SIR GARNET WOLSELEY'S TESTIMONY FOE TEMPERANCE.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3116, 12 February 1879, Page 2

SIR GARNET WOLSELEY'S TESTIMONY FOE TEMPERANCE.

The secret of: Sir Garnet Wolseley's <•-> ■ career (says the Weekly Welcome) is to be found in his " Soldier's Pocket-Book for Field Service," published in 1869. We remember how Steele published " The Christian Hero,", but, alas, wofully ; failed to act up to the standard he hid there proposed himself. Sir Garnet, on the contrary, practised what he preached. His testimony as to the ralue of selfdenial and temperance to the soldier on duty is specially valuable, and it is the.: more so, as too often it has been assumed,l that wine arid grog are essential to the > soldier when on duty—that, in fact, 1 Mara cannot; get on without • th«j aid' ofv Bacchus.' Sir ' Garnet writes:—*", The ■■-■ old superstition that grog 'is ai?^poal^' thing for men before, during, or tfter A a march, has been proved by tho scietritifle; men of all nations to be a failacy'^lid ii/\ still,only maintained by men who mistake*' I the cravings arising solely from habit for/ '' the promptings pf; nature herseliV 00?, ' armies in Kaffraria had no spirits issued to them as a rule, and no army in the field was ever more healthy, it ever any i other was as free frota siokness. Our experience in the -Indian; Mutiny also '- carries out this theory.' For months^-in some places, our men were entirely cut off ' from all liquor, arid they were healthier than when subsequently it was issued to v" them as a ration. By increasing the allowance of tea/ aril' iboliahing that of ruin, you diminish the supplies to be carried to a great extent, whilst you add to the health and efficiency of our men. Their discipline will improve as their moral tone is raised, engendering a manly .cheerfulness that spirit-drinking armies -know nothing ;pf> No men have, ]«rep ? done harder work than was i performed U by the troops employed upon, the Red Ki?er expedition. No spirits of any sort were issued to them, but they had practically as much of good tea as they could drink. ■., Illness was,, I may say, unknown amongst them. The use of rum has been so long the custom in our armies that it is now difficult to discontinue it. It can only be effected by a cheerful cooperation on the part of the officers. .Wine with the officer holds the place of ruin with the privkteV "aid although the bottle of wine may do the former no harm, be ought cheerfully to go without his luxury when he compels those - under his orders to forego theirs; the feeling that his conduct is for the good of the service should amply compensate him forj the privation." Sir Garnet's testi- smony is most valuable. . .