On Monday, 200 of the Seventh Fusileers, and on the
following morning 280 rnore, arrived at Wycombe on their road from Windsor to Manchester. We feel it our duty to say, that such a set of di unken, swearing, and disorderly men, never entered the town before : many were lodged in the Conapter and the Gaol for their riotous and disgraceful conduct ; and the High Constable, while in the exercise of his duty, was assaulted and severely contuserh—Backs Gazette.
It is the fashion in the House of Commons and at the Clubs, to designate the military profession as par excellence "honourable." In "general orders" from the Horse Guards, the soldiers are re- minded of the superiority of their calling. To deprive them of side-arms in the streets, would be to inflict a stigma on gentlemen of such punctilious notions. Not unfrequently, the drunken ruffians who are taken before the Magistrates for assaulting or stabbing peaceable citizens, speak contemptuously of "civilians." All this is mighty fine; but the gentlemen of the military pro- fession should be informed, that the idleness consequent on a long peace has demoralized the Army to sucha degree that the ancient prestige in their favour is fast wearing away. Besides, it is re- collected that but a few of these pot-valiant heroes ever faced a foe. It is more than twenty years since the battle of Waterloo. As the soldiers have no opportunity (thank Heaven !) of de- monstrating their fighting efficiency, they should strive to set an example of sobriety and steadiness of conduct to the mechanics whom they despise. This would be the way to acquire and keep the respect of the country. But, instead of being well-conducted, we have constant proofs, in the state of our gaols and the pro- 1 ceedings at police-offices, that, like the Fusileers at Wycombe, they are "drunken, swearing, and disorderly."
Previous page
