Star. — London, England, 1805-11-05 00:00:00

nEFENCE OF THE► COUNTRY: In giving our opinion of Britifh Volunteers in a cnlleOive and military capacity, we are well aware how difficult it is to fpeak with freedom, and yet without giving offence. There is a cant upon this fulajeft, which pervades a great part of the commu nity, from whom a wifer (train of thinking might have been expeded, and the f.me puerile (train of fatisfaelion with our fyllem of national defence,fanc tinned by that authority, is bandied about from one blockhead to another, till the general cry has drown ed all jail reafoning on the fubjeft. The tacit and fel;•delufinn is this—" Fear not invafion ; our four huhdred thoufand Volunteers, and our two hundred thoufand Regulars and Militia will annihilate any force that BONApmera may bring or fend. Speak not of fear ; our Volunteers will fight like lions ; half a million of fuch men are invincible. Where could the enemy land a hundred thoufand men at one point ? before he could have landed, our carts and waggons would have brought twice their number to overpowe r them. Befides, we are fuperior at fea; there is no danger, and there ffinuld be no fear." An Officer very high in the Briti(h army, and a Member of Parliament, had the confidence to tack an argument to this ridiculous bravado, which was, that if we only confidered how difficult it is to crofs a river in the face of an oppofing enemy, we (hall be in perfe& fecurity as to the poffilsility of our ene mies croffing a fea in the face of our defenfive arma ments. General Mace probably reafoned pretty much in this ftyle. At his leifure moments, in the bands of the rant men who ventured to crofs rivers and even baftions in fpite of his teeth, he had better dic tate a few lines of advice to all fuch Commanders as chafe to rink the trial of Inch poffibilities. A na val Commander facetioufly rallied the Houfe of Commons on the abfurdity of believing that an ent iny's flotilla could efcape our blockading fqnaeon. Gentlemen imagine (laid the fagacious feaman) that it is as eafy fcr the French gun boats to come out of port, as for Members to walk out of Ins Houle.— The Houfe laughed a good deal at this blunt and , hold, and to all appearance irrefragable reafoning but the laugh was idiotically oat of feafttn, for we have lien, by experience, that it is Much eater for gun boats to clear out of harbour, than for members to fqneeze out of a crowded room. Thete was ano. they, and a very different grain of reafoning afloat when the combined fleets had efcaped, when we knew tot whether they were defined for the Weft Indies, or ultimately for the relief of the Dutch fleet, and favouring the defeent of the Brea fleet upon Ireland, as well as the efcape of a Boulogne flotilla—fuch a jundture of affairs, had the Continent been at peace, would have realised our alarms. If the nation were not half mad, they would not ref one thought of fe corky on the protoftion of their fleets. The language which we hold on this fubjea is not that of bolddefs, it hardly merits to be dignified with the name of rafhnefs ; it is a cowardly and flothful evafion of our formidable fears ; it is the folly and fwagger of in toxication, without its attendant boldnefs. We are become a nation of traders and truckers—our intel lefts feem befotted by the love of money—we deplore the lots of time to learn the ufe of thofe er.as which are to be meafured againft BONAYARTS, to defend us from his hangmen and his butchers ; we bewail the expence of national defence ; the lofs of time which to the idolaters of money is as deplorable as the ex ertion of their enervated (hew!) to the wealthy and luxurious. Merchants have been known to difmifs clerks from their counting-houfes for confuming too much time in learning the ufe of arms; and ladies of rank have complained in the bitternefs of regret that their men-fervants cannot perform, as before, the duty of dangling at their backs, or fending behind their coaches in their forenoon vifits and airings. In fpeaking thus of a daftardly fpirii which per. wades many individuals in the upper ranks of Co ciety, we do not mean to impeach the courage and enthufiafm of a great mars of fociety who' have conftituted the Volunteers. Numbers, in deed, of thofe brave men have attended their duty faithfully ; but the good are viaims to the negligence of the bad, and to the radically abfurd fyftem which has been purfited in conduaing the Volunteers. That infane fyftem has been, on the part of its managers, not to fee that the ranks were well filled and regular ly as well as moderately drilled, but to bring toge ther (no matter how few) faithful attendants on their .I.lty, and harafs them to death one day in ten, in- NA of giving a (hurt and eafy Teflon every day, as ight to be done, without allowing one abfentee, or flighteft interruption. But how the volunteer ranks have been filled has been nobody's concern. It is left to chance. Every man truth to his neighbour—we count on half a mil- Fon in this ifland, and the dreadful truth is, we have not two hundred thoufand fit to Rand the Ihock of regular troops. In Ireland have we any fuperfluous means of defence ? Does not the very name of our fifter Mend route a fecretalarm in everymind thatcon rem plates that fore, unfhielded fide of our body politic? —The Continent is falling before our antagonia—a worfe than Attila is to be at our gates—We are dream ing of defence, and we have not half the defence we require, or a tenth part that we might eafily pof ref!. A fair trial has been given to the volunteer Wem, and we find that it mull either be altered, or abolithed, or leave nt to certain dellruelioo. It will not do in the prefent thape. It is always worthy, indeed, of a free people to retain fame de fenfive force under that appellation. The name and nature of voluntary ferrite is honourable to Britons ; let filch men as can fulfil the terms, continue to re tain the name—but why in the name of reafon arc men called volunteers and counted on for the de fence of the kingdom, who have nothing of the vo• Wafter but the name And the uniform ? Are we come to the very dotage and drivelling of political inility ? Are we ferioutly relying on men of paper for lilted foldiers—and foldiers to fight with BosAvarrs ? Do we not fee that although volunteers may well be re tained as an acceCory means of defence, folic other means mutt be ufed to bring out the whole phyfical force of the country: when the arms of BONAPARTI are difengaged to fight us alone, Overt that force will not be overabundant for the bufinefs. We fee by experience that you may as well leave the taxes to be paid by volunteering, as the country to be defended by that alone. It is more than human nature can be expeaed to perform, to yield an uninterrt:pted attention to arms, milers the duty be fo enjoined as to leave no plea for evaßon. Abolifh, therefore, the volnntarity of chafing to attend drills, or he abfent. If men chute to belong to corps, entitled Volunteers, let them do fo in ear nefi ; let them deck themfelves in what trappings they pleafe. and chute their own mode of being dif ciplined,, only let the country fee that they are difci plined fufficiently. But the main body of the people, who are ultimately to be the living wall of our de fence, mutt be drilled and organised in a difcrent manner, or the coot:airy wilt me hie for falvation. Their drills !tuft be made moderate and eafy, but regular & daily ; and their attendance molt not be left to a their own option ; it mud not be expekled from the ' poor and laborious that theyare to curdle themfebres whole days, or de.ote any part of their time by ati effort of fpnutaneent pariotlfm. The very matters under wham they wotkwill not accommodate their hours fo as to permit a daily drill. unlefs the duty be compulfory. Sat appoint them to meet by an edift, and the dury . will be regularly performed. Make it alto as eery a dusty as potible. It is grievoully eta nifhing to fee the ibperfuons fatigue that is given in drilling and marching. Eight or ten men may learn in a few weeks in a hall of jo feet long, and half as broad, as ouch difcipline as the Volunteers have learnt by freezing and fweating during the whole Ammer and winter days of their trudging after In fpeeing Officers. The times and events are fo &rimq that we mull (peak and reafon of out Means of defence, and of the main bull/ark of otir fecnrity, the Volunteers, i like rational and plain men. Let as ceafe to fondle i and to flatter thofe men, as if they were children that mull be Coaxed to perform their duty: Away with every compromife and furrender to falfe delicacy— the dreadful truth will one day be thundered in our ears from the cannon of bon APAITS. if we do not lif ten to it in due time; the truth, which our deareft blood will expiate, if we neglea it—that to meet our invading enemy, difcipline, as well as numbers, are required, and that death and defeat are to be expeaed, if we tile not the whole phyfical force of the country in defending it. Let us reckon oar defenfi've force : We rate our Volunteers at four hundred thonfand on paper. Sick and whole, young and old, lame and naive, drilled and undrilled, are the components of this (weeping afeertainment ; and people are as recite of their force being effeeive to this amount, as if they were lifted, infpeifted, and difciplined in the regular ferrite: But we affert, without hefitation, that if all deduaions are made of men beyond the prime of life (and in the prime of life they are alone to be relied on in the pulb of war) ; if we dedua the numbers neceirary for (erring in ftationary polls and watches in the interior in the event of invation ; if we except alto men, whole ignorance of difcipline would amft the enemy more than ourfelves, not one half of that amount in real and difpofable force is capable of being called out. And of thofe Volunteers who are the bell difci ;dined, what is the exalt value ? Are they equal in !kill to foldiers that have beat the Grenadiers of Aueria and Hungary? Are the Volunteer Officers equal in (kill even to thofe of General MACK I Bra very, even to defpair, we might expect•—the courage of patriots and of Englithmen ; but of this we have heard enough,andto this we have trufted fufficiendy, if not by far too much. The whole people mull be armed and difciplined ; Wand of promifcous regiments of aged and infirm men intermixed with the young and the alive, we mull have all the difpofable force compofed of men in the vigour of life, and of inch men our country could muter at leaft a million. Let not one be ex empted, there is not a man fuperfluons. Dilcipline Inch as the enemy's, we cannot expea among our men ; let numbers then overwhelm him, mighty and irrefiffible numbers ; let thofe numbers be drawn oat ere the time is too late, and trained to arms, at Una in false degree more regularly than the Volunteers are at prefent. Prepatv, or be for ever saw! Think not of vie. tory, while your confciences mull tell you that you have left fo much of your duty unperformed. The ranks of the Volunteers are not half filled, the mars of them are not fit for fervice, and not a tenth part of the phyfical force of Great Britain is held in readi nets to defend her. Affetnble and difcipline inßead of dreaming in fecurity, and vaunting in imaginary firength, or count on feting London in allies, and myriads of fuch armed mobs as ye can *amble, flaughtered and ditperfed. Do you know the enemy who is approaching ? Do you doubt that his navy will increafe, and that he will yet affuredly came ? Gather, in the name of Goo, to troth this firebrand, or the day is not diltant when it will confume you, Gather the whole people ere it is too late. When the death-pall of deftruftion !hall hare been drawn over this once beautiful country; when tyranny than have blafted this IA remaining OtOr in the defart of Eu ropean degradation, and when, to Chun the intuits ' of a conqueror, we (hall have no refuge but the grave of our native foil, let our enemies write on our tombs, " they peril rd by their aunt fogy." It is a common topic of confolatioa that whatever our Volunteers are at prefent, a little fighting with Boa APAITeII foldiers will loon give them praaical knowledge of the de of war ; 'alit is wifely added, that the deficiencies of abfentees will he filled hp, and even the numbers increafed in cafe of invafion. Increafed and filled up, with a vengeance by men who have been too bury hitherto to attend the duties of Volunteers, though they entered the corps, or by men who have never had the grace to enter them at all. From fuch fillings up, and increafes in the ma met of battle, may GOD deliver obi Ti is ridiculous to alert, that to difcipline the whole youth and manhood of the country, is ineompa tilde with its indufiry--an hour a day is ftifficient, and if proper meafores were ufed to call out the men in Convenient places, once in two or three months is fufficient for brigading them—the effen di' parts of their difcipline may be learnt by daily eitercife, without drawing them ten minutes walk from their own honks. In every greet of every 'city and village their might be drilling &cures and places for prattice at the tire of the mufket, and even the lining of balls. The manual exercife, marching and taking aim, are thus eafily learnt, and thus without a murmur or a hardihip the whole people would be trained to arms. The Country mutt adopt Come new fyftem like this, stn the iffue of invafion will be different from the vain:o6Am cant that is fatally abroad at prefent on that fubjea. Here lies the grievous, the deteftable error which has given the death•blow to the utility of the Volunteer Syftem, and by bringing the country to the brink of ruin, calls aloud for infant reparation. The mode of calling out the Volunteers to lOng and fatiguing drills is ufelefs, it is pernicious. They wait for hours under cold and rain to no purpofe—they are marched for half days to no purpofe t they lota time, Itrength, and patience in waiting for one ano. ther, or for an Infpetting Officer. Ignorant and ab furd men,who have been the means of introducing this wage of time and Rrength, pretend that it is to harden them, and there are people befotted enough to believe that, infiead of killing men unaccullomed to thefe fa tigues,they will accullons them to warfare. But who will ferioufly :alert that the confiitutions of men are thus to be changed at will, or who can form to indiftiat a piaure of what will happen when invafion takes place, as not to perceive that difcipline and courage in the field are qualities of more importance than hirdinefs in bearing the weather ? All the land on which we mall fight is cultivated and full of houfes. In defending a country like this we (ball need to be brave and fkilful, but the hardinefi of Tartars and Savages is only ufeful in fighting through fuch coun tries as they inhabit. Befides, if it were necerary, it is not to be learnt at the age of adult perfons. In numerable deaths have happened through this folly —for fuch deaths, and for the unneceffary difguft at volunteer drills, which has been thus created, let thofe men be accountable who have dragged their corps through rain and mud, and mire, for the in lane purpofe of making them hardy. Let us calculate the increafe of the French Navy, Gnce this enemy of human nature has led them in their bloody career. Their Naval Power is increaf ing and will increafe. Eitherßormatvi mull die, and the whole energy of their Government die along with him, or the fame continued energy will build a fuf ficient !hipping to bring over his invading fquadrons in fpite of all human exertions to refifi ihem.Ultimately the bloody die will be thrown on Briar ground, and till we are affured that we have left no means untried to be'prepared for the trial,our vaunting and fecurity is all madnefs and fatuity. What means this fancied fecurity—this public and ominous flupefatlion ? Do we doubt that France is become a new empire and a new people; that the has (hated like Lazarus from the comb, or like aPhce nix from the flames of her civil war I Her people are changed in every thing but their ancient fire and fe rocity : their vanity has fwollen to infolence : their confidence feems to have cleiliny for its infurance— their loyalty, that made them but half fuccefsful in ancient wars, has now confecrited and idolized its objeft. They have got what they only wanted, a leader to guide their ambition, that ambition which only changed its name under its varying fynonymes of fraternizing and deftruttion. This, worfe than Ma Host IT, and mole dangerous than &LYMAN, with a people of thirty millions, with a nation of foldiers, and a holt of Generals, is not to be met with boaßs and vain confidence ; with Volunteers, undifeiplined, or taught by a dozen or two field days in a twelve month. Woe to the nation that numbers by its trap ' pings and talTels the Ilrength of its military force.— We have not, not can We uphold, a (landing army fuf ficienc for this encounter. We muR have V , hunters on a wider or better fyiletit, or, what is infinitely pra ferible, an ORGANIZED LEVY IN MASS. 1 1 1.4iITICAL INTELLIGENCE. bablie • Witerfari MAILS THIS DAT...-Wind Eafterly. MIL DOS. AIM 11016 i 3 I Hataarsit 0 3 $ Gottgabersk 0 Penzance Nov. i.—By the packet arrived yeller. day from Scilly, we received intelligence, that in ad dition to the . Magdalene, of Greenock, in our Pier, two others of the Sniffing flips from the, Welt Indies by lift convoy, are recaptured, and put into Scilly the one by an armed fchooner, and other by a Gum. fey privateer; unfortunately the 04 recaptured by the latter 'ran aground in Old Grimthy harbour, but. it is hoped will be got off without much damage. Fatiourn, Nov. s.—Put back this day the American Ibip Carpenter, Captain MITERS, which failed yefierday for London. Sailed the American (hip Martyn, Captain Livti.sron, for Liverpool with tobacco; the Lord Auckland packet, SZVTLIIII, with the mail of the agth tilt. for Lisbon; the was not ezPeeed t 3 fail till the gth init. but an esprit, ar rived late lag evening, ordering her immediate fail ing, and to take on board the Ruffian Ambaffador lot the Court of Madrid, who has been waiting here Come days ; alto failed the Bacchus, Burrsavisto, for Newport ; and Friendthip,Tottaams, for Bridge. water. The ralfingham packet from Linton is daily expeded ; the wind is at prefent unfavourable for her arrival. Wind EA. POILTIMOOTH. 00111111311. 4.—Arrived the Mary, I &saw, from London.—The APOLLO frigate is ap pointed convoy for the Mediterranean. Wind E. Novemsta 4.—Arrived in the Roads this morning from the French Coaft and the Downs, his Majcay's gun-brigs Fearlefs, Pmcher, Spar kler, Bloodhound, Firm, Mariner, Thra(her, and Gallant, and remain with the Defperate, Blazer, Bruiser, and Conftant. It is fuppofed that there gun.brigs are come to take each one of the launches which have been fitted here under the diration of Sir Stoner Ststri.—lt appears that the enemy do not think their veffels fare under the cover of their batteries, for, fince one of them was blown op lan week, they have not appeared outfide of the Pier.—Arrived the Courier cutter from a cruise.—Sir SroaiT SMITS has been here to day, attended by Captain Stemmas, of the UTtacHT.—Wind S. S. E. and fine moderate weather. DEAL, Nov. 4—Arrived the Velvet. and PIGA. Itts frigates, COMBATANT, OMNI; and the Veto toys Hoops of war, and feveral gun-brigs from off the French Coati. Came down from Sheerners the Jaczatt gun brig, and remains in the Downs with the (lips as per la'!.—Wind S. E. Yaanourn, NOVIIIIIR 3. —Saturday arrived the Arra sa frigate from a cruize, and the John armed (hip, with a fleet' of Merchantmen for the Baltic.— Sunday arrived here an Englifh kleffenpr, and em barked on board the CAIRIEL, which immediately failed for the Continent. Monday failed for the Bal tic the John armed (hip, with a' fleet of Mer chantmen. Arrived from the Southward, (even fail of light tranfports under convoy of two gun brigs.— The fleet under Admiral Russsti is le:paled to fail to-morrow morning. Remain in the • Roads the Majeftic, Elephant, Dieator, Princefs of Orange, Stately, Roebuck, Ruby, Agincourt; Allrea frigate, and four gun brigs, and three cutters. Wind. S. E. RACVATE, NOVEMBER'. A conciderable part of the light and heavy horfe belonging to the German Legion marched in yef terday evening, and will be embarked, it it fuppored, to-morrow. Several tranfperts are expeded to come in this night from the Downs, for the reception not only of the troops now waiting in this town, but for the reception of General Moos a's and other brigades of infantry. The vifit of the General yellerday to Lrrd Kamm, at Eafi Cliff, has given rife to a vari ety of reports; but the mon generally received is, that the force originally intended for the expedition will be greatly augmented as loon as pable, with a view of joining our Allies on the Continent, and taking a moll :alive and decided part in this awful firuggle for the independence of Europe. It is be. lieved, therefore, particularly fince the return of Lord Rearm, that Government, adopting a policy fuited to unforefeen circumllances and the exigency of the moment, have refoived to fend from SO to 60,000 troops of the line, which might counterbalance the advantages gained by the enemy in the firft int Ranee. A great many tranfports failed down the River this morning, and entered the Downs, for the conveyance, no doubt, of more troops. Part of the Northumberland Militia are doing duty here at pre feat, and the remainder at Margate. CHATHAM. NTEMBER s. On Saturday, all was hurry and contort= at Deal, the expedition was expeaed to fail every mo ment, Sir STOWS! SMITH embarked and engaged every boat and galley that could be procured; the expedition it is reported, is to go again Boulogne, and the reafon for fo many [man boats being en gaged, is Paid to be for the purpofe of pairing over the chain drawn acrofs the entrance of Boulu"ce• Harbour. One divilion is intended to make a falfe attack upon the batteries, while the other enters the harbour, and attempts the dearuCtion of the flotilla. Yenerday the Raver (loop of war failed for the Nore. Lieutenant MORRIS of the Royal Marines, with a party of thirty men, is ordered on board the KIM The otft and 92d Regiments paired through this place on Saturday and yefterday. A melancholy accident happened yefterday afire. noon, between four and five o'clock : three women digging chalk in a pit belonging were overwhelmed by a large by which two of them were the third fo feverely broiled tertained of her recovery. Colonel TworE wav's volui the place at the time the themfelves with a moil I.+l vowing to extricate the wconca.—One of them has *longing to Mr. Nicholfon, 0 large macs of chalk falling, rare killed on the fpot, and fed that little hopes are en. volunteers, who were near accident happened, exerted Laudable alacrity, in endea- bodies of the unfortunate as kfi five children. 1