THE BRITISH ARMY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 43, 19 February 1874, Page 2

THE BRITISH ARMY.

(From the 'Argua.') After the cold douche which the publication cf the "Battle of Dorking" gave to the mind of the British public, it ought to be prepared to welcome with acclamation a brochure which made it appearance about six weeks ago in Paris, and which will probably see the light about six months hence in London. It is a report upon the condition of the English army, frora the pen of a French cavalry officer, named De Mundat-Grancey, who was sent over the Channel in the month of July, 1871, by the Minister of War, to watch the autumn manoeuvres, and to examine the method and results of the system of re-organising the military resources of Great Britain, initiated, by Mr Cardwell. In pursuit of that object, M. Da Mundat-Grancey applied himself to a minute and careful investigation of the numerical strength, the physique, the morale, the government, the constitiij tion, and the material of tbe three branches of the service— the troops of the line, the military, and the volunteers. The competency of the critic is vouched for by his selection for the fulfilment of so responsible and delicate a duty; and he can scarcely be suspected of partiality to a nation which gave considerable umbrage to its old ally by maintaining a studious neutrality during the Franco-German war. Under these circumstances, therefore, we may venture to accept the testimony of this officer, as that of a capable, independent, and unbiassed judge of what be saw and learned of the British army. And that testimony is most gratifying and re-assuring as we shall now proceed to show. M. De Mundat-Grancey states the effective force of the British to be 836, 196 men, independent of the militia and the volunteers raised in the various colonies. This, he says, "is probably the most really numerous army tbat exists among those maintained by civilised nations " Although holding a commission in a military organisation, in which, as it is the fashion to say, every private carries a marshal's baton in his knapsack, our authority prefers the old English system of promotion by purchase. M. de Mundat-Grancey was especially struck by tbe union which reigns among English officers, and by the high tone of character and conduct which he observed to prevail in all grades of command. He is careful to explain to his French comrades in arms that every holder of a commission in the British army is a gentleman, and as the meaning of that word seems to be imperfectly understood in France, he is at some pains to define it. It implies, iu the first place that the bearer of the title has received an education involving the inculcation of the Bontiment of duty, of responsibility, of self-reliance, and a salutary hatred of falsehood. Thus there ia built up a character which is described as follows: —"A gentleman is one wbo inhabits a glass-house, in other words, he is a man, who, in all that is known of bis life, has nothing to disavow in the midst of a society which is in the habit of respecting, at least outwardly, all that is respectable according to the ten commandments of God." He does not intend to assert that the ten or fifteen thousand officers of the English army are entitled to canonisation, but that they set up a high standard of personal honor of courage, and any conspicuous departure from is, causes the offender to be sent to Coventry. Theoretically, the purchase and sale of commissions may appear to be highly objectionable, he says, but, practically, its advantages greatly outnumber its inconveniences, and, both financially and morally, he looks upon it as preferable to the French system. Are we a nation of shopkeepers, and has tho spirit of the English people been impaired "by the cankers of a calm world and a long peace ?" Our French cavalry captain replies to the question with an emphatic "No." He says — si Our neighbors, in my opinion, represent the race which is at once the most military and tbe most warlike under the sun. He accounts for this upon ethnological grounds, and traces the military tastes and aptitudes of the " island-mastiffs " to the national character having engrained in it " the sentiment of obedience to tbe law, and the instinct of regularity, of hierarchy, and of association," impelling us " to act together for a common object," while we have also "a liking for military parade." We aro the moßt warlike of people, because no race " professes a more absolute or decided taste for violent exercises, a more profound sense of the importance of sacrificing pleasure to health or a more lively instinct for great corporal exertion." With respect to the military strength which the nation holds in reserve, and which it could fall back upon in a great emergency, our authority shows that in 1804), when the population of England was onder 13 millions, Bhe placed about a million of men in the field (inclusive of volunteers), and that with no more/ than 60,000, she drove the French ou/ of the Peninsula. He quotes also a verjp striking remark from a report drawn lip by M. Dupin, a celebrated officer of engineers, who was sent over to En ;- land on a mission of inquiry in 1841. It was to this effect— that the laws bf the mother country possess this singula^ advantage, that while they give the Government every facility for raising an| immense army for purposes of defence, 5 they interpose numerous obstacles tof the levy of a large army to be employed! in a war of transgression. " Hence," \ said M. Dupin, «' a powerful restraint *

is imposed upon that spirit of adventure which would inspire expeditions undertaken with great effectives, and which, if followed by victory, lead to corrup- . tion and enervation; if terminating ia>^ reverse-., conduct a nation to exhaustion i and despair, ' ' In concluding this report, which was publicly read to the military circle at ] Versailles, on the 22nd and 23rd of May ] last, M. de Mundat-Grancey reminds his military comrades that the institu- '. tions of Great Britain are founded upon / principles that are eternally true and/ eternally desirable, — those, namely, of common sense; and that every timfc France bas discarded these she has mat with a terrible fall. If she has to repair i the disasters of the past, and enter on k brilliant and beneficial career in tile future, she must assimilate her system of public instruction to that of Engl lind, "We must impress upon our children," he says, " a respect for laws! human and divine. We must inspires them with that fear 'of God which is^ v the beginning of wisdom. We must 7 give them all latitude and every facility j for developing their limbs by inculcating/ a taste for manly exercise, and thus! endeavor to multiply among ourselves\ those types so prevalent among onr v neighbors, of the gentleman, the military man, and the warrior." Our / French captain of cavalry has evidently/ profited by his residence in England) to imbibe some of the national common sense, and if ha can infect his countrymen with it, it will be all the better/for their own happiness, and for the p*.nce of the world. / ——■in -in. .ii in |