WATERLOO

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 254, 15 July 1918, Page 6

WATERLOO

/ Sir—ln your issue of Friday last, "Loyalist" tells us not to discount tho enemy (in that connection 1 quite agree with him), and incidentally informs us during the course of his letter that "we. are a nation of blunderers," and cites Waterloo as. a brilliant example of our muddling. With becoming solemnity he relates that "on the night befpre tho great battle, when the destinies of Europe were trembling in the balance, Wellington and his officers were doing tho 'light fantastic* at Brussels." On the contrary, Wellington and his officers were spending a very anxious time, as the rain fell.in torrents, falling back on Waterloo after tho battle of Quatre Bras, where honours -were about even, and keeping in touch with.the Prussians* whom Nnnoleon had brilliantly defeated at Ligny." No, the famous ball at Brussels eventuated on Thursday, .Tune 15, and was the eve of the battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny. Waterlpo was not fought till Jnne 18. It is a popular ci> ror. however, so we'll forgive "Loyalist." Now with regard to the remark that "had it not been for the arrival of Blucher and his Prussians nothing could have saved the British Army from entire destruction." This is so much nonsense, and the writer is speaking as a fairly teen Napoleonic student, and in support of my assertion I could quote writers galore, but tho following questions put by Sir Walter Scott to Wellington at dinner a few months after the battle should surely convinco "Loyalist" that the British could have won without the assistance of Blucher and his Prussians.

"Suppose, Your Grace, Blucher had not come up?" The Duke replied: "I could have kept my ground till morning." "Suppose Grouchy had come first? "Blucher would have been close behind him."

"But let us suppose that Your Grace hud been compelled to retreat?"—"l could have taken nosition in the Forest of Soignies, and defied all till the Allies joined." "Was there any part of the day Your Grace despaired? —"Never!" was the reply- • Then with regard to the remark that "the destinies of Europe were trembling in tho balance." This is so much sentimental flapdoodle. At Waterloo, Napoleon only oiicountered the advanced guard of tho Allied army. Row would the Emperor have fared had he delayed his attack, say, for a week? Why. there were sufficient of the. Allied forces arriving from all parts of Europe to have literally eaten every soldier in Napoleon's army. It didn't matter two straws which way the battle of Waterloo went as far as Napoleon was concerned. It was only .vquestion of a few days when the whole of his army must; have been annihilated! ■ Tho total strength of the Allied Army—the whole of concerted Europe—could be reckoned at about two millions of men. Against this enormous mass Napoleon was only able to muster three hundred thousand soldiers. So it will be seen that Bonaparte, had 116 possible chance of regaining the throno of France against such terrific odds. Napoleon was of opinion that had ho succeeded in defeating Wellington's army ho would havo fallen back on Brussels, the Belgians would have declared in his favour, and he might have obtained terms with the Allies. That was the 'most he could hope for. But the Allies would not have made terms with the Emperor under any conditions—they dreaded him too much. Tho Russian campaign settled Napoleon beyond any possible chance of recovery. Talleyrand and i'ouche, two of Napoleon's former Ministers, office-seekers, and pnst-mast-ers in tho art of political cunning and intrigue, ,11111 st have thought similarly, as they would have nothing to do with Napoleon and his desperate adventure. "Loyalist" says, "We havo a lot to learn front the Germans." I believe him. We havo a lot of crime and villainy to learn, and we are getting lessons in it daily. Wo have learned that the Germans neither respect the laws of God nor the laws of man; that they aro the enemies of civilisation, the murderers o-' innocent women and children, the violators of nuns, and the slayers of priests, les, wo have a lot to learn from (hem. md nothing, thank Heaven, in the form of justice, honour, chivalry, or integrity As Owen Seaman, in his'fine poem entitled "England," says:— Others may spurn the plcdgo of land to land, May with a brute sword stain a gallant past, But by the seal to which you set your hand, Thank God you will stand fast! —-I am, etc., •••, ,■ , , T , J. A. WALSH. Palnatqa, July 13,