The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-11-08 00:00:00

SOMETHING LOOMING IN THE DISTANCE.

The Tinted', in an elaborate notice of the "School
of the Prophets," publishes the following discomfort-
ing reflections, with a somewhat startling extract
from the prophicies of a distinguished writer in this
"school,' now becoming famous, the Rev. Dr.
Cumming :—" It is, then, a very general belief that
we are on the very verge of a gigantic struggle;
that France is to originate, ride, and, if able, over-
rule the storm; that England, because of her free
thought, free speech, and free prom and Protestant
religion, the spring of thou all, is to have directed
on her the concentrated fire of Europe ; and we
must do them the justice to add they isitriotically
urge, on their ground, and from their point of view,
what sane politicians uphold on theirs, an instant
and powerful preparation on our pert at any expense
Ito defend Old England's shores." In The Ureat
Triimiation the writer observes : .

"France, the great actor in the prophetic outline,
flushed with her Italian comments, ic reposing in her
short bivouac, in order to enter on the arena refreshed
and strong as a giant to fulfil her destiny. Austria,
furious at defeat and disallsiintment, longs to avenge
her wrongs, and tries by sacrifice to conciliate Hungary.
Italy is one huge volcano, still, perhaps, making ready
to receive into her fiery bosom the papacy, with all ita
spoils of plundered nations, and injured kingdoms, and
violated rights, and all its mins and its crimes inexpiable
for ever. . . . . .

" Our own beloved land may soon be girdled with a
belt of fire. Her freedom, her faith, her prosperity, her
accessible asylum for the refugee and the oppressed, her
gigantic power, her outspoken independence, her tre-
sures, and her triumphs are the hate of despots, the
envy of courts, and the provocative' of hostility on the
part of nations that remember her put superiority,
and long to measure swords with her once more. No
ordinary events are looming up from every point of the
European horizon, like strange birds of evil omen. All
the ten years that have passed away, and the seven that
still remain of the era of the ' Great Tribulation,' will
cover a time of trouble unprecedented since there was a
nation. It is a time when there 'shall be great distress
of nations, with perplexity,' political, social, commer-
cial, and moral—the disintegration of political party.
the distrust of trade, the dereliction of moral obligetions, conf 'WWI of principles, and eaision of passions,
'the sea and the waves roaring.' There also shall be
fulfilled and felt what is written.
" The lull that now exists among the nations of
Europe is very much like that of 1851. It is the eve of
more terrible disturbance, and the time of preparation
for it. Science, and art, and national resources are
tasked in all directions, in order to make the most for-
midable weapons for offensive and defensive war. The
discoveries of modern science, as embodied in the iron
rail, the ocean steamer, and the electric telegraph, will
lead to such military gatherings, such concentration of
troops, such lightning•like rapidity of action, such
shocks of armies, as never were equalled in the history
of the world. Everything seems to make ready for no
common crisis, no ordinary issue. In the words of
Daniel, 'there shall be a time of trouble, such as never
was since there was a nation.' In the words of St.
Matthew, 'there shall be great tribulation, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time; no,
nor ever shall be.'"

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-1 dram

SIR WILLIAM NAPIER ON VOLUNTEERS.
To the Editor of The Times.
Sir,—As au inhabitant of Surrey I naturally look with
great interest to the progress id the County Rifle Corps,
from whose courage and military skill I expect protec-
tion in case of invasion. It was, therefore, with some
disposition to laugh, but greater disposition to cry, that
I read the fl•llowing speech, delivered by • Mr. Wise, at
Dorking, in which, deviating from a consideration of
fanning—it being an agricultural meeting—he launched
forth the following passage :--
"Tusk he could venture to say that, at all events, not
• inan of the Surrey Rifle Volunteers would bide behind
a bush or a tree."
Savouring too much of Mr. Anthony Weller's notion
of his son's letter—that is to say, " werging" rather too
much, not on poetry, but the melodramatic patriotism of
Etsaller'e Wells,—this clap-trap may do mischief.
Mr. Wise, is, no doubt, able to sustain his name in all
things relating to agriculture ; but be woefully belied it
by treating of warlike matters, upon which be is so pre-
founde•lly misinformed that he mist be conscious of his
inability to discuss any military point, sod should, there-
fore, not have lipOkelll at all. Mr. Henry Drummond,
with his keen pointed gr,el sense, instantly pinned this
" flying folly of the wise ; but still it was received with
loud cheers from the meeting, and may waked many
preple. The following remarks are designed to counter-
act its mischievous thudency.
Instead of asserting that Surrey riflemen would never
hide behind a hush i or a tree, he should have expressed
his earnest hope that they would do so, and the teach-
ing them "how to du it" is of vital importance. This
truth may be illustrated by the following anecdote.
At the battle of Fuentes ill /nore the 71st Regiment
was strongly engaged, aunt lost a great many men. It was
relieved by the 43rd after the battle, and its Colonel,
Cadogan, observing a 43rd soldier looking intently upon
the body of a 71st man who had fallen in a gap of the
wall, said to him, "That was a brave man.', " Yes,"
was the reply, " and I was just thinking he was too
brave; be pushed into that gap and got killed,
instead of keeping • behind the wall and killing his
enemy."
Sir, the art of hiding behind trees and bushes, rocks,
sticks, and stonex, is the very essence of modern warfare.
The teaching regular soldiers how to num: in masses is
an absolute necessary foundation to support the super-
structure et real warfare, which is, in fact, this very
hiding behind sticks and stones. A great deal is said
about bayonet charges, and solid onsets of heavy columns,
but WIWI' less of that takes place than is supposed by
men who only read of war; three-fourths of every battle
between regular armies depend upon the stick and stone
practice, and the whole of a battle, as between volun-
teer rifle corps and regular troops, will depend upon the
fernier's skill in hiding. This is called light infantry
work—a very applicable name in the days when heavy
armour was worn by the main battle of pikenien, and
lightly !trifled troops were eniployed for the more fatiga•
tog work of covering the marches of the heavy body;
but now that all soldiersare armed alike theyshould all be
taught alike, and skirmishing well, is, I say again, three-
fourths of • battle.
But, apart from Mr. Wise's military notions, I find
that the making men good shots is placed above the art
of maineuvring irregular corps. It should be just the
reverse. To be a good shot is a very good thing, but is
of less importance than the art—using a slang expres-
sion—of "bringing the shooters to the scratch." This
is much the inure difficult, also ; for Englishmen are
almost sure to have • natural disposition to fire well,
and with very little teaching, having their rifles con-
stantly in hand, will become good marksmen. Still,
the more teaching the better, provided the higher
branch of their business be not neglected.
An invading enemy's column must generally march
along the main roads; it will therefore be well for
volunteer officers, either singly or with their companies,
to examine all the roads leading through their county
upon London or any other great town, and thus ascertain
all the points of advantage offered for hiding behind
sticks and stones—Mr. Wise's dictum notwithstanding ;
and to trees and bushes; should be added railroads,
banks, houses, public or private, bridges, &c., from
whence their rifle balls will pitch into the enemy's
columns. All ranges are good, but the longest range in
best here, because it will give time for the rifleman to
retire from the enemy's sharpshooters. AIM to find a new
stick or stone for hiding. And be it remarked that, in
e g the county, our volunteers should look well
to the line of their retreat, dimming that which will be
the most difficult country fur the enemy's riflemen to
folluvr, or that which will lead the enemy towards the
rear of his line of march, and that, alai, which will
enable the volunteer most readily to join other volun-
teer corps acting in the same way. Thus they will
inevitahly enforce delay on the enemy, who cannot ad-
VAIICV until lie recalls his skirmishers, or they will be
left behind to be overwhelmed by the accumulating
numbers of our riflemen. Accumulat. in tits.* ease
will be must eflicacious, but the fortun"e, large bodies of
riflemen to move about in masses under the command
of one man cannot be too strongly deprecated ; it will
be entirely opposed to the vital principle of rifle war-
fare, and will only make bad regulars instead of good ir-
regulars. It is not meant, however, that there should not
be commanding officers of large bodies, for that will be
essential to concert amid combination; but in the actual
fighting and Junior movements small bodies only should
be employed; the reeking or declining a tight should be
left entirely to the inferior oiiiimandeni with small
bodies, whose intelligenee would thus be very soon awa-
kened to what was right, and those endowed with a
natural talent for war would very boon be distin-
guished and looked to both by their friends and

1.1111:1111M.
I feel sure that with this system England may be suc-
cessfully defended against any numbers, but I do not
think London can be defended AO easily; it is too near
the coast, and there must be for its defence combina-
tions between the regular army outside and the metro-
politan volunteers inside, who must be taught how to
occupy lines of houses, and ducks, and canals, and
bridges ; and the best of those lines should now be
examined and marked out upon maps for the instruction
of the City volunteers, if any should be enrolled. For
my part. I think all able to lieu arms should be en-
rolled in time. I hope it will be so, fur assuredly a very

dangerous crisis i.
I am, Sir, your.. obediently,
W. NA PIER, Lieutenant-General.