The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-07 00:00:00

A GOOD WORD FOR THE BRITISH
SOLDIER.

Lord Shaftesbury, in the following letter to The
Times, pays a high, and no doubt deserved tribute
to the British Soldier :
I hope I may be allowed to bear testimony to the admirable
conduct and discipline of the Ist and 2nd Divisions of the
Southern Army, now again encamped on Blandford Down.
Much alarm had been excited by the announcement of
their intended arrival, and letters were addre,sed to me from
that district, full of apprehensions. But on Prilay last,
some time after their occupation of the ground, twos assured,
by the very persons who had entertained fears of licence and
disorder, that not a single cave of complaint had occurred.
and that, on the contrary, the troops had behaved themselves
In a manner the most praiseworthy ant becoming. This has
been confirmed to me by my fri.ml Lord Portman, whose
great experience as a magistrate renders his opinion of high
Value.

On the next day I was startled by information at an early
hour that some 10,000 of these men had token possession of
my Downs. I was delighted to hear it, and joined them as
soon as possible.
- .

The day was sultry and oppreF sive, and yet these gallant
fellows, after a march of 14 mile., were standing out under a
broiling sun, unwilling, without permission, to go into the
woods, which were all around them, for shelter. In a few
minutes, however, hundreds of them were fast asleep under
the shade of the tress.
The lot Division, under Sir A. Hereford, remained three
days; and I am only spesking the sentiments of every one In
the neighlmerhood when I say that, for order, disciphne, and
civility, nothing could have surpassed them. After service
on Sunday, hundreds, I may say thousands, bathed In the
river, and walked and strolled about my garden; and I am
assured that not a leaf Is missing nor a flower-bed trampled
ou.
- -

The farmers and peasantry have received them with open
Irma, and I hear nothing but expressions of delight and
wonder at such gnietneiis and sobriety.
• •

Of course I cannot presume to give any military opinions,
but, apart from military considerations, I will venture to
aseerl that to train men to such order, self restraint, and
liberal obedience, cannot fail to have toe v, ry noblest results
of a moral character. lam very much disposed to think
that the Army will, under the new regulations of Mr. Card.
well, whom I heartily congratulate, form one of the nest
schools of adult education.
cannot but recommend these facts, and facts they are,
to the consideration of those gentlemen who pr.dinnoce the
English soldier to be among the most disorderly and immoral
of mankind.

The Ist Diviaion was replaced by the 2nd Division under
General Browurigg ; and I heartily repeat, on their behalf,
what I wad in respect of that under bir A. Doreord; an 4 I
firmly believe that a finer set .1 fellows, bath officers and
men, for intelligence, activity, seal, discipline, and good
humour were never brought together for the defence of their
country. Your obedient servant,
St. Gilmre II mee, Aug 29. SHAFTESBURY.

In conrection with the foregoing, The riillAt has the fol-
lowing leader—
Peace and War are the fertile theme of picturesque
contrast.; but in that usual aspect which is the only
one in which England ever sees war it is the school of
subordination, self-restraint, good manners, and moral
discipline. Of course there are natures which resist
all instruction, but it must be a very rugged and
very stubborn nature indeed that does not catal Nome
spark of loyalty and some sembistice of decency in
the daily duties of the military profession. The most
uncouth of the family, whether high or low, whether
in country or in town, learns in that school to hold him-
self well, to steady his movements, to fix his eye, direct
his attention, and even to measure his words. Ent the
teaching gene i ally goes much further than that; it
leads to a dikter regard of what is due from one man
to another. Just now England may rejoice in a spec-
tacle which might almost stand a comparison with war's
prouder successes. Lord Shaftesbury ho the historian.
In a letter we published on Saturday he describes an
army of ten thousand men, after marching fourteen
miles on dusty roads under a broiling sun, suddenly ap-
pearing on his own Downs, where, of course, they had
complete possession, and some inducements to relax di..
cipline. -There they were where armies had never
been leen before by the living generation, and in
a scene probably as strange to many of them. They
saw shady woods, but hardly believed that they might
. esqk the Wendy sheltor. may wore allowed tbs tree