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Leader (1850-1860), 24th January 1852, Edition Town of 2, Page 84, Untitled Article

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      offer—woidd-redeem-tho-fi ^ g-chiu « cter ^ f ^ the-** aristocracy . " But we should still better like to see a well-born regiment setting' an example of manly plainness , of stout serviceable efficiency , clothed in sober grey . The fuU equipment of a rifleman is rated at £ 15 or £ 10 ; but we believe that it can be had even for the half of that smaller sum .

      Brilliant colours are to be eschewed on every account ; even rifle green is , though theoretically favoured , not the best practically , but rather a dark iron grey , or some equally neutral tint . Such an uniform may be comely and even picturesque- ^ - indeed it ought to be both . And as a matter of ceconomy , the greater part of it , especially the trousers , might be fitted to fall in with every day

      costume . Various kinds of rifle are recommended , in preference to the Minie '; but it would be well that the corps themselves should be variously equipped , and even variously organized ; so as to afford every facility for differing means , capacity , inclination , and opportunity of calling or abode . In the United States , the Uniform Companies clothe themselves , but are furnished with arms _ by the State—a very good distribution of charge ; but ; at all events the arms should be approved by some competent public authority .

      A matter of firstrate importance is the selection of officers ; and in that , as in all other matters concerning either Rifle Clubs or Volunteer Regiments , the principal points are efficiency and ceconomy . Every corps of the kind should have a good commandant ; he should be either an officer on halfpay , a retired officer , or a man of military knowledge , used to govern , and certain ol the respect and confidence of the officers and men . For that reason , if for no other , he should be neither too old nor too young .

      The working man of the corps , however *—its life and soul , particularly during the period of its organization—would be the Adjutant . He would superintend the drill and exercise , act as Secretary of the Regiment or Club , assist the commanding officer , and keep him advised on the management of the corps ; and in such a body probably the Adjutant would take charge of the financial affairs . Having to devote his time so closely to the affairs of his corps , probably the Adjutant would be paidthe only paid officer . He would need the assistance

      of a Quartermaster Sergeant—an old soldier—in taking charge of the stores , spare arms , &c . ; who would keep and repair the regimental targets , repair arms , set the targets in the practice-ground , pitch flags an d camp colours , make up cartridges , &c . In this work the Quartermaster Sergeant would need the help of "Pioneers , " perhaps six or eight in number ; but varying , of course , with the size of the corps . A Drill Sergeant , with his corporal and

      assistants , might be procured among the Pensioners ; they should be thoroughly effective , and , therefore , they should be sober men . In a full regiment , buglers , at least one to each fifty men , would be required , with a bugle major . It would be necessary to pay all these men . But a thoroughly efficient Adjutant would know all his duties : get an efficient Adjutant , give him a good Sergeant Major and other aids , and he would make all go well .

      All well , if the men of the corps did their duty to their comrades and to themselves . They might elect the officers ; but on the ground the men themselves should render instant , cheerful , silent , and exact obedience to the word of command . Let a drum-head court martial—each man tried by his peers—enforce soldierly discipline by fines . But the best of all discipline is that strictly enforced by a consciousness of its importance , and an artistic love of doing effectually any work taken in hand .

      The " expense , " at which some pennywise folks may grumble , would be really in the nature of an investment . The first step towards financial reform , towards reducing the moat overgrown part of our military expenditure , is the process of nationalizing the Army . At the present day , with the aspect of affairs on the Continent , no enthusiast would be mad enough to propose a reduction of our available force ; but the enormous expenditure may be

      reduced by reducing the paid soldiery as the body of the nation is put into a state of military efficiency . The same calculation applies to every one of our colonies ; so that at home , and in the settlements , an immense reduction of the standing force is not only possible , but easy . We know well enough that certain droning officials , who wish to " keep down " everything , in order to continue slumbering in peace , have a fear of p lacing arms in the hands of the People ; a disarmed People , they

      think , ia _ e « sieM » -nile . _ Jtto also-easier ta _« m * quer . The factlib , that nervous apprehensionB of this sort are idle , old-womanish fancies . Where the body of the People is armed , it is not only strong against the external invader , but the internal traitor , and faction is powerless before it .. In a People among whom arms are equally diffused , education , social standing , the opportunity for acquiring superior skill , would have at least their proportionate influence ; indeed , we believe that the proportion of their influence would be enhanced .

      AU Europe is overrun by Standing Armies , which arefedby debt imd war ; America , with & national army ; is impregnable . Louis Napoleon has shown the base and revolutionary uses to which a standing army may be put ; in Carolina , Cornwallis showed how little a brave General and an efficient army could do against an armed People in its own land ; and the most superficial knowledge of America lets any one see , at a glance , that neither invasion nor faction , of the maddest mood , could hope to have a chance of conquering the republic .

      In France , with the standing army , Louis Napoleon establishes himself in an hour ; in America , with its army-nation , " Governor " Dorr , whom it would be a libel to call the Louis Napoleon of Rhode Island , was a lamentable failure . In this country we may have our quarrels and class jealousies ; but a genuine trust of the People , without distinctions of class , would find its response in a forgetfulness of past dissension and a thorough revival of that national feeling which is already breaking forth with its cheerful countenance , like the honest sun throucrh the clouds of _ ajeinteria

      day and the double-distilled grossness of our city smoke . Let us trust our countrymen , and they will not fail to join in the common loyalty to their land .

      Untitled Article

      LANDING OF THE TRENCH . Wk were electrified this morning by a telegraphic intelligence that the French landed at Dover the day before yesterday , and will probably be in possession of London before London is in possession of this news . The visitation turns out to be the result of a longrconcerted plan . The visits of the National Guard were not altogether convivial ; M . Salandrouze de Lamornaix , M . Soyer , are Frenchmen—the latter having kept possession of Gorehouse , so dear to the memories of the Prince President .

      We understand that , with his usual decision of character , Lord John Russell instantly took command of the Channel fleet , and forthwith ordered home the fleet from the Chinese and South seas ; keeping the Channel fleet in the Tagus to watch the important trade in port wine , while the blockade of Lagos is to be strengthened , to prevent any diversion in that important region . But as to matters at home , after recording his disapproval of the conduct of his Majesty Louis Napoleon , through Lord Granville , in a spirited protest , Lord John thought it more constitutional to apply to Parliament for a new Alien Act to be enforced

      against these unwarrantable trespassers on our hospitality . Meanwhile it is said that the A Division of Police will be reinforced by the engagement of forty-seven men of excellent character ; and Lord John contemplates a letter to the city of London , in which he will suitably allude to this lamentable aggression of a foreign potentate . It is satisfactory to know that the Lord Mayor has expressed his resolute determination to support the independence of the kingdom , and to exert his influence with the President of the French Republic ; good offices , in which , forgetting all past differences , he will be joined by his predecessor , Sir John

      Muagrove . Mr . Dilke and the other Commissioners also join in the same honourable service . The foreign refugees who have previously sought refuge amongst us , and who are obnoxious to his Majesty Louis Napoleon , have had our embarrassing position laid before them ; and we understand that they would be quite willing to go away , or to be given up , rather than bring England into trouble . So that Government is energetio and fearless in its duty . Meanwhile , however , the illustrious invader has

      not suffered himself to be detained even b y these formidable preparations . The manner of his arrival ib historically accurate . He left Boulogne with his suite in a numerous flotilla of boats . On approaching Dover , like Ascanius , he altered his name ; and , instead of Louis Napoleon , called himself Julius Napoleon . As the galley ran aground , the Standard-bearer ( Herr Pischek ) jumped into the surf , bearing the eagle , which has now braved » o many times the ridicule and sneers of Prince

      place in his theatre , either on the stage or in the royal box . Learning of the determined purpose of his Majesty Julius Napoleon to come up to town as soon as his f ollowers should have recovered their health , her Majesty ' s Ministers resolved on still more energetic measures . The Special Constables were again called out , and they have answered the appeal to a man . And the old bivouac swords have been served out to the Police .

      eminent theatrical manager invited him to take any Julius Napoleon ' i detractors . Our illustrious visitors intended to march at once ; but the effects of so long a voyage obliged them to take a little repose . . ¦¦> An eminent wax chandler instantly' waited on Prince Julius Napoleon to request his portrait in wax for the Chamber pf Horrors ; two eminent daguerreotypists , an eminent tailor , and an eminent printseller , also waited on the Prince ; and an eminent ; theatrical manager invited him to take anv

      A curious incident occurred at the landing . A company of the garrison at Arch Cliff Fort had been drawn up to oppose the invader , and actually fired pointblank into the faces of our neighbours ; which caused a good deal of amusement among that gay and witty throng . It is said that the cartridges nad been made by contract ; but that the contract will be more carefully observed next year . — One person suggested that it would be a very effective measure to offer our visitors some of the "preserved" meats from Gosport ; and objections against the shocking barbarity of such a desire

      were nearly overruled by a member of the Peace Societyy ^ o ^ fejeetedHiorfi ^ proposed use of condemned stores on free trade principles ; but a gentleman said , from his knowledge of the French , that some officer would be sure to look into the stores before they were served out— -a practice recently introduced into pur own stores , with a very beneficial effect . This suggestion induced the proposers of the plan for destroying the French army to relinquish it . The stores , therefore , are still left for the benefit of the Hampshire hogs .

      As an auxiliary measure to the calling out of the Special Constables , by an official request , a deputation from the Peace Society has been sent down to Dover , to represent the inhumanity . and impolicy of war . Canterbury , January 23 . The Emperor Julius Napoleon received the Peace deputation very politely , and the members were delighted with the cordiality of his manner . He explained that he could not 4 elay his departure ;

      which seemed reasonable . He permitted Mr . Cobden to make his address ; and that gentleman proceeded , with his usually mild style , to illustrate the effect of war on finance , exports , &c . Even the Emperor was surprised at the masterly manner in which the truly English statesman continued his discourse , in spite of the difficulty of his position in speaking while he was constantly walking backwards before the horse of his Majesty , who listened with great attention , in the intervals of looking at the country . Mr . Cobden ' s embarrassment must have been much

      increased by the crowding of the general population , which accumulated in front as the soldiery advanced ; to say nothing of the cocks and hens that fluttered before the moving body and around the speaker , in great flocks . They have just entered the town in that order . Canterbury , Two o'Cloclc . They have just passed out of the town in the same order . Mr . Cobden was much applauded by the Men of Kent for the resolute spirit of his opposition to the honourable Member for France . We

      have since heard from Sittingbourne that Mr . Cobden appeared much fatigued . His motion was carried against him by a large majority . In the French organ of this day we read , among the fashionable arrivals— " At the Symposium , his Majesty the Emperor Julius Napoleon , and a- numerous suite . We understand that his Majesty is not unprepared with a constitution for England ; as the Trans-oceanic department ' of France . " We may add that the Leader , the Times , and other journals opposed to the Party of Order , ore to be

      instantly suppressed . , Prince Albert has been invited to join the Consultative Commission , and Queen Victoria has been invited to the evening parties to be held at St . James ' s during the season . Lord Lansdowne , Mr . Julian Horney , Mr . Disraeli , Lord Shaftesbury , Mr . Macaulay , Mr . Richard Oastler , the Duke of Wellington , and persons of that class , have received orders to embark immediately for Bermuda . The Special Constables are dissolved . The Emperor appeals to the English people .

      Untitled Article

      84 < Sft * &t *** t * [ SATOMWrj

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 24, 1852, page 84, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1919/page/16/