The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-22 00:00:00

THE PRESS, AUGUST 22,1857.

a period only, and not for their whole lives.
They do not consider their regiment as their
home, nor the Horse Guards as the arbiter of
their prospects in life. Some of them enter
Parliament ; some become peers ; others settle
down as quiet country gentlemen. Only a
small fraction of them are literally " men of
the sword," who look to that alone for
their livelihood, and for the means of
advancement in life. Now, however
injuriously this system may operate
in other respects, there cannot be a
doubt that this independence of military
promotion, and this connection with general
society, has conduced very much to the for-
mation of an army which renders jealousy
superfluous. Nor, on the other hand, can it
be questioned that a system which practically
excluded all but " working " candidates, if we
may so speak—all, that is to say, but men
wrapt up in their profession, and staking
their whole prospects on success in it—
would isolate the army from the public, and
render it a readier instrument for uncon
stitutional designs, should any Minister ever
he mad or wicked enough to conceive such.
Such a contingencj may be highly improbable.
We sincerely believe that it is so. Yet in making
changes of this magnitude no possibility
should be overlooked. Englishmen are a little
too much given to thank Providence that they
are not as other nations. But in this par-
ticular instance we doubt if they really desire
to try the experiment in question.
With regard to our second point, we trust
Sir DE LACY EVANS does not intend to recom-
mend that the system of selection be applied
to regimental officers below the rank of lieute-
nant-colonel. It would open a wide door to
favouritism. This could not so well happen
in the case of an officer promoted to an impor-
tant command. In that case there is at the
same time greater security and less tempta-
tion. The public have the man before their
eyes, and can judge of his fitness for them-
selves. And the officer by whom the appoint-
ment is bestowed cannot quiet his conscience
by the reflection that the gentleman ap-
pointed, if not actually the very best, is still up
to the mark, and can do no injury to the ser-
vice. No honest man could reason in this way
about such important posts as the command
of a regiment. But he very readily might
where a commission or a company was in-
volved. When a captaincy fell vacant, out of
fifty candidates there would be certain to be
five or six of such nearly equal merit that to
nominate the second best would do no appre-
ciable harm. In this way the nominator could
oblige his friend without injuring the service,
and strengthen a Political connection without
pricking his conscience.
Of course, if every officer up to the rank of
major were only promoted after a competitive
examination, this particular objection would
vanish, for the examiners must regulate their
choice rigidly by the number of marks. But
we doubt if examinations fur either a company
or a majority would not be detrimental
to the efficiency of the service. But even if
they were not, strong objections to the aboli-
tion of purchase would still remain, for the
only other alternative, i.e., promotion by mere
seniority, seems now universally condemned.
Other important points in connection with
this subject still remain to be discussed, and
we shall return to it at the earliest oppor-
tunity.

THE GOVERNMENT, MR. DISRAELI, AND

THE " PRESSURE FROM WITHOUT."
WE have no hesitation in saying that the de-
bate on Thursday was one of the most in.
teresting in the whole of the past session.
Two remarkable speeches were made in it by
the Premier and Mr. DISRAELI. The member
for Calne (Sir W. WILLIAMS), like a raw political
novice, committed his friends and the Go-
vernment by declaring that--
A greater mistake had not been made of late yetrs than
in leaving such a place as Delhi, full of materiel, in charge
of black troops. . . . He (Sir W. Williams) had
seen the nakedness of India, station after station, without
a single stronghold. The consequence was, when we
were attacked, all went over like a pack of cards.
And much more strong language to the same
effect was used by the " Hero of Kars." For