The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-04-03 00:00:00

citourttibseperinr.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1869.

THE VOLUNTEERS.
Taking all things into conaideration—the
purely voluntary character of the organisation,
the patriotic devotionof the individual mem-
bers, their willingness to bear expense and
fatigue, and the persistency with which they
have continued to render their country service
—our volunteer army, our citizen soldiers, are
the finest volunteer,' in the world. Lord Rane•
high reminds us that the force was called into
existence ten year; ago, and that it now name
hers 170,000 men. We think his lordship rather
understates their power, but, taking this reaud
number, it is a splendid force organised for a
noble purpose. The motto of the volunteer
army is" defence, not defience," and they have
alwnye acted up to it. Since the volunteers
first responded to the spirit-stirring appeal,
Riilemen, form !"p mific ideas have made great
progress, not alone in our own country, but
througeout the world. There have been since
then wars and rumours of wars, but war in it-
self has become less and less popular. The
sovereigns of Europe and the nations of the
Continent have in many ways declared in favour
of continued peace, and while warlike rumours
have successively died away, the prineiplea
of
international peace have steadily progressed.
It is not too much to say that the formation and
maintenance of our fine voluuteer army has
materially contributed to this result. It has
made Englaud a great umillitary nation without
any offensive demoustretian of militray power ;
and foreigners cannot fail to see that seine
170,000 men engaged in the ordinary eccupe-
tione of civil life, ',hada be ready on emergency
to USSOIIIO the position of a defensive army,
should the regular army unhappily be caliee on
to pursue its teeth' of war.
To the ordinary drill and diseiplin of a volun-
teer army it has been thought advisable to add
a grand 'muted review at s mine fitting place, an I
for nine years this Easter :Imlay review has
been a greater or less success, while the history
of these reviews shows that tho voleutteere have
been growing in efficieucy. Men who for the
snoet pert ure unneed t notch earlehip, who are
subject to no compulsion to mulergo a harder
days we; k than ever fails to their rot tinder or-
dinary eh-en:est:ewes, and who, meter the most
favour:edit condition:, 'oust le sieeel
more money than they tern well affeeil, Lem'
l'evertheless entered heartily int the spirit of
these teviews year after year again N see yet,
howev(-r, hose they had to ender) the di-tom-
fort—to use no stronger teriu—thau they bad t
urefeele,, this luster Mon-lay, aud sineerely
iii
we h .pc that they new never hive to seifer the
like again. The weather! Yes, teat wag tee
great drewbeek and '1 wiper. " Time weether
at hover on S itnrdey," says the co; reseondeet
of the Tetoeq,e, whose peculiar style at ()nee.
identifies, -` was dreadful, stud del everything
which weather at Easter ought not to Tee
meet appalling summary of climet'e ineleareney
perhepe, the " first it II then
it sues', then it thew, ani ten it free %ATLI."
It did neerly all thee time ee eteriley (Saturdie).
Another correspondent, alheling to the mere,
time disaster we Ii ive to chronicle. says " The
disaster occurred in the midst of a blinding
suow-storm, when scereely one yard ahead could
be seen front the thickly-falling flakes. The
wind blew in fitful gases, ere. Writing MI Mon-
day morning, lie ears, " A terrfic wind is blow-
ing from the north'eust. Sleet and relit have
fallen dering a boisterous night." And then
cone "it perfect gide, with ieein nod snow-
storm," and et the m ritical time the weather be-
=ire stie woree. The wind blew a terrific gele ;
the sea broke in with mighty force over the
Parade ; the troops, cowering before the pitilees
storm, had to beat a retreat, amid hail and snow.
" The poor volunteers,' says a =respondent,
" are drawn up in close columns, and are
patieetly and good-temperedly receiving a
thoroaeh drenching." The fitful gleams of
sunshine, and the cheering appearance of a
ate after the storm came too late for realiea-
tiou of anything like the hopes of officers mid
men, while the sad tale of the maritime casu-
aiity necessarily had kt dumb:Ring efiect
omm
volunteers and sightseers.
The narrative we give ie another column will
be read with feelings of adiviretiou for our citi-
zen soldiers, tied of regret end evnipethy ; bat
we think it ought to eell forth audher feeling—
a determination to postpone Nero annual re.
views of the volunteers to us biter periol of the
year. Easter, s thee') with goad mernorice on
such matters wi'l readily agree, is freqnehtly a
tronblous end troisterens time of the year, and
we ace no reason why with this fact before us,
we should not persist in chomeng Eager efOu•
day for our grand volunteer field day. Why not
Whit Monday, or the Queen's birthday I The
oriner, perhaps, would be the better of the two,
beCUUSe it is s MOTO generel holiday. Our wea-
ther is at all times uncertain, but we may reae-
weedy expect more settled, warmer and more
genial weather in the middle of May than at
the end of March. At any thee of the year the
great volunteer holiday must be a lottery so far
as the weather is concerned, to the day west be
decided on some weeks beforehand ; but if Whet
Monday be the day chosen for subsequent re-
views, there will lie far less chance of such a
painful result as has occurred this 3 ear.