THE EARL OF ELLESMERE ON OUT NATIONAL DEFENCES.

Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 6, 30 May 1848, Page 2

THE EARL OF ELLESMERE ON OUT NATIONAL DEFENCES.

"Awake, aise, or be for ever fallen!" Sir,—As the subject of this letter stands for UNKNOWN discussion in both houses of Parliament, the propriety of this intrusion into your columns, on the part of one üboba-. dcji-it. a *oiee in the Legislature, may f.tirly be questioned. I trust uiy justilu-a'ion may Ik- loun.J in the circumstance that tin- state of wy health aH"v. n e no project o$ tbe t!c/m !u txecctse ci the piivdi. I pos^c?*. It is umv raih'r too htc to consukr i.tic'hn a tlemm who n>&um< f> the imtnl of a " 1'" lor 1115 si^nr.ture h is been rned by a wise diseritim m comtnuuieiitiiiy !m apj rdn-OMous id im.t.ion, and tlie ground" ot thos-* fjvr. heubjonti to the ['••.bile. ! i\mft'-b mj•>(_!! t> be Oi'.e » ' «i, h.i\iuj 10 1 -;; uucitutnd 'ippie ben ions. an.l l aving been t qu iliy %-sih " 1'" oi the liet> on which he \m uiio liicia. have hitherto, from ic isona nhteb scrard loirc h ipi.. ii.*, .ir ni. ' Ironi jiuhh-h'n * theru the v7urul ,a iirj, » !•.,. _ t.d lKY7e\« r, abst um.d tioin • tatm ; them in pi uU r 0 and I do uuff see !or e- i, <i n tujij o • I c.m to an ai'j'oul v/i'ith, di cully <u uut« iiaa been ma.'c iu the Cdtumyn ;a;d j-.it*ot til's toiirtry. V» luitewr if .7 be the rcci.il or these uisci:>ion-, 01 vvhatevci* tin. t ;fc au«t Linunc. of ti> 13 tiiOinsnab i Li'pnc, »it me 'usti.n .;i» "ill havo torccoidand cspi i 1 the t.ut i t.u <or u ci v/tiu a 1: io vitl'icnh 10 it\ t.-.: i-iecicc t' e ui-'t-nc. »*i 'cll-pie • scrvatto:i in- been i'» :.'id bti. t'ti. ion in thi. counv. It u thLiec't, i \ p .CiL-e hunt «.•; a 1 i V.hich L"i>>\ 1 Jl-i given tu .oim-j i.isa lui* in-, szu'd.uie.—lo thccowtrd t>bhe, i| K s !iom and to ihc br.i-o . n.l :u uriii tue, . * t-.lv 1 tu rcx\: it. Soil' ir ) da 0 it iVm thnht'ii the impost of a Tii-u.ii t utw.i>jmu bcteiiM'; r.-s-aiancj tnul i'i.- Ir&h t lian.-tl tin h be cro«std v.nh equal i-m' v. it a 5 -pc. i a.-d ie.tsi::ts- b. suuthm,y(v.w, Vtl.jt *Su .1. t,* m the U..'i_oni rt'ii.' cof a i.... II 'in. for miir.aiy and n.ual m n. £ iea-.t t" luj!- f.» - id to ihc iuri'iir i.< .v- I*; tL«. -> souuplovci' Wh- n, b v« \\. 1, inr li« Mnjtfc;-.! nude 1 ■. 1. ml ai Ikjruut, and >i< (;, N >|>ur «i.I jc.os, j... -i eif.-teita ly-.. nt.i: ui tl., f ivo at hi 0 s ; j-' m the ttc Ii *'• tiu* hjsts of L. \ |'L, [ tiimi, i'ij r-1 _ 1 wf jadm A h"iii.i.u&i h.tJ v.iiinu -.if n>, iuia I• ; hoar Ut ili.-, ilie proles- d 1 njuii-i- huej u; -«v.. 1 thtftr oil hi'jit ot preiiin; tv>r .CuU.-m u Wit' J.* a K-\7 «Uija ol tae 11 iiit' I Mil rt U.n , k' * tyuiiju ta till - e I.:i ■v, i ; ,i'M,.,k.3 >0 .. ; \n' i.\< CanbUiU.-ncv. ha* neM otu to.th-m tlu old cd ii.. !.. neje I deiuaio'i ot tbe le i»i iility u« iu.ji.it j l-ii ij • i> A \ : tiuua ii* t..e L\p. oi tbeaiun, ii.ivv, anaun!n.»u«..' i'ae mere lac: t.nt -nch a topic can b„> ro hamili d by a popular orator ue oie au u t 'pl uiiiiii i<, a; oik e demonstrates the pievalence atul 1 aen-xiv e! i!>e torfiur with »hieh a loa,; peae. &11J t 1 i»i e and conspicnou- d- ha\e ucaii.uLied t',. iae ilties of this ua'un. i\»r the id in thu: ,i;c: the 0." liij • tlioutj to f-uea da ».c.u ion-, I mtui i>a» in ii.s character ot j olitual a rc [ <.t l.nu.il.d o*i nccordaiue v;ith hii vtev. a- ceil on the acNmn, - ied :td ability vrhi h he >o tlu'i: tuH.uej*. \\'nl hi.a I lowk torwjrd mti li »; c iiil t.'iK.m,-u e to th_cveutn.d uix- ut rli.-t uid •unSi;.i-lk\i-lioii n our comuiuictal k i..tMn s \ k ii>i ii ];j eiufe ivi r-. u t > >tippo e ttiat tliCs*-' 1 c >nKi, w'lalcver tin. ir evi ntn bearmc-lat j/Cj n ii i.',t'.- t [ .t Vvlica f.t ami d, they v. lil cr: 1! eate ev .1 j« ( .i|«.ii-iu t -- ohiitt'f.ae recidlcciiou-ot leaner n.»iiun.»i .stii'e e\i ry tan >c id l r i h die.-.v ti&ion 1 it « s v - i .ii"i, Ot MK'e.'Slid plOj "g .toi sOt at. iU J, lll.il ii.c> ..l ... t to til.* o J>i iitJ 3 of il. ir tiui. ;..i. Nt; ii.i pet\v'iTiii' p.Oienaty has iu»i ko M,. •. , iki, übile iic 11) p 'l' 1T) " 'f lii.a o<■ . ■ P"S > to >!e v lid 110." the t ,uun o ; U idei ut t!i. lute lutMt. ut :he p.»' t ■ • Ji. oi a ie.>itaciitait\L 01 r.ieie arc two mud. - »'t" refucvtun m u W n ! u wuii h Mr. 'Jobdtu, and the ot-ciplo wl, u cluvr t.» ttn nho tbo doctrine h«* has utte-cd, mi\ v<\eiu;iivoar to soothe the .ipprJn «r c--nfnt • t'r preuicti of Caisitidras hkc They m a y 1, that thv niteinpt ..t an m%a»ion u. ih>c 1 d md, iii.tr absjliitfly ioDjrj->it»lu, ut ten; mipi. b.J»L to be a.iunlU'd into calculitiun ; o«, -.cei-miiih-u .t aticmi-teJ, thi couiitt) if ~s all cad) tne >1 t,., u 1,-ijtu.tcat d tha-ti-c _u. ii t ant iuehr- Lm d j tpj cii 3lu tli.it ''di*i - Mr. opi" 'in en tWnnt! ml :nlitiry in tlai-s c>antt\, !k:h; i'nrt'i '■ 1. jj, * ■■ . f . rt. ■!.] iiit fi'i v" I.J 1* - d 1 i 11,,.1 . Va i " • 01.1t; 1 :l '.' lan i- * -ij. 1 »ri- » .' . 1 I ' t•. » I j" ' .•; t'.' 1

arsenals, our lives, our property, our wives, our children, which I, for one, bclievo a few hours might, in our present s'ate of military preparation, place at the mercy of an unscrupulous aud resentful enemy. Ido not believe that it would be impossible in our present state of preparation, for a French minister of war, favoured by circmstances, to land on British ground a force sufficient iu numbers, discipline, and equipment, to march in any direction aloDg the turnpike roads of F That direction midit depend on the place of landing it might he Portsmoth, it mi-ht be Cbathim, it might hj:. the capital. In each, iu any ease, with our present iiicaos of defence, I believe resistance would be hopeless, and an attempt at armed opposition only productive of useless bloodshed. To oppose in the field such a handfui of regular <roopsas we could mutter, scarcely provided wiili artillery, and totally destitute of a reserve, to a French ormv* 6uch as under my supposition would be brought against then, would be an act of useless desperation. If the French were to appear at one end of London, the wisest movement the Guards could makct would be, to move out at the other. For the rest three howitzers would be sufficient, aud the Lord Mayor would goon be busy with the details of bil'cts and whatever contribution might be accepted, as a commutation for indiscriminate plunder. Let them come, I often hear it said; they will never return. Don't lot them come, I say; but if they do, let them return as soon as they can be induced to do so. I really do uot see why they should particularly wish it. In the present slate of this country 50,000 frenchmen would find Eneland as sate and pleasant a domicile as any tn whHi the soldiers of Napoleon ever luxuriated ; but if not, the country which sent them here would consider the mere insult to perfidious Albion cheaply purchased by their ultimate sacrifice. It is necessary to look at facts ar, they are, not as »hcy ought to bo, or as wo could v. Lsh ttf make them Thirty-years of peace, of close and pacific, if not cordial, intercourse, ought, I admit, to hove obliierated the recollection of former quarrels, and staunched the old sources of bitterness and ilh ill. In England much of this effect has been produced. There is neither contempt nor hatred here for France or Frenchmen. In Franco I know not which feeling predominates towards England. Both arc rife enough, ia England, if she were to be involved in a quarrel with France, which Lord Palmeraton could not justify ou the strongest and most palpable grounds of stringent necessity, a unanimous vote of the House of Commons would deliver him over to be torn to pieces and devoured by JV'r Urquhart. Let M. Guizot kll the Chamber of Deputies, 14 1 have insulted England in a manner iu which no nation can be expected to put up v.itli," and a war supply would be voted by acclamation, and the conservative minister would be cairied home to his hotel on the shoulders of the people. This is very unfortunate, but it is neither unaccountable nor unnatural. In the first place, there is the old standing grievance of the Jong aud bloody game which was plajed between the two countries, and which was won b> England—fairly won, as we thiuk, by pluck and perseverance—won, as Frenchmen conceive, by a combination of accidents which can never again recur. The .ispirution to balance this accouut will not become ex.tii.et with the generation which has seen the English .-uampincut tu the Boisde Boulogue. These burning memories of the past are bequeathed from father to sor. \ t not confined to the partisans of any political creed, j it to any class of the community. Rich and poor, I C.uhst and l'hiHppiste, alike entertain it—none more j t'l.ut those who in their own persons, or those of their kindred, shared the protection and the hospitality of .vigLuid duriug the emigration, and who, Waterloo apait, ha\e, in some instances at least, a kindly recoiLcaonol circumstance. " Une bonne tictoirc," ~iiil one of these, "ct nous scrons les meilleurs amis ibt vuouue." Is the intercourse with travelling and miEngland calculated to remove or mitigate these uuioitunatu tidings? For reasons too many now to - •■H'Uierate, c-i.l too many of which it is not pleasant »or an Et»glNi!":au to admit, still less to detail, 1 can only answer meh a question in the negative. On these grounds and many others, sir, I am not of . pinion tint the mass of the French nation (I do not -peak, i Imc not spol.cn, of its sovereign, 4i■ its philosophers—pejee to and with all such} would Lc loth to take the lint opportunity to strike a blow, the deadlier the better, at the vitals ot England. That Ihe present condition ol our defences presents a direct .ind pu hive imitation to such an attempt, rest, upon l.etter evidence than I now think proper to quote. As things now M:md, the adventure maybe hazardous; but »t i.ould nut he deemed mad, scarcely rash, when the .'1,,-et to he attained is measured against the risk oi .M.lure. It is in our power to render it both. The dormant power of England is such as no country ♦ '.v r \et pojs-cs'cd. Give her time to collect the inert wiiiunts of strength and resistance she possesses, and the world, I, v.ho now tremble for the fi tue, i.uuid have no Icar for the result; but the French, as .usailants, are not famous lor giving their cueinies time to reflect. My fear is for surprise, and surprise done; Imt lor surh an operation the French are as well fitted iiy natural aptitude as, I believe, they are weU provided with the means to effect it. We have ceased to co an islam!; uc have approximated iu the opii.ion cf „[l observing and reflecting men, to the condition of a v.inlinental state. We cannot afford, any more than i other member of the European family, to invite | t! it which our position forbids us to yro- I %ehe. A wise economy would deter us from incurring the i.s.k ol having to do in hot hajte, impeifectly, and »i euorniuus c\j-cn,c, that w.pc'i should be done at 'etrsuie and with reflection. What is that something -.lnch ought to be doue ? I have 110 halation, bold .* it may seem, ia enuring that question. First and io.omost, add a sUilcient increase to that bony of t winch you now call the regular army in thes3 * i.ljnds. Tlie necessary amount is a matter of detail ior the government to propose and the country to dtsoass. It should be sutiicient to enable you, by the assis'ance ot railroads, to direct upou any points of the cast menaced or invaded, disciplined forces of all amis in «'ich proportion to each other as military experience and science pronounce to be best suited f.r co-operation. I say emphatically, regular troops. I earnestly advocate this increase ot the army on <.verj ground ol efficiency, of aJaputijti w iij pwpjse, and even ol iconomy. Compare that strange and unomaloua production, the Brhiah soldier, with bis counterpart hi .my utber service. In a uaaiicul point ol wow he .-.ill appear a coiumidily. Loot at the lm periorms and the manner in which ho performs it, and he will be fouud the cheapest article of his class. It is supposed to be the intention of her Majesty's government t Q re-establish, uodcr such altered regulation as u-uy appear desirable, that old nnliti.i foice whu h ontii'ntted sj much U our military re.ource- dunn; the Jtt. war. I Wsh it erery success, hut I shdll look on this measure with gra\e •i\»n if it 1* to lie ad»ni'c us asiy .rt\.d.incum for my OW.I : usttuo In r a -.cd x-.xl, or brfuiid troops not only the I'-il.ts', hut the :ttU more irrVgu. lir of torn.—>e:« lunry and vjluntcers ol ai» Jescriptioos—may *.or.:r.hut«e uUau.t'l/ to the t'jniuioii dekuec. Adc ..fd u:i£u, port t d h> that leaven rl o'<l --ihlttr- wh »»e quaiiue» were so well d.-. acribul by tl,e UuKe «>• Wtl mgton in the Lords' Ucb ite of la t year, th y evuild tneounier a di-ciplnied Ft.nt j aiuy to uiei; lueuja'olt dcs'.roctiou, The

annah of war present no instance in which courage and pattiotwra, without thorough training, and unas- i sistcd by those accidents of s rour>ll 0T B rP iwccs of fortification which do not exist in England, have pre- | ficnted any serious obstacle to regular troops. The [ case of the Tyrol affords for obvious reasons* no exeep- \ tioft to this rule. I mention it, however, because the j true cause of the failure of that gallant rtsistnncc of a nation of riflemen is in one solitary respect germane to my subject. Those who take the trouble to investigate closely the history of that transaction will find (hat the immediate cause of the ultimate failure of that resistance was the want of a few squadrous of rcgul ir cayalry, and a few batteries of regular artillery. Let the ordnance look to this ; let that department look to the recent affairs in Switzerland. In that country there were all the elements of a long and murderous struggle. On the one band, there were indeed numberst but on other there were positions strong by nature und improved by art, great csaeration, political and religious fanaticism, and familiarity with the u r e Oi arms. The contest was decided, and decided quickl.., by the superior force, and weight of metal of the Federal artillery. ! We are neither Swiss nor Tyrolese. We are by our habits the least warlike nation on the face of the earth. Increase, then, 1 repeat, your regular army to that amount which will make an enemy pause before he attempts to set foot ou the beach of England. Reorganise your militia on the bc3t aid least onerous syßtem you can devise* Encourage the yeomanry cavalry. Fortify your arsenals, and such harbours as an enemy may most probably attempt by surprise to occupy. But remember that parapets without men behind them, and guns without hands to work them, arc worse than useless. I You will find that a'l this may be done for an exI pease scarcely equal to that which you have annually lavished, not in the prevention, but in the aggravation, of the borrcrs of the slave trade Do this, and you ; will have some security for the continuance of peace, ; uupurcbasi-il by »he sacrifice of national honour or interests, but which, otherwise, even such sacrifice may ; fail to secure. EGcr-roN ELLEsaiEac.