NATIONAL DEFENCE.
December 1852.
We have made a step, it would seem, in worldly wisdom of late. The Peace Congress and its band are no longer listened to, and the country is really beginning to believe in the existence of danger from the attacks of a neighbouring power. Our worthy senators Messrs. Cobden and Bright are discovered to be untrustworthy guides in what concerns our general policy, and incompetent interpreters of the events passing in foreign lands. Com- mercial affairs they may beequal to disemising, but the direction of our re- lations with Continental states must be confided to men of a wider range of knowledge and experience. The opinion of persons most qualified to form judgments of coming events confirms the view entertained by the Speetator for some time past respecting the necessity for making effective preparation against invasion. The dispo- sition of the actual ruler of France is more likely to lead to an attack upon England than to court her alliance. His ambition is selfish and presump- tuous enough to tempt him to imitate his uncle, even to the scheme of in- vading us ; whilst the prospeet-of avenging the .disgrace of Waterloo would never fail of its attraction, if plausibly held out, to our susceptible neigh- bours. Now, theonly possible mode of meeting this formidable contingency is to be prepared for it ; and this we do not appear in the way to become. Certain additions to our Marines, to our Regiment of Artillery, and to our Navy, are, it is true, contemplated; and, as far as they go, such measures must be allowed to be wise and judicious ; but in order to. assume a posture of defence, nothing is so effectual as a general tuning of the inhabitants, more especially of those counties forming the coast girdle• of England. I am old enough to recall the preparations which were made in the early part of this century ; and it is not pntto compare the tome of sentiment which now prevails with that which .animated all classes in 1808 and following years. It was not then the fashion to rely wholly on paid defenders for the security of our hearths and homes. Every man, no matter of what grade or age, who was capable of bearing arms, cheerfully enrolled his name in some
corps," and submitted, first to the tedious lessons ef the drill-sergeant, and to the fatiguing work of field evolutions afterwards. I think with respect and admiration of the gentlemen and farmers—the husbandry labourers and tmdesfolk—of my neighbourhood, when I look back to the long series of Sunday military exercise in which the ***** Volunteers-habitually engaged, winter and summer, during the yens I allude to. Every servant,
turned out in his uniform after church ; the female 'servants always supplied their place in the domestic duties on those occasions. The meetings were often four or five miles distant ; for in rural districts a hundred and fifty men were notto be collected within a small circumference ; and remember that •my brother, then a young Oxford student, used to feel the weight of his clumsy firelock Cad accoutrements somewhat sorely after walking his eight miles under it, in addition to his two hours' maneuvering and marching. Ladies] and children often attended the Sunday drills, looking on ap- joevingly. Well, the effect of the universal training of the local population our fishermen were as regularly drilled -as the other men on Sundays, but in use of the pike only) was to deter Napoleon from attempting to land upon our shores. Of course the military and naval armaments of that period were the main reliance, as in fact they always must and will be ; sfill, the knowledge of the existence of bodies of men tolerably familiar with the use of fire-arms and accustomed to obey the word of command, diffused over every square mile of seaboard, is the surest safeguard we can possess against hostile designs. And I much doubt whether any amount of professional troops, quartered about in barracks,- and unsupported by:the halfArained but well-conditioned volunteer soldier, whose all is at stake inthe struggle, will suffice to cover our coasts, now that it is ascertained how numerous a body
i of men can be embarked in one ship. It is credibly affirmed, that the num- ber put on board the Napoleon last month at Toulon was five thousand. Judge, then, if it would not be-possible to throw double that force upon the coast some night in one place, and another corps upon a not distant-spot, an as to support each other, and inflict a terrible injury to England before she could furnish forth the power to expel the enemy.
Our Government has thought -fit to damp the ardour of private rifle 8280- oiations, which, on the fast impulse of good citizenship, we saw rising up. This was foolish,. and even reprehensible. Every encouragement ought to be held out to private companies to acquire the skilful use of no matter what weapons : it would be useful in more ways than one to the men of this generation, who are too much given to purchase exemption from bodily la• hour and personal sacrifices, by devolving all trouble and service upon the class beneath them. It is now considered " a bore " to perform any sort-of` office or to take any sort of trouble for yourself which you can get done by another :for money; and thus even the sacred duty of defending our r04- tree, our women, and our infant children, comes to be regarded as one which we are justified in committing to hirelings, " whose own the sheep are not." I do not heed the talk of Louis Napoleon's friends, who affect to take um- brage at our preparations for defence, as an imputation against the sincerity of his protestations of amicable dispositions. Remember the fable. The tiger observed, one day, in his rambles, his friend the boar whetting his tusks against a hard stump. " What is the use of your sharpening them ? " quoth the tiger; " I bear you no ill-will, and have no thoughts of quarrel- ling with you.' "Very likely," answered the boar ; " but if it should come to that, there would not be time forme to do it." Whatever may be thought of the purposes entertained by Louis,Napoleon there can be but one opinion as to the skill and forecast with which he plane their-accomplishment ; and it is more than probable that he will maintain the semblance of cordial friendly, feeling towards England as part of a scheme for .laying us to sleep, whilst his own preparations are going forward for a vigorous aggressive movement. His reduction of the army is purely nominal ; meanwhile, the activity displayed is his seaports leaves-no room to doubt that he is resolved to try his hand at war at no very distant period. I earnestly hope, therefore, that my countrymen rmay recognize the urgent expediency of organizing the entire male population in a military form, so as to offer the most ubiquitous front to the invader, should he be minded to attempt a descent. The spirit and courage of English gentlemen are incon- testible; but they are decidedly less apparent since the march of civilization, by supplying mechanical contrivances to supersede the use of bone, muscle, and lungs, has somewhat enervated a generation which has been nurtured in profound peace. In times of danger, at any rate, men must needs con- sent to be " bored," on pain of worse consequences, and must shoulder their own piece, if they would hereafter smoke cigars, lounge in clubs, and read " Boz "—the favourite time-killers of a modern gentleman of twenty.
BRISTLE.
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