MR BATHGATE AND THE VOLUNTEERS.

Evening Star, Issue 3265, 7 August 1873, Page 3

MR BATHGATE AND THE VOLUNTEERS.

To the Editor. Sir, —That man is an imitative animal, has been amply verified within the last few weeks. Ever since that memorable day, when the honorable John Bathgate denounced the volunteers as useless, because “ they were mere shooting clubs,” have we not heard the accusation repeated again and again from all quarters, and in the identical words which tbe honorable gen'leman used? I feel sure the next individual who feels called upon to take up his parable against the volunteers, would confer a very great favor on a large portion of the community it he would vary the words a little, even although the ideas were the same 1 would not be too hard on anyone, but the next after dinner orator, or anybody else, who fancies ho has a mission to make crooked things straight, might say that they, viz., the volunteers, were utterly useless, because “they went in largely for rifle practice.’ Such a sentence as that would show to his admiring audience that he was no servile imitator of any one, and that he had such a command of language as rendered him independent of the phrases of another. Another peculiarity of the individuals who follow the lead of tbe Hou. Mr Bathgate in thb matter, is that they, like their leader, have not favored us with any reasons why “ shooting clubs” should be a term of reproach. Perhaps they think that, because Mr Bathgate has said so, that should satisfy any reasonable being ; or, it may be, that as the honorable gentleman has nob given any, therefore there is none. I wish somebody would enlighten ue on the matter, for I acknowledge myself utterly unable to understand why the various Governments of the World should consider it a matier of life and death importance that they should possess the best, or what they consider the best, rifle made, and yet, that it should be a reproach for the men armed with it to try ami make thi-msslvcs thoroughly acquainted with ts capabilities. In saying this, Ido not admit that we have any nerd of volunteers at all, but that question is not the subject of this letter.

't here is one thing that T feel rather sorry about, and it is this : that to all appearance die Government have abandoned the idea <4 bringing in a new Volunteer ■ct this session, as Mr bathgate led us to understand they were. I feel sure that, with the valuable assistance of Major Bathgate, amply endowed as he is by nature with the qualities which make the soldier, having “an eye like Mars to threaten and command,” as anyone knows who ever saw him on his charger at the head of his battalion, and backed with his great experience of volunteer matters, gained by the most assiduous attention to his duties as a major of volunteers, they would have produced a Bill which would have enabled us to boast of a body of men under whose protection we could have rested in the most complete security. Perhaps we may get it yet.—Yours, &c. t August 5.