Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-11-24 00:00:00

NOVRIVI,BE.R 24, 18&

for its own sake, of a tyrannic and brutal selfish
;less, or of inhuman and wasting_passinns•
army. of Volunteers, though, to the vulgar eyes
outward show is nothing but gross and mate
strength, yet, in inner Meaning, 'contains tle
highest ideal of all, Milian sentiment and virtilote'
. Itean be moved by no passion but the passi°ll„
patriotism ; it will strike no '• blow buf
t,
hearth and home ; it acknowledges the insPiri.'
tion of no cause but that with which GO h -
endowed every good man's breast; and no elle.
,mies bntthe enemies of justice and humanity.,,,
What it costs to be'"a military power,
this bost of tyrants 'and marauders'.—the
half century's history sufficiently instructs JP
Freedom from the intolerable miseries and Pr!,
lions which have been inflicted on Contineill''
:deg
peoples is gained-at but a small sacrifice, -
only loss .be of sueh bubble reputation a'S thy
In In the systems of modern nations, where a rePe
tation for military power is secured only by rj
maintenance of large armies, the happiness alt
well-being of the people are at the charge'do,
nations choose to pay this cost there is 110
culty in setting up their idol, and worshiPPgg
:te, their heart's content. Neither should We Lir%
them the poor reward of their devotion and
which consists in keeping up a constant ciscis;
and chatter among themselves, about their°y
glory and power.. Rut 'for those who wisll
'
tolerably comfortable and wholly free, a stall''.
army is at the best an expensive and inapo
luxury. For a nation that does not wish to 1.911'A
or
oppress, or terrify, or to live the slave of its
vanity, but merely to be safe from attack,
at the same time, worthy of its own el'
vast Volunteer force is at once sufficient andr m

most appropriate.
Butlet those who have in :large the colti:
tion and encouragement of this new enthusigs,o,
be especially -careful to give it that kind of r
pulse which, instead of a mere momentary eot
citement, shall make• it a pernianent moven/et,
and a normal condition of English life. Ilre tl
peat; a nation of Islanders and of freemen, b°l
nature and politics teach,- should be a natili
Volunteer soldiers.' Let the Rifle be the Eng 'fit
man's natural weapon. • Let the knowledge °
descend from father to son. Let the school ne'
be closed ; and let it be a part of every Englislr tr
man's domestic discipline, to frequent, with regty
larity, its constant lessons. We shall escape
burden of a large army, and still maintain of
truest of all military Spirit ; not the spirit 11/
vanity and: ambition, but the willingness to N
-and to die for one's country.
This is the lesson we learnt on Tuesday, at
George's Hall; without it, the demonstration
a childish and useless display.

the
ONE of the ablest of the London jour
otiiec
Siturday Bevietv,—made an allusion,' 01%°0
day, to that portion of the public PreS3 to
cheap
our own Paper belongs,—that is, the c
Press—the Press for the million,—which
non
very suggeStive to political parties ; and to e.,
more so, perhaps, than that great -Conseryslio
• • . _Constitutional_ party with whieldt_i9 °v
privilege to be connected. The subject at'
discussion by our contemporary was
iliediocrit:y. There was, a great' danger, it
contended; threatening us, and which Was '0
midable, "precisely because its character 09 c 1
4
the highest degree subtle and evasive, 'O,
because, it did not admit of any definite Prec4ty
lion being taken to avert it." • This dang'er.
" political niediociity" -which it preeee,„.ect4
- discuss; and more partidularly in its Pil'eio
spurebslpicectasffa..thires.d"o:::::t
e of
" a mediocrity la thought; reigning sail° o,e
think that, in the outset, a great mistake 9,0 of
mitted
mediocrity,—what it really means, and w
the
.spreadent of polipolitical
caol of
privileges,
ileaetgieosn:
otlig;
-enlarggreater prevalence of a spirit of freedom al)) 00
us, have coral-AM& -to -make politics la 4 and
t
more, •.e subject". of ' every man's theagil`
thete
, *Yet it by no means follows, that ir
s be any mediocrity,L-neithero tioo
think' that there is—" in the adnainWr9l:/
of public affairs?: The case is pit tlitit'ioo
4' We have not now to struggle with disc or
or
m.lO
or. ill intentions, or the jealousies of
tocr
Classes, so, much as with the sovereigatY°f-a,
door and the triumph of an honest, ieble I?ef.
to
mindedtieK in Government. We are obl4
iete,
throw politica' dower. more and more C°iiir~ tee'
into the hanclS 'of -thohom we call eallof
and, as a matter-of fact, we find that P°P
cliag A
education exactly fits its recipients to ~e
involves..,.
administrationt
h
Ate' of
everything that is 'superficial arid the
considerable portion of the inferior posse' bare
a
politi&il 'power -are eXcellerit ' people,
been influenced by the advance of social alu_A
rye
and the, revival of religion that have vaaricy,
last quarter of a Century. But, however 001'4
vial this pay be to them as individuals, lt.a-roisj:,
obscures and diminishes than aids their ;00
to take part in the government of the °5
Now there may be some truth in all tltivicieoce
-believe that there is. 'Still, it affords a° -;et em
whatever of mediocrity in those who, are 3 artier
neat enough -to aspire to, and to secUre• a I;e,avd
potion in the deliberations of the legislatu „el
the' administration of the government. cerr
this ground it is, however, that our Ott:vie, the
temporary connects political mediocrity 0 3 ifttj
popular Press; of which he says, that
Called into existence because persetis
been taught to read feel- a very natural 'lOOOl
timate- desire to use their,- acquirement ill
• Al
• they DO
a knowledge of what 'is- passing 'n
hence fl
country and age. But the conse
been that the reading of the PeuY
,edea
',.ha "s) to a very large extent, suPe
_9.n„,re