The National Register. — London, England, 1808-08-14 00:00:00

514 . i .1 r - "C_ I,4k_ soldiers nest. try where spit at home. the Expedition sent to co-operate wirin t. last Austrian war. Ou r R ea d ers w i ll excuse a shor t di gression here, in order to do justice to that distin4iiished officer. During th e s h ort stay he made at that time on the Banks of the Weser, be lett a deep and permanent im pression on the inhabitants. by .his condescension and con ciliating manners; and the discipline he maintained among his men, was the subject of universal praise. But t, re tnrn to our subject, this regulation consisted in a tem porary diminution of the pay. The privates were allowed no more than sixpence a day, whilst the rmainder was pm served for them till their return. This was productive of several advantages. Besides a considerable sum they had to receive on their return, it preserved them from those excesses which their full pay would have expo se d th em to in a country, w h ere brandy is so very cheap. As the Spa niards are the soberest and most decent people upon earth, the necessity of a similar regulation for our army which is piing to assist them, will be strongly felt; for no "ice would sink . our national c h aracter l ower i n their estima tion, than that of drunkenuess. It is now very high in that country ; and if we wish to preserve the affection and .4. in of that 'high-minded people, we must adapt th e i r tillperance. This virtue should be particularly recom mended to our young oaken, for regulations will be use less unless they give the example to their men. They cam. not be ignorant that the fate of Europe and of their coun try is in their hands • and what must b e sacre d to a wi cker, th e f ame of the British _army is attached to their conduct. 'Another circumstance cannot be too strongly, and too • frequently recommended, we mean a respect for the wor ship id the inhabitants. They are strongly attached, like all honest men, to the religious institutions of their fathers. • Any pleasantries on that subject would betray as much igtiorance as brutality; and would contribute more to afieuate the inhabitants, than ant other excess they could 'be guilty of. it wou ld a l so be adviseable, that such of Al , our soldiers as are Catholics, should; on their arrival in that country, march every Sunday to Church, under ()Mem of that persuasion. They should be accompa nied. likewise by the band of their regiment, as this custom is Usual in Spain. This liberality will remove from the' minds of the natives any prepossession they may have im bibed about our higotW severity to the Catholics; and must have great influence on a continuance of harmony between the t wo nat i ons. The strictest injunctions should be likewise given to restrain licentiousness towards the other sex. The Spaniards are proverbially delicate in that respect. It is too common with the soldiers of every coun try, when they are on foreign service, to imagine that a great latitude is allowed them on that very point and the idea, that every brave man is naturally a gallant man, does not contribute to diminish this licentiousness. It hat been productive, however, of the most pernicious abuses; and the brave man, who would blush to be guilty of a dis bpnourable action, is guilty, without r emorse , o f per fi dy, and atrocity towards the weaker sex. Soldiers, who • are the protectors of the weak and the defenceless, will find it difficult to reconcile with that character treatment in this respect. It is ous . these observations, b ecause t h ere h of per-, Tidy, the recit a l o f w hi ch won man with horror. To cover these atrociti institution of marriage has b een a b use d , and 'have been known to marry sev era l women in the course of a sin g l e cam paign. This is a most revolting levity ; and it is to be hope" that no instances of it will occur in our army. But should any be guilty of so daring a violation of social and divine !Mg, he should be punished with the same rigour, as he would be in this country for a similar crime. A re laxation of morals must be as fatal to a soldier's sense of • . :14 ..tepL ics, never engaged. in a war, or never fought a battle without first i m pl or i ng th e protection of Heaven for the succe ss o f th eir arms . And shall we, who are Christians, and who are fighting in the .justest cause a nation was ever eng age d in , over l ook so awful an obli gation. Two of tho greatest heroes, and most -extraordi nary monarchs among the moderns, Gustab us Adolphus and Charles the T4elfth, were remarkable for maintaining religions sentiments in the minds of their soldiers. The attention of Suwarrow is known in this respect. But all these regulations would be u se l ess , w i thout s General capable of'eaforcing them. The bravest .army, and most distinguished fq discipline, when cond uc t e d by a man of moderate abilitiAv loses its superiority against far inferior troqps commanded byr a distinguished officer. The history - of every war, fur mdte.than two thousand..years, gives us undeniable proofs of 'the' truth of this assertion. It is not even sufficient that the general, who will command our mink" in Spain, should possess distinguished military t alents; he insist possess all the req u i s it es o f a great man ; e most join the abilities of the statesman, to those of a soldier. A country which is divided into as many govern ments, as there are juntas, and which will consequently have such a diversity of interests and views, as soon as the alarm of the present danger has sub Sided, requires a Gene ral, who is a eonsuinimate'statesman. It is also necessary, that he possess a profound knowledge of their language and manners. The facility which this will give him in his negotiations with the different Juntas, may be easily con ceived. It will be flattering to the self-love of the nation I • and a deficiency in this respect can never be remedied. A single phrase from the mouth of a victorious General, would have more weight on the resolutions of a popular assembly, than all the eloquence and wit of Mr. Canning himself. If he is ignorant of the language, he has no other intercourse with the natives, than through the me dium of an interpreter :—how cold, how formal !—or he must speak to them in the language of their oppressors. From all we have said, we have no doubt on our minds that the disunion of the allies, the ill success of every former war, and the vast preponderance of the French, are to he attributed solely and exclusively to the incapacity of the Generals. 1==m•b••• REVIEW OF POLITICAL DECLAIMERS. No. XXIX. • • TO MR. CORBETT. t a—Your observations on the affairs of Spain and the delPale witticisms with which they arc interlarded, though they may afford you and yo►tr friends a vast fund of satisfaction, have not had a similar effect on the public. I leave it to the impirtial and the honest to judge of the degree of honour they do to your head and to your heart. You are justified, however, in lasinq claims to the honour of singularity on the occasion ; thud if it he a mark of genius that you, whilst every bosom in the different ranks of society throbs with ecstacy at the prospect of ultimate success on the side of innocence and virtue, should feel no other sensation but a desire to indulge in scurrility and invective, )(pi have unenvied pretensions to a superiority of intellect. Beware of this exclusive privilege, Mr. Cobbett ! An English Public, though far frOm being inimical to eccentricity on common occa sions, are so tenacious in some matters, that they would renounce their characteristic toleration, and view that man more in the light of a monster, than of a hero, who is singular enough to feel in the contemplation of moral and national eyeniF, only a desire to indulge iu the worst and most perverted feelings of the human heart. Reflect, therefore, seriously if the pleasure of indulging in a gratification, let it be ever so congenial to :our principles and disposition,:will afford a compensation for the esteem of a British Public. However, 1 am not qualified to appreciate the satisfaction which a cankered heart, joined to an irregular hnagivatiuu may eijoy from bidding rfehance to those . . . Amaiwassamaiiasonsimaawaimaiummiamiasiii - UGUST 14. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ' •er tall into it. They are now goint to a coun- honour, as to a man in private life; and it is worthy of no. kpirituous liquors are mcomparably . c esper than It. tice that the greatest Generals have been most attentive to 4 mod excellent regulation wag Introduced in maintain in their ar;iy a sense of moral and religious feel. tion commanded by sAird Cathcart, which was , iug. The Greeks and Romans, ia-the finest ages of their )perate with the Russians and Swedes during the Republics, never engaged in a viar_ .... --...._ , - iu war. On. 1/...A--- —tei „IP 6 1 1 ~. i i i '', ' I ' to i n gr r — ZA ,\ J 1 • • , • 0 . . . ;#. '4 ... . 1 , , ? 1 i t i . . ~. , 1 M r , , T 1 NI • ii .-, • ; ,- . , . ,'.