of the record by order of the court is considered suf- ficient. Recognizances are commonly given by prisoners accused of trivial crimes to secure their tem- i)orary release, or even permanent release on ])robation, and, as the name indicates, they contain or imply a recognition or acknowledgment of the ottense. The most frequent conditions are that the 'recognitor' keep the peace, or appear at some adjourned hearing of his ease. In such a case the prisoner is said to be discharged 'on his own recognizance.' Recognizances differ from bail bonds in that the latter are usually required to be executed by sureties who can qualify as owning real es- tate of a certain value. A further distinction is that a recognizance is usually considered as a sort of conditional judgment, and on the default of the recognitor a scire facias, or order to show cause, issues to him, requiring him to show good reason why execution should not issue against him inuiiediately for the amount named in the recognizance. In many of the United States bail bonds liave entirely superseded recognizances. See B.il; Bond. BECOIL' (from OF., Fr. reculer, from ML. recuUire, to go backward, from Lat. re-, back again, anew + cuius, posterior; connected with Ir. cul, back). The force of the high pressure suddenly produced by the explosion of a charge of powder acts with equal intensity in all direc- tions. Hence its tendency to set in motion, not only the projectile, but also the gun — just as a spring compressed between two bodies would tend to set both moving in opposite directions. The retrograde movement of the gun, after the ex- plosion of the powder, is known as its recoil, which in the early days of artillery development was responsihle for many serious accidents. De- vices for utilizing the recoil have now reached so high a degree of perfection that the total time consumed in the recoil and return to firing posi- tion — or to battery — is for heavy guns but a frac- tion of a second. See Okdnaxce. REC'OLLET (OF. recollet, Fr. recoUet, from Lat. iccollrcfus, p.p. of recoUitjere, to recollect, from re-, again -+- com-, together -j- legere, to gather). A name given to the members of cer- tain reformed bodies of monastic Orders, whether of men or women, in t!ie Roman Catholic Church. Among Orders of men, an offshoot of the Augus- tiniah hermits, wdiich, under Louis de Montaya, in 15.30, obtained considerable popularity in Spain, was called by this name, and the Order still exists at Medina-Sidonia. Leon, and Pam- plona ; but outside of Spain this Order is better known under the title of the Reformed Francis- cans, who were established in France imder Henry IV. and Louis XIV., and spread thence into Belgium, their houses in these countries and Germany becoming so numerous that they reck- oned no less tlian ten provinces. A reform of the Cistercian Order of nuns in Spain was called by the same name. RECONNAISSANCE (Fr.. recognition). The acquiring of information as to the strength and disposition of the enemy, features of ter- rain, etc. The great prerequisite of successful strategy is the possession of accurate infonna- tion regarding the number, character, and ef- fectiveness of the enemy, togetlier with a coni- jdete knowledge of his position, disposition, and of the intervening terrain. The method of secur- ing this information is (I) by scouts; (2) by reconnoitring patrols; (3) by special recon- naissance; (4) by reconnaissance in force; and (o) by topographical reconnaissance. Efficient scouting is more a necessity under modern con- ditions than ever before, smokeless powder and magazine rifles combined rendering it almost an impossibility for the ordinary cavalry patrol, and occasionally for even the infantry patrol, to se- cure information. The invisibility of the ritleman, and the dilKculty of determining whether the firing is from a strong force firing individually or a small force using their magazines, make the employment of cavalry in a special recon- naissance, which is usually designed to develop the enemy w-ithout risking a general engagement, an extremely hazardous imdertaking. In a dif- ficult or broken country they come within the death zone before becoming aware of the presence or vicinity of an enemy. L'nder favorable condi- tions, or against an inferior foe, the special reconnaissance is a very effective operation. A reconnaissance in force is almost invariably the precursor of a general engagement, all three branches of the service taking part in it. It is an operation designed to develop the enemy, compel- ling him to disclose his disposition for defense or counter-attack, and if possible to betray any weakness there may be in his plans. On the devel- opment of the reconnaissance will largely depend the nature and character of the attack, as well as the point and general direction of its delivery. A topographical reconnaissance is carried out by specially selected officers, with or without es- corts, who map out the country over which an advance or attack may be maile, having special reference to the immediate plans of the command- ing general. For more detailed information re- garding this branch, see Enuixeerixg, Militaky. RECONSTRUCTION (from Lat. re-, back again, anew -|- com-, together + strucre, to heap). In American history, the process by which, after the Civil War, the seceded States were restored to their normal relations with the Union. The only provision of the Constitution that seemed to have any bearing on the matter w-as that which makes it the duty of the United States to guarantee to every State in the Union a republican form of government. Even this was not explicit, for it was not i?tated which Ijranch of the Government — whether the Executive or Congress — was charged with the execution of the constitutional mandate. Among the views as to the status of the States at the close of the war several deserve a brief explanation: First, there was the Southern view, Ijased on the as- sumption that the acts of secession were invalid and of no effect. Its cardinal doctrine was the indestructibility of a State, either by its own act or by act of the United States Gov- ernment. ' All that was necessary, there- fore, to the reestablishment of normal re- lations with the I'nion was for the State goverinnents to cease their resistance to the Gov- ernment of the United States, and repeal all measures passed in furtherance of secession and rebellion. Second, there was the view of Presi- dent Lincoln, based on the assumption that the act of rebellion in each State was the act not of